Despite the title, Small Worlds delivers us a breathtakingly expansive world.

An exploration of love - both romantic and familial, Small Worlds is a beautifully written ode to not only Black Britishness but also to Ghana.

My favourite part is the mirror of father and son that Caleb builds slowly, slowly and then delivers all at once.

Poignant and Powerful, Azumah Nelson delivers a sophomore novel that somehow trumps the mastery of his debut.

After reading and loving Open Water, I just knew Calebs second book would be just as wonderul. His is writing is just absolutley stunning - I can't wait to see what he writes next x

A great second book from Caleb, beautifully written and I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and I found myself hooked. Thank you netgalley for the review copy!

I knew I was going to love this because Open Water was one of my favourite books of 2022 (and remains one of my favourite books, seriously, I recommend it to everyone) and, while I didn't rate it quite as highl;y as Open Water, I did thoroughly enjoy Small Worlds! Caleb Azumah Nelson has such a great way of capturing the human condition. For such a short book, each character had such depth. None of the characters felt necessarily good or bad, morally speaking, they all lived in that grey area that real humans live in every day. The emotion portrayed on the page was beautifully done, and I love how this author doesn't shy away from showing Black men experiencing deep emotion, something that is often stigmatized. The switch to second person was unexpected but I thought it was well placed in the book and, of course, wonderfully written. If you're looking for a short read that will tug on the heartstrings, then definitely pick this one up! I can't wait to read it again when my physical copy arrives.

Small Worlds covers approximately 2 years in the life of its young protagonist, Stephen, son of Ghanaian parents born in London and grappling with parental expectations, pressures and prejudice. It's really rooted in its cultural context and sense of place, and this is interesting for the reader.

I read, and struggled with, Nelson's previous novel Open Water, so I should probably have known that this novel wasn't for me. It is not that I think Nelson cannot write. He is very good on evoking a mood and a feeling of specific place and time, especially when connected to music, food and dancing. These 'images of joy' - in his own words' - can be very beautiful. The problem is that narrative is continually drowned in description - it's exhausting for the reader. Moreover the narrative is really secondary to the description - it's like a series of still images or a silent movie, rather than a plot driven story.

There are recurring motifs and phrases throughout the novel which nod to song and poetry. This reflects the importance of music in Stephen's life and also the cycles of repetition in the lives around him. As an idea it's interesting but in practice it means the reader encounters repeated passages of text which are so similar that they become boring. And some of the recurring phrases ( 'memory. image and possibility fold in on each other' is a prime example )started to occur so often that they drove me a little crazy, because the more I encountered the same phrase the more I was convinced that it didn't actually have any meaning.

Nelson has an interesting voice. I like his confidence in writing about what he knows - it's convincing and authentic. At times he's genuinely poetic. But I found this novel to be flabby - in need of a stronger narrative arc and some serious editing.

This is one of those books that will stick with me for a very long time to come. There was something beautiful and haunting about it, something that’ll never leave me. The writing was extremely beautiful and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

I have heard a lot about 'open water' but I have not had the pleasure to read it yet, but if it is anything like this novel then I cannot wait to start it. Caleb Azumah Nelson has such a rich and poetic writing style that breathes so much life into the novel. I cannot explain how raw this book is and how wonderfully it deals with such pivotal themes such as racism, discrimination and trauma.

however, in some spaces I found that something was missing. I am not sure if this isa. 'me problem' or if anybody else had this issue? some bits were repeated in the novel which did distract me from the wonderful writing (albeit, the smallest amount), but it was significant enough for me to notice.

but, that being said, I will be on the look-out for Nelson's next text and I will be going to purchase his debut!

Small Worlds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We first meet Stephen in those heady summer days between childhood and adulthood while waiting for his A Level results, then his return to London after an unsuccessful stint at university.

Through him we also learn the story of Stephen’s parents, and their struggles when they first arrived in London from Ghana.

The writing is beautiful and lyrical, with several phrases repeating throughout the book giving it a poetic feel. A really moving read which covers many themes including race, culture, love, grief and family.

Beautifully written, definitely recommend. If you enjoyed Open Water, you will enjoy this too. Full of beautiful quotes that you will want to remember.

Just wonderful, Caleb Azumah Nelson will be an auto buy for me now. I loved Open Water and I loved Small Worlds. I did find Small Worlds tricker to get into but ultimately the writing is so beautiful, it drew me in.

I will read anything and everything Caleb ever publishes.

