A coming of age story of a young man who loves dance and who struggles to find his place in the world between London and Ghana. Stephen is an intriguing character and one I suspect others will find relatable. Nelson has received a lot of praise for his prose but it fell flat for me. Thanks to the publisher for the arc. For fans of literary fiction.

DNF - This story just wasn't working for me. I was interested by the story but wasn't able to gel with it.

4 🌟
Beautiful prose, stunning writing, realistic characters. Although perhaps I went into this with too high an expectation after loving Open Water so much. This didn't have the same magic and shine Caleb Azumah Nelson's first book had. But it could have come from my own mindset going into this with such high adoration for Open Water.

Caleb Azuma Nelson burst onto the literary scene with Open Water, an intimate love story that also looked at Being a young Black man in England. In his follow up, Small Worlds, he explores some of the same themes but goes a little wider. Although, as the name suggests he is still interested in the intimate, in the ‘small worlds’ that people and communities create for themselves. The book is a little historical, situated over three years starting in 2010 and focuses on the Ghanaian immigrant community in London.
When Small Worlds opens in 2010, its main character Stephen is close finishing high school. Both he and childhood friend Del (for whom he has a bit of an unrequited crush) are in a band and hoping to get a scholarship to prestigious music school. Stephen, Del and their friends are part of a close Ghanaian community. Stephen’s parents both migrated to the UK in their twenties and his father wants more from him than a career in music, a tension that will impact on their relationship. Meanwhile Stephen and Del open up to each other, but much like the characters in Open Water, find maintaining a relationship in the face of other personal and social pressures a challenge.
Nelson is definitely striving for more in his second novel. He is still interested in some of the same things - the struggle of being a young Black man in Britain, the impact of broader social unrest, an obsession with the arts (in this case music). But he also brings in other threads through the story of Stephen’s parents - their struggles and the force of their expectations on him and his brother Raymond – and the power, support and tribulations of the immigrant community. Although a little forced, Stephen’s trip back to Ghana reveals not only the deep abiding connections of the London community to their home but also a window into the history of the slave trade and the darker elements of Ghanaian history.
Once again, Nelson does all of this through descriptive, engaging and poetic prose. He effortlessly captures the beats and the rhythms of his characters and their different modes of expression – be it speech, music or dance – and in doing so draws readers into their worlds. Small Worlds demonstrates Nelson’s continuing development as a writer an important one if only for his ability to probe and reveal but also celebrate a small but fascinating segment of British culture.

Impressions: Over the course of three consecutive summers, Small Worlds offers a glimpse into the life of Stephen during the period of transition between high school and what lies beyond. From the first page Nelson’s beautiful prose pulls you in, jumping into a rhythmic flow like the music that is so central to Stephen’s being. The repetition used throughout this novel is like a song, with lyrics and refrains that are always being reprised. The prose not only engages your mind, it is something that you feel.

As Stephen forges into adulthood and navigates uncertainty about his path, he hopes to build small worlds where he might be free, find space, and be able to dream. His dreams are of course bumping up against reality, and what we want to do and are able to do don’t always match. The book also follows Stephen through some difficult bouts of depression and grief in such an impactful way that you can almost feel like you are experiencing it with him.

I love how Nelson's writing brings life to simple things like a Saturday afternoon lying sprawled on the grass sharing stories while at the same time acknowledging that words cannot always express the meaning and magnitude of what we think and feel. Stephen wants to be more open and connect with those around him but sometimes there just aren’t words to adequately express things.

I appreciated the window this story offered into the immigrant experience especially from the first generation perspective. Nelson does a beautiful job of portraying the connection Stephen has to his parent’s homeland of Ghana but also what he doesn’t know because he didn't have the same first hand experience they did. The desire to truly know one's parents seemed more universal, and I appreciated that Nelson made a point to show that the things that we experience as children, the good and the bad, are often exact mirrors of our parent’s experience. There are also moments that show the challenges of the immigrant experience, with racism contributing to the struggle to realize their dreams and violence looming over the characters resulting in painful losses.

