This author can do no wrong. His talent is MIND BLOWING!!! I loved Open Water but this one was even better! How beautiful can this man write? It's incredible.

This book is like watching b-roll. It's a slow burn, paced and patient. The prose felt meaningful and intentional. I really loved the repetition throughout. I tend to enjoy more plot driven books, and even though this wasn't one of those, I still found myself picking it up, wanting to continue the story. I felt I was watching (reading) lives play out and I was meant to be a spectator only. I felt challenged to think more about people as individuals, in their "small worlds". It made me curious. About others, about their culture, where they're from, where they want to go, where they meant to go. I especially liked how the author explored the dynamics of Stephen's relationship with his father as well as his low moments. They felt very raw and relatable.

'Small Worlds' is my first read by Caleb Azumah Nelson, I've heard so many good things about Open Water so I'm eager to read that one next (especially after reading many reviews that say they like that one better of the two releases).

♦️Stephen, a first generation Londoner, born to Ghanaian immigrants, finds solace in music. When he falls short of words, music helps him to express himself. He and his partner Del often find themselves jamming with their other friends whenever they get time. However, his father wants him to get an university degree and become established. A rift is created between them when Stephen chooses music. Will Stephen ever be able to create his own Small World where he can be free? Will his father ever understand his perspective?

💥The setting of the story is London (England) and Accra (Ghana). A significant part of the plot revolves around music and how it can soothe one's soul. It focuses on the life and struggles of immigrants in a foreign country. It also tells us about racism that still exists in our society. The author throws light on generational trauma and how it can harm relationships.

💥Stephen is the protagonist and the narrator of the story. The reader gets to learn about everything from his perspective. He is a person who resorts to music to express love, to celebrate something and also to mourn someone very close. So, when his father opposes to his love for music, a difference is created between them. One also gets to learn about the wonderful bonding Stephen has with his mother, the friendly relationship with his elder brother, Ray and the longing he feels for his sweetheart, Del.

💥As I have mentioned earlier, a substantial part of the story revolves around music and that caused boredom for me. For me, the pace of the story was extremely slow and there was basically a lack of proper storyline.

💥This book highlights the insecurity one faces when one immigrates to a new country. I was quite shocked to learn about how trauma affects relationships. Readers who find their language in music can check this out.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a DRC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I used this before in another book review months ago - Caleb's writing is like a warm luxurious bath and washes over you. It's heavy and moving and poetic. Each moment, I have to stop and think about what I read and how it's written.

June gloom is currently happening in Los Angeles and this book has me longing for my east coast humid summers and the long days ahead.

I will be anything Caleb Azumah Nelson writes.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Small Worlds releases July 18, 2023

<i>“I’ve only ever known myself in song, between notes, in that place where language won’t suffice but the drums might, might speak for us, might speak for what is on our hearts.”</I>

We meet Stephen in the summer of 2010, as he’s awaiting news to see if he’s been accepted into music school, but instead is pressured into pursuing a business degree on the merits of it being more safe. He ends up dropping out altogether, which causes some shame between Stephen and his father (immigrant family things).

Transitioning into this new chapter in his life is not easy, and we see that in the first few weeks when not even his lasting friendship with Del can seem to survive the distance they’ve created.

I loved the way this story showed how in the absence of words, we can always turn to music to express how we feel.

My interpretation on the title is that Stephen is quite reluctant to branch out of his small world, of what’s familiar and comfortable, because the moment he does, something bad happens. He grieves — the loss of a relationship, and the loss of a loved one.

Small Worlds lacked that same lyrical and poetic prose that drew me in with Nelson’s debut Open Water, and I found that the transitions between each of the three summers was a bit stilted.
I definitely think Nelson is a talented writer, but this one didn’t quite meet my expectations.

4/5 stars

thank you netgalley for the arc!

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

what a gorgeous book!!! Verging on an almost neo-novel in verse form with elegaic sentences and pulsing with this intrinsic rhythm, Small Worlds will draw you into this dance of culture, circumnavigating intergenerational trauma, complex familial relationships and making space for yourself in a racist world which seeks to 'subsume' you. The theme of generational inheritance figures largely throughout and creates this kind of ouroboros cycle of events; each character's story and even the very language of the novel turn into these motifs with minor variations or simple, direct repetitions. Imagery and syntax are introduced passingly only to then be repeated, revealing themselves to have been selected with a keen-eye, laden with racial significance if only we look for it. Despite my love for all of the above I have to admit it took me a bit to get into the feel of it all as the first quarter or so plodded along a bit desultorily and it's only with hindsight (aka 20/20 vision) that I can appreciate why it actually worked. In the moment though it was rough going.

