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ClareR (5879 KP) rated Open Water in Books

Mar 6, 2021  
Open Water
Open Water
Caleb Azumah Nelson | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This exquisitely written novella is so much more than a story about a relationship between a photographer and a dancer. It looks at race and the exhaustion of being a young black Londoner: how racism, police brutality and the need to be constantly alert can be psychologically damaging and impact on relationships. Open Water is a story about love, heartbreak, but ultimately there IS hope. I cant believe that so much has been put in to so few pages, and I finished feeling that I’d read a book of twice the length (in a good way!). Every word feels carefully considered - its just beautiful. Poetry written in prose form.
I have to admit, most of the references to music went over my head, but this didn’t bother me or lessen my enjoyment. In fact, it sent me in the direction of Spotify and caused raised eyebrows from the teenaged sons 🤷🏼‍♀️
Many thanks to Viking for providing me with a copy of this stunning book via NetGalley.
  
This book has been on my radar probably ever since it was first published, and on my shelf for about half that time too. The story is fairly simple, and there's definitely room for fleshing out the characters, but the way I've looked at it is I've just finished the first third of a compete story. So, these failings are forgivable. What got me hooked though, and the reason I will keep reading are two things. Firstly, the relationships between the main set of characters were special, something you could really believe in, even if you didn't know those characters as well as you could. The second is that, there were enough seeds scattered for future plot developments, that despite one arc having finished, there's enough intrigue to urge me to continue. I believe the second two books are improvements in the first, and personally I'm looking forward to finding out if that is the case!
  
The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)
The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)
1991 | Drama, Romance
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Actually, I just thought of another one which really affected me. I don’t know if I’m going to pronounce it correctly. It’s Les Amants du Pont-Neuf — Lovers on the Pont-Neuf [aka Lovers on the Bridge]. It has Juliette Binoche in it and Denis Lavant. He’s very good. I was a university student when this came out. It’s kind of a love story of a privileged girl who’s going blind and she kind of runs away from her privileged life to live on the streets. And she falls in love eventually or creates this friendship with this homeless man. It’s an extraordinary film. It just blew my mind. Again, the filmmaking was incredibly brave and just committed and front-foot and so unique. Again, a film that looks at relationships and has a life in the characters — very alive. I don’t know. It was just an experience to watch that film. I just love it."

Source
  
Passion Potion
Passion Potion
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm… I enjoyed this story and the background information you receive as you read further into it. The relationships and interactions between the characters was rather entertaining and I really liked the whole “match” thing. If I’m being honest, I mean I like Caleb and Jet as a ”match” or maybe just the reaction they have when they meet their perfect “match”.

The world building was very fantasy-esque with portals in bowls and fairies, edible mushrooms and talking animals but I enjoyed it.

This is the first New Adult book I’ve read that was also of a different genre, in this’ case Paranormal/Fantasy. As a lover of both, I had to read this to see what it was like and I did enjoy it. Some of it seemed a little slow and other bits a little rushed but overall it was a good enjoyable read.
  
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
2019 | Biography, Crime, Thriller
Manages to tell the story without glamorising it
When I heard about this film, and that it wasn't your normal horror type serial killer film, I was intrigued. I like the odd slasher film but feel guilty when I find out they had been inspired by horrific real life crimes.
"Extremely ... " manages to focus on the life and relationships around Bundy without gratuitously showing his crimes. While there was a chance this could be seen as demeaning the horror these young women went through, I think it manages to avoid this ... just.
Efron ticks the boxes for the public side of the psychopath, but the darker side is not explored. Some might see this as suggesting his innocence but I see it as allowing the film to focus on how others perceived him, and show why he got away with it for so long.
The rest of the cast are strong as well.
An enjoyable different take on a horrific man.