At a South East London bar, two young people meet. Both are Black Britons who received scholarships to attend exclusive institutions where they battled to fit in. They are now working as artists—she is a dancer and he is a photographer—and are attempting to leave their imprint in a community that alternately accepts and rejects them. They fall in love tentatively and lovingly. But even when two people appear to be meant to be together, fear and violence have the power to separate them.

Open Water explores what it means to be a person in a society that only views you as a Black body, to be vulnerable when you are only appreciated for strength, to find safety in love, only to lose it. It is at once an achingly beautiful love tale and a powerful look into race and masculinity.

I adore this book to the fullest. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into at first. The writing style is unique, the pacing was slow, and it was told from a new viewpoint. I was wary to read this since it has received so much attention; I didn't want to be disappointed again. I'm delighted to report that I had a great time. It's really lovely because it conveys the truth and such raw feelings, especially when it comes to love—and how things can still go wrong even when you believe two people are perfect for one another.