The relationship between Stephen and his father, so similar and disparate in the ways in which they hold themselves up against the burden of inherited trauma and familial expectations - was absolutely my favourite aspect of the book. Stephen feels himself always coming up short against his father's desires for him and what his father thinks is his due for having sacrificed his life for his own children. This sentiment of duty and sacrifice conflicts with Stephen's nature as a dreamer and when Stephen is coerced into acting in deference to said wishes, we see how he spirals into an isolating depression. For children of parents who had to chisel away at their heritage and culture in an effort to anglicize themselves for the sake of survival and affording their children a better future than they themselves were given access to - gratitude can be both a cage and a joy as Nelson shows us.

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

conclusion:
through this powerful story of grief and healing, comes a message on the importance of open discourse between generations to foster a "space" for more freedom their "small worlds". I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, seriously, please read it and let's create more of our own small worlds amongst each other

"𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘖𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 ‘𝘚𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢 𝘓𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ‘𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦.’"

I couldn't help but think of two things: Baldwin and 𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 (2019). Both have song in movement, in prose that sings through its characters. Here, Nelson allows his characters to find all the small worlds that keep them safe from the harsh realities of being alive between summers in London and Ghana.

This is perhaps the best book on the way music should work in fiction. Not only does Nelson name drop a bunch, but you can see the way he works music into words, how each word matters when it's strung along, clipped by comma, repeated in theme, word for word, to achieve harmony in melodious matrimony.

Unfortunately, in no way does this save Nelson's characters at all. At times, the prose gets carried away:

"...𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴"

when a whole bunch of nothing is said but sounds beauty in effect. Perhaps sometimes that's what music is, and perhaps why I think though it's not essentially a clubbing book, it's one with absolute atmosphere of being one where I admired its charm and grace in the way that it is totally itself if in the dark on the dance floor. All is forgiven, all is saved, and all is felt.

Beautiful writing here and dance and music were well woven through the story. I requested based on the author and it didn’t disappoint.

I remember being blown away by the beauty of the prose in Caleb Azumah Nelson's Open Water, and was excited to be offered an early copy of his newest book. While Small Worlds did not provide the sweeping lyricism of the earlier work, it has a pace and rhythm all its own, providing an elegiac portrait of Ghana, its land and people. What is paramount here is how music and dancing are woven into the life of Stephen, the protagonist, and his family, most notably his father, demonstrating Nelson's wide arc of musical interests and influences.

Thank you Grove Atlantic for this copy.


Set over the course of three summers, Small Worlds follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On thusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world.


The book is mostly narrated from the perspective of Stephen. There are many common themes such as love, shame,loss, grief and unfulfilled dreams. Throughout the book, we get to know the backstory of his parents and better understand how their life experiences impact the way they view the world and the choices their children make. Stephen craves the approval of his father which is seen repeatedly throughout the years. Music along with Del are constant sources of love for Stephen. However, the constant longing for approval impairs his ability to fully commit to either out of fear. Grief is known to have a way of bringing loved ones closer. In think him n returning to family's homeland began the healing process. However, I felt th is novel was a little slow at times. I felt his story was drawn out and stagnant which might have been Caleb's intention, yet, the ending with his father seemed a bit rushed.

This was my first book from the author. Open Water is on my TBR list. I think aside from a few issues, overall this is a good book, 3.5/5

I’ll admit this was a bit underwhelming compared to the authors other works, but can i blame them for setting the bar so high? A good companion heading into warmer and brighter weather.

I ran to request this when I saw Caleb Azumah Nelson was publishing a new book. And a coming of age story infused with music and dancing? Sign me up. I loved Open Water so much and had such a great feeling about this one....

And I was right.

While this differs from Open Water in a few ways, we still get that gripping poetic prose we expect and love. This was beautiful and heartbreaking. Small Worlds has a way of invoking feelings and moving you to the beat of it's story. I can't wait to see what he writes next.

4.5 rounded up to 5!

One thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing, so Stephen let us take a glimpse into his small world with grace. With a pool of music, varied cultures, and love across ages, this small world of them whirls highs and lows, meeting half-way or not meeting at all. But most of the story centers on summer, and we're young. Dangling on the hopes someone accepts and believes you. Clinging to the comforts of something or someone that can give you space where you can be free.