I wish I had made more notes as I read this so I could speak more eloquently on why I loved it so much, but the truth is that I devoured this. It made me feel BIG feelings.

I’ll never fail to be astonished by how both Open Water and Small Worlds encapsulate so much in so few words. Once again, the prose was astonishingly beautiful. I adored the lyricism, rhythm and repeated refrains.

I am holding my hands out like a little Victorian orphan and asking Caleb, “please sir, I want some more.”

Great read, I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I absolutely loved Open Water so was relieved that Small Worlds lived up to my expectations! It's all about Stephen finding his space in the world – as his own small worlds open up, beginning with that strange limbo summer after finishing school, facing new worlds and people he doesn't yet know beyond his bubble of comfort.

This idea of everyone having their own small worlds that connect and grow and overlap in different ways is so interesting to me, and referred to in such a relatable way throughout, in reference to friendships, family relationships and parents in particular.

The writing is beautiful and clever and poetic and lyrical and I can't wait to see what's next from him.

‘How we might build a small world, where we might feel beautiful, we might feel free’

Set across three summers, we share in Stephen’s life…his relationship, his choices, his self reflection, his hopes and fears and the freedom he feels in music and dance.

Azumah Nelson creates characters so real, that you feel that you are almost intruding on their thoughts. So fragile, that you feel like you’re hugging them to make it better. I ached reading this book and fought back tears and I’m not sure I can quite articulate why.

The writing flows poetically and there is such emotion in the words, more than I think I’ve felt with another writer…to the extent that after two books I think I would know Azumah Nelson’s writing if I read it.

I didn’t think you get much more beautiful than Open Water, but oh my goodness @caleb_anelson you’ve created something that’s left an even bigger imprint on my soul.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse for an advanced E copy. I loved it so much I bought the hard back. My book of the year so far!!!

I loved Open Water so much i was a bit worried that this would live up to is but it did and I think I even loved this one more. He is just the most stunning, evocative writer, simply written but with vast emotional impact.

I loved Open Water so was very excited to read this. It didn’t disappoint! There was a similar vibe throughout the book to Open Water.

This was an exploration of love, music, grief, family and memory. The themes were examined beautifully, and with great heart.

I love the lyrical nature of Caleb’s writing and it feels so beautiful to read. The characters are so well drawn and perfectly flawed.

I loved this as much as Open Water and am so excited for whatever Caleb Azumah Nelson writes next.

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I enjoyed Open Water but thought this latest book by Caleb Azumah Nelson was even better. The writing is beautiful - spare, raw, unflinching in his honesty at how he feels about the world. So vivid with a wonderful sense of place; I have never been to Ghana or Peckham but could imagine these places as he conjured them up perfectly.

I adored Caleb Azumah Nelson's debut novel, Open Water, and I wasn't disappointed with his second novel.

We follow Stephen, a young man going from teenage years (and school) to adulthood, trying to find himself. He goes through struggles to express himself, to fit in, to find a way to assert what he would like to do and become. I find that Nelson has such a way of making his characters vulnerable and he does so beautifully.

Open Water hit me in the feels, and I thought Small Worlds was a quieter novel. But that doesn't mean it didn't pack a punch. In fact, I thought this novel was better constructed than Open Water. Even though, I thought it took some time to build up the connection with the character in the first section, I flew through the next 2 sections.

Similarly to his first novel, Nelson explores themes of immigration, acceptance, intergenerational relationships, coming of age and racial injustice in this novel. In many ways, I thought he did so better in this novel than in Open Water.

A huge recommend from me and I'm looking forward to his third novel when it comes!

Delicious language right from the start The poetry in it is at odds with the inner city setting of the novel which makes it even more enjoyable
This book sat for too long on my to be read pile I finally got round to it and I’m delighted that I did
The shadow of death, right from the beginning, was truly shocking in the context of the youth of the narrator
I love the way that the author is secure enough to repeat certain phrases throughout the novel each time recognise them It’s a private, joyous moment “Because it’s summer and we’re all young until September “I remember that feeling so well
The author has, a cast of characters are well developed and totally believable individuals .
Published on the 11th of May 2023 by Penguin general, UK I read a prepublication copy. On NetGalley, UK.
This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, Goodreads, Amazon, UK, and my book blog Bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com

I already loved Open Water so it’s really exciting to see Caleb Azumah Nelson develop as a novelist with Small Worlds. It’s taken me a while to get around to reading it but I’m so glad I have now and I will be recommending it to everyone. A must read.