What can I say, other than that I loved this? Nelson could write anything and I'd inhale it. His prose is poetry. The story is beautifully constructed (more so than in Open Water IMO) and there is so much I resonated with. The musicality is great. There were, however, many repetitive sentences. I understand the utility of repetition, but it felt at times excessive.

This book has such beautiful writing. I finished it yesterday and I'm still thinking about it. I thought the structure of the novel was done so well and even though it was just set over three summers I didn't feel as if I missed anything. It was just so well done. I felt so deeply for the characters and for such a small book there was so much depth and development. Read this!

"How could I forget?"

Whenever I read anything by Caleb Azumah Nelson, I feel like I am floating on a cloud. The writing style is so beautiful and I am instantly transported into the surroundings of the book.

Small Worlds is essentially a coming of age story following our main character Stephen. Stephen was born in London to Ghanian parents. Poetic and heartfelt, the story pieces together these "small worlds" that he and his family and friends create or live in. Stephen leaving school, finding love, going to university, loneliness, finding his place in the world, racism, familial relationships, are all topics weaved into this novel. I absolutely adored the development of Stephen and his father's relationship.

All the characters are tied together through their love of music and dancing. The musical element that flows throughout the book is gorgeous and it is just such a lovely read. Stunning.

Another beautifully written book, he writes like poetry! A little over long, could have been another short story but enjoyed never the less

Thank you so much to the publisher via netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Caleb Azumah Nelson's debut <i> Open Water </i> was and is one of my favourite reads of 2023 so far. A local author, I was particularly taken with his descriptions of South East London in the summer time - he really captures the spirit of the place with such love and care. The same can be said of <i> Small Worlds </i>, Nelson's second book and spiritual successor to <i> Open Water </i> which follows Stephen, a young man growing up in Peckham, from his late teens through his early 20s. In many ways, this book is very similar to <i> Open Water </i> - the setting, the characters, the poetic style, all mirror his debut. However, I found myself less forgiving of some of the ways that it feels like his writing hasn't progressed or matured.

I was lucky enough to see the author speak at Brixton Library last month, and what struck me was Nelson's sensitivity and vulnerability. Even knowing relatively little about his life, it is immediately apparent that much of his writing is drawn from his own personal experiences, whether it be his own taste in music, personal encounters he has had, or the trains he catches (I too, often catch the Peckham Rye to London Bridge train, as Stephen does so often in this book. He really captures the slightly irritating public transport availability in SE London quite perfectly). In many ways this is a real strength - he's able to conjure Peckham with such precision, not just as place, but as community. Particularly when it comes to this idea of 'Small Worlds', he is able to identify these spheres of community, of support, especially for immigrant communities. Music continues to permeate his writing, touching every part - there's even a QR code on the book jacket that will take you to a playlist curated for the book.

The real strength this book has over <i> Open Water </i> is a more developed sense of narrative cohesion. Where <i> Open Water </i> was more vibes based, <i> Small Worlds </i> has more of a sense of progression, of forward motion. Stephen's relationship with his father was particularly compelling - it is not often that we get to see a relationship between father and son so thoughtfully and vulnerably depicted, especially in a publishing space that rarely makes room for these kinds of stories as told by Black authors . It is definitely an invaluable read in that regard.

There were, however, a few things that started to rub me the wrong way. Nelson has a tendency towards repetition that I don't think is as effective as he thinks it is. The repetition of the book's title, in particular, felt a bit overbearing. The main character, Stephen, tends to react with all kinds of crisis with the same level of melodrama - from his will-they-won't-they girlfriend sleeping with someone else, to actual, genuine grief, Stephen seems to be blindsided and completely knocked off course by even small events. Nelson's depiction of the love interest, Del, felt extremely similar to the love interest in his previous novels, leaving me concerned that the author has some difficulties writing women with the depth required. These are all things that I hope will fall away a little as he develops as a writer, but will also be things I'm less likely to forgive him for going forward.

Another very good book, though - don't get it twisted!

Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson is a book about the coming of age of the Narrator, Stephen. We follow Stephen over three summers as he tries to find himself while transitioning into adulthood. The book opens with the line: "Since the one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing..." The theme throughout the book is music and dancing, which provides a safe space for Stephen as he tries to find his identity or navigate the many challenges of growing up as a black man in Britain. His father's expectations, his loss and his separation from the familiar.
There are similarities between Small Worlds and Open Waters by the same author. Both stories tease the reader with a will they or won't they of two friends growing more intimate with each passing year; Their shared experience of finding their identities. Stephen and Del are friends who had the same ambitions of studying music together at university but had to deal with the disappointment of not achieving that dream.
Caleb Azumah Nelson's narrative writing skill is evident in Stephen's emotional journey and Stephen's physical journey to Ghana.
We are introduced to various characters that enrich the story and also have the bonus of reliability.
This is a well-written book by a writer making his mark on the literary scene.

Beautiful writing hiding complete emptiness. Abandoned at 34%. Maybe something eventually happens but I'm tired of waiting for it. I'll try him again in ten years or so when he may have something more interesting to write about than bog-standard teenage angst and lists of albums he likes.