I felt that even with the heavier themes in this book, it is a love letter to summer. Summer is when everything is possible. Even amid all of the difficult and painful experiences Stephen and those in his small worlds face, this book never allows you to forget that everything, including freedom, is possible.

My favorite recurring phrase in this story was the very first line, the one thing that can solve most of our problems is dance. I am pretty sure this is true. I loved the small worlds in this book, and would definitely recommend picking it up on July 18th. Pretty sure it will be on my #bookerprize prediction list.

Thank you @groveatlantic and @netgalley for the advance copy!

Another absolutely beautifully written book. It's poetry and beautiful and heartbreaking and I could read over and over again. Everything is hoped it would be!

Beautiful lyrical prose for a novel that touches on many themes: new beginnings, love, music, racism, family ties...Believable and vulnerable characters, great pacing, the joy of music and the loneliness of change.

I think this book will absolutely have an audience, but the writing is just too flowery for me. Not to say that it isn't beautiful, but I struggle with a book when the main focus is the writing over plot, characters etc.

After Caleb Azumah Nelson's stunning debut novel Open Water, his follow up Small Worlds was very much eagerly anticipated. In it, we follow Stephen, a first-generation Ghanaian immigrant in London trying to find his path in the world. He is a musician (trumpet) and is gutted when he is not accepted to musical school and is awash in uncertainty when his longtime girl friend (girlfriend?) is admitted to the school. Nelson is an amazing writer who describes emotions so thoughtfully. Stephen's indecision and mental struggles are vividly described. Ghana plays a major role in this novel. Descriptions of the food are mouth watering. Towards the end of the book, Nelson pivots away from Stephen to focus more on this father, which helps provide context towards their relationship, but pulled me out of the larger themes. In this book, Nelson charts a young man's journey to find his place in the world and his writing continues to blow me away. He'll continue to be a must-read author for me.

Thank you to Grove Press for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

If you’ve read Open Water, you won’t be surprised by the easy lyricism of Caleb Azumah Nelson’s second novel, Small Worlds. In some ways, it’s the same story—also about love, between a man and a woman, the love of a son for his father, Black love, community, and the love of migrants for their homeland.

Nelson’s style is much more refined and triumphant in this second book. Using music as a vehicle, he explores resonances and echoes through repeated phrases and ideas—”small worlds … rhythm … dust … summer … black crowns.” It works; it never really feels repetitive—and, happily, there’s no repeat of that lyricism fatigue I experienced when I read Nelson’s first book.

I appreciate, too, that this time there’s a plot for one to follow—an arc for the characters, grounded in callbacks to the past in Ghana and 1980s London. All of the flashbacks are beautifully and tenderly done, and Nelson is a master of atmosphere.

While I think this novel will mean the most for those who are familiar with its settings, I am once again impressed by Nelson’s singular talent and his authorial voice. Again, as with Open Water: read for the love letter to Blackness, for beautiful portrayals of Black life, and for the stories of Black pain; in addition, for the stories of African migrants, and the generations that proceed from them. After Open Water and Small Worlds, I feel I know what to expect from Nelson: beautiful and atmospheric writing.

Thank you very much to Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for the review copy.

In my opinion, Caleb Azumah Nelson takes the world by storm with this one. And the world doesn’t know it yet, but there is greatness taking shape behind his prose that you cannot simply ignore.

Here, we find music as the heart of everything and it flows from one’s soul through dancing. At the center of it all, is the beauty behind every twirl, every thrust, every hand raised as the characters succumb to the vastness of their small community. It speaks of experiences and histories that grow in magnitude as the story progresses. You can’t help but feel and empathize with everyone, and you understand, that sometimes all there is, is to move along; to dance to the beat like you’ve never done before.

Akin to rhythm, there is the story about Stephen and his relationships with those closest to him, and it is ever-shifting that keeps you on your toes. The crescendo and decrescendo are intertwined when Stephen talks about his family, about his friends, about his faith, about his mission to create more music that could encompass his small world. He is a beloved character, one that you will always remember, one that you will always cheer for.