This book feels like it was made just to break me and comfort me afterwards. I felt Stephen's character too much; it's personal to me. Although Stephen's culture and taste of music are different from mine, its rhythm pulled me in. Its vibe was like what I got from A24's Moonlight; it's quiet but managed to make me stay and care for its story. It's also about family dynamics, coming of age, and leaving you with the impression that makes you say, “I don't know how to recover, and I don't think I want to.”

I knew the author's writing style would blow me away, even before I got to the first page. Open Water was my favorite read last year, and I can say Small World topped that. When a poet writes a novel, it's the way Caleb delivers it. He has a technique, which is seemingly evident in his paragraphs, where he repeats sentences to give emphasis. What I loved among those repeated lines was, “Anger is just love in another body.”

When July comes, I hope and encourage you to pick this up. You will transcend. Caleb's words will lift you up and also slump you down with heartache. But most of all, his story, especially this, will make you realize that you should dance more, feel those beats, do what you love, and make a small world where you will love everything and be loved by everyone.

As soon as I saw Caleb Azumah Nelson had a new book up on netgalley, I had to request it. I absolutely adored Open Water and so I was so excited to get into this one. I definitely think it started off slow so it took me some time to get into but Caleb Azumah Nelson’s writing style is just as beautiful and poetic in this as it was in Open Water. This follows Stephen over the course of three summers during a time in his life where he isn’t sure what he wants to do with his life.

The main focus of this book was the relationships in Stephen’s life. Sibling relationships, familial relationships, as well as friendship and romantic. I adored the relationships in Stephen’s life and I especially loved seeing the growth between him and his father since they had a rocky relationship to begin with. Stephen is one of my favorite main characters because he is just so relatable in the way he feels and how the relationships suffer in his life suffer as a result of the hard times he faces. I think this was such a great read and I would definitely recommend it and I can’t wait to see what else this author will publish in the future.

"Small Worlds" is a poetic British-Ghanaian coming-of-age story set over the course of three summers. The prose is super lyrical and very elegant (albeit a little repetitive at times), and for that alone, it's very much worth reading. I especially loved the vibrant emphasis on music and life throughout the book. In my opinion, Caleb Azumah Nelson is an author to watch.

Sadly, I'm not going to be able to finish this one. The writing style here is somewhat distant and I find it hard to connect with the characters. It is abstract, and I find it confusing. There are books that have good ideas, but the execution just doesn't work for me.

This book wasn't for me. I can appreciate the lyrical style of writing but I appreciate more traditional prose and less monologuing and speaking in verse to tell a story. I know this writing style will resonate with many, I just couldn't connect with it like I wanted to.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic & Netgalley for sharing this title~ HOLY MOLY THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE! Ok, now that I’ve calmed down, let me tell you why. Small Worlds, the second novel from acclaimed breakout author Caleb Azumah Nelson follows Stephen, a young man living in a Ghanian neighborhood of South-east London as he navigates finishing secondary school, university, first love, paternal and maternal relationships, his love of music, space, grief, and himself. Told in the lyrical style we have come to expect from Nelson, punctured with refrains about the creating and filling of space, the survival tactic of dancing, the promise to stay alive we make each time we tell someone “in a bit”, Small Worlds is the story of home, of leaving home, losing home, finding home, of home being in you, in other people, home being both space and closeness, home being the small worlds we create every minute. CALEB AZUMAH NELSON IS A GENIUS. This book is perfect. I can’t wait to get my physical copy. Highly highly highly recommend.

sings....
Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song....

Mr. Nelson did it again. I love how this author poetically weaves his characters experiences of love and heartbreak through family, relationships, food, music, spirituality, and culture. It is not just a backdrop of a story told it is THE STORY. It is his LIFE. The music is inside him, apart of him and the community, the surroundings. It is how he survives with the people he loves along side him. Life can be a hammer but the loved things and people around him and what he has left to hold onto are his survival. I love the way this author writes and makes you just not hear but feel his words and meanings. I want to buy this physical book when it comes out.

The first novel I read from this author was Open Water which is on my list of top 10 favorite reads from 2023. Small Worlds is just as lyrical, raw and real. The prominence and theme of generational trauma is the driving factor of this novel. My heart broke into pieces and was put back together more times than I can count. Beautifully written!