Whew. This book, y’all. Imagine opening a book, reading the first two pages, closing said book, reopening the book, rereading the first two pages, and then saying to yourself “Well, damn.” Imagine goosebumps rising on your arms from mere words on a page that evoke emotion so strong you know you can’t read this book without a pen or highlighter in hand. Then imagine finishing the book and knowing that you have to keep it handy just so you can pick it up at random times to flip through it and relive certain passages. Imagine THIS BOOK.

I could gush further about this gem of a novel, but I shall try and keep my thoughts succinct. OPEN WATER by Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers us a love story between two Black artists through beautiful episodic prose that makes you reread passages. This book is like reading poetry. It deals with themes of loneliness, Black manhood, Blackness in a White society, falling in love, and mental health. It is a love letter to Black love, Black music, Black film, Black art, and Black PEOPLE.

Nelson masterfully uses repetition and cyclical writing to hammer home points, on top of a bold choice to write this in the 2nd person. I was amazed at how he found so many ways to capture the beauty and essence of being in love while Black. The title is also absolutely brilliant, with a meaning that is slowly but surely put into place as the novel builds. I would love a quote from this novel as a tattoo, and before I even finished this book, I went ahead and gifted my partner a copy. I am THAT serious about how incredible this work of art is. GO READ IT.