It is interesting, inspiring, as Nelson uses language to his advantage. He has a strong command of such, as he is able to create a novel that remains unforgettable. He depicts what it is like for our protagonist, in such a way that it moves the reader to the brink of despair but also, ingenuity. It was and still is an effective piece of literature that I hope many will stumble upon.

Small Worlds is a reminder that while our worlds are minuscule compared to the grand scheme of things, it is something we can always come back to, something we can find solace in. It is something that is worth living for — something worth dancing for. While the songs playing may not be our cup of tea, there is always a chance to listen to the album from the top and find the perfect tune to dance to again, and again, and again. Indeed, life can seem never-ending, as long as we want it to be.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars
I didn't love this one, but still found myself in awe of Azumah Nelson's talent and his distinct voice as a new author. I highlighted many passages and thought this was a great second novel to Open Water, although I did prefer Open Water to Small Worlds.

Caleb Azumah Nelson strikes again in yet another searingly passionate and beautiful work of art. I think this individual has become an auto-buy author for me; having adored Open Water, I had high hopes for Small Worlds, but realistically didn't expect myself to be as blown away. How wrong I was.

The prose and unique style of writing has a way of crawling under my skin in the best possible way. On every page there is a level of introspection so eloquent that it genuinely gave me goosebumps. I don't want to say too much as I went into this blind and feel that this was the best way to approach this book.

Thank you so much for the EARC - feeling very blessed to have been given early access to this and will definitely be buying a physical copy.

i am in love with Azumah Nelson's writing. His first book was incredible and very hard to explain how heart-wrenching it was. This book's writing is no different! it is short and succinct but beautiful at that the same time. It is hard to write how he wrote this book but he did it successfully.

I was really excited to read the follow up novel from Caleb Azumah Nelson. I really loved his first novel Open Water.

Small Worlds follows Stephen, the son of Ghanaian immigrants, on the brink of the next phase of his life. He feels pressure to pursue a university degree. His first love is music though, and when he decides to follow that path, things begin to fracture for him in ways he didn’t expect. Taking place over the course of three summers, Stephen has to establish his own path to freedom and happiness, and the road is not easy.

This story is beautifully written. Nelson’s prose is just gorgeous and lyrical, poetic in some ways. I found myself basking in the beauty of his words. There’s enough plot and story here to keep it moving at a good pace and never made it feel dull. Nelson paints a beautiful picture of this character’s surroundings.

I could feel the emotion in Stephen’s struggles and the tugging rope he felt between what his parents expect and desire for him against what he wants for himself. It’s not easy as people come in and out of his life, but it’s something we all learn as we grow up and figure out what our path will be. These characters are also beautifully written and their stories were fascinating. Stephen’s father’s story in the last few chapters nearly made me shed a tear.

Overall, I would say this is a fantastic follow up to this author’s previous novel. It was nice to take my time with it and really process it too. I highly recommend reading this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy.

This book had such strong lyrical prose and I loved the story that really put a focus on dancing and the way music moves someone in their daily life. The writer also kept very small chapters so it was very enjoyable to read in one sitting.

i loved this! The writer has such a unique and poetic style of writing which is full of art and cultural references. it is a beautiful story with such lyrical writing, would definitely recommend!

I have to say that, unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. I really enjoyed the author’s previous book and that made me request this one. But I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and the narrator, I couldn’t find the setting nor the storyline compelling enough. He is a very good writer but this book just wasn’t for me.

Caleb Azumah Nelson writes absolutely beautiful books. I don't think that I would enjoy his writing style in most cases, but how he uses it only enhances the story and immerses you in the beauty of relationship and family dynamics.

I fell absolutely in love with Open Water, and I am so glad that this book only solidified that I am a Nelson fan 100%.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this early!

This was my first Nelson book and now I feel compelled to read the previous one. His writing is so touching, so expansive. It feels so visceral and it was a pleasure to be swept away by his storytelling.