OPEN WATER BY CALEB AZUMAH NELSON

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BOOK NAME: OPEN WATER

AUTHOR NAME: CALEB AZUMAH NELSON

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLISHER: PENGUIN BOOKS

BOOK BUY LINK: https://amzn.in/d/iZWHDqT


BOOK COVER IMAGE



BOOK REVIEW

Another book under 150 pages that managed to floor me with its lyrical prose and poignant narration. It is a story of two young people of colour falling in love in an unknown land and finding a home in each other, only to be reminded that home is a concept that can differ from person to person. He, a photographer and she, a dancer, meet under normal circumstances but fall for each other under totally unacceptable conditions. While exploring love, they also explore the right and wrong and the ones that don’t fit in either.


This is a love story layered with complexities like racial discrimination, living through traumatic experiences and the concept of masculinity and belonging. I managed to finish this book in three hours, and it took me on a journey that divested me from reality. The story was narrated in the second person narrative, which was slightly confusing in places but was very engaging in most areas. The lyrical narration was poignant and made me hold my breath during their hardships and heave a sigh of relief when they were at peace. Whenever I was lost, I found myself being pulled in again in place with a strong narrative, and all of a sudden, I wasn’t lost anymore. That’s the same reason this book might work for many readers but not for many others. 


It’s like you are reading a story of two people in love who are deeply troubled with their complex personal lives and are trying to identify themselves and their relationship. And while you are absorbed in the story, you find them asking you questions that are inexplicable and esoteric. When you try to think about it, they also give you the answers themselves, which moves you profoundly and numbs your heart. That’s how the book reads in its entirety, or so I tried. Now give this a try and see for yourself if it’s for you or not. 


MY REVIEW: 5/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallenge

#penbooksandscalpel



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