Azumah Nelson's debut, Open Water, was one of my favourite books of last year, and came as an unexpected surprise, so I couldn't wait to read his newest work. His writing blew me away with how genuinely beautiful it was, and it was exactly the same this time around too. Even though the story dealt with sensitive topics, and I wouldn't say it was light reading, I found myself completely immersed and not wanting to put the book down. Having this be set around the time of Mark Duggan and the subsequent riots felt very poignant, as it's something I remember well. I also loved reading about the family dynamic, and the sense of community forged through a love of music and a shared culture. I think Azumah Nelson portrays a really lovely message of gaining independence at such a formative time in a young person's life, forging their own path before coming together again and reconnecting with the important people in your life.

A beautifully written story that covers a couple of generations as they find their way and place in the world... Realising how small the world can feel at times.

The story follows Stephen through his youth to young adulthood - all the highs and lows of joy, sadness, disappointment and hope.

Highly recommended - one that will live with me forever.

never in a million years will i be able to write a review for how beautiful this book is. it’s a touching story about growing up and finding yourself, love, grief, food, music, race, migration and hope.
i took my time reading every line and there is really no words wasted here. i lost track of how many times i welled up at the everyday acts of love, and the brutally honest portrayal of grief and loss. the tenderness of music and food are weaved throughout the story and bring a sense of coziness.
like open water, this is a must read!

Absolutely impeccable. I loved Nelson's first novel and this one even better. I qas gripped and read it in 2 sittings. I don't have the ability to put in to words how good this book is. I just felt captivated.. like.. I don't actually know what I have done the past 2 days apart from read.. did I even eat?!

I really enjoyed this niovel, the follow-up to the much-hyped Open Water. It's very stylistically inventive, with lots of reptition which worked extremely well for me. The only thing I didn't enjoy were the repeated references to the titular 'small worlds' various characters found themselves in, which felt heavy handed to me after the first few times and went on for the entirety of the novel.. A compelling coming of age saga which felt very rooted in the world it portrays - highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was so nervous to read this after having loved Open Water so much, would it live up to my expectations ?? YES!! and maybe i even loved this one more .

Written in the same lyrical , poetic style , we follow Stephen over three consecutive summers . it's a love story, it's a coming of age story and it's a story about family relationships . Like Open Water the author's love of music, dance and Black culture shines through the novel and also that of the immigrant experience in the UK . It's dreamy and vivid and one perfect to get lost in over a sultry summer day. If you loved Open Water then you will not be disappointed

Even more beautiful than his first book!!
A story about love, family, grief, community and the power of music.
I love his poetic writing, the repeated phrases that link everything together through the book. The slight disjointed nature of jumping from one scene to the next that creates Stephen’s life.
A story about emigration and the hardships it can create for people, for communities and the damage that can be passed onto our children when we’re truly trying our best.

Ultimately a story about love in all its many forms.

This is such a wonderful book, the writing is so beautiful and lyrical , I get lost in the words. I love Caleb Azumah Nelson’s portrayal of Black culture in the UK, particularly from a male perspective, I particularly liked reading the male perspective on love, obviously as a female it’s not a perspective I get to read a lot of and it’s not generally covered by a lot of authors. There isn’t anything I can say that does this book the justice it deserves, only that you should definitely read it, beg, steal or borrow ! ( Although don’t steak it’s a joke bug your library if they don’t have it in ) I can’t wait for what to come next from Caleb.


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This novel was such a joy. With Nelson's trademarked lyrical beauty, and compelling family dynamics, there was much to love in this story.

This short novel sits in a beautiful space between being an ode to music and joy, and also an acknowledgement of the harms that music attempts to soothe.

We follow a dreamy, lilting narrative through relationships (both romantic and familial), but this dream is often punctuated, especially when the killing of Mark Duggan ignites protest and a reevaluation of just how safe everyone really is.

The inclusion of such a tragic and real-life event into this otherwise dreamlike book was startling and urgent- a reminder of the ease with which peace can be disturbed.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When a debut novel is so successful, there is a lot of pressure on the second novel and approaching the novel with high expectations feels unavoidable. I was a little nervous picking this up, but within pages my nerves dissipated and I sank into the flow of the writing.

Small Worlds exists within the same space as Open Water but it is its own being, and for me, this is easily my favourite of the two. It is exciting to see Azumah Nelson’s style develop in this novel, it felt as though he was able to luxuriate in a style that he has honed. The poetry and lyricism that he brings to his prose is gorgeous and it creates a world of language and imagery that bring to life complex relationships, characters whose depth feels limitless, and a sense of place and mood that encompasses you as you read. I haven’t read any other author who can evoke the sound and feeling of music in the way that Azumah Nelson can, or who can communicate the meaning behind that music and the emotional journey that it takes his characters on. The music doesn’t just enrich the story, it is at it’s heart.

The novel’s romance is told with a delicate attention to detail and a rush of emotion. But it was the relationship between brothers and the father-son relationship that were the real drive of the novel. The writing evokes personal feelings, anxiety, loneliness, grief, and has the ability to communicate frustrations and fractures between people in a way that is recognisable and familiar and yet still poignant and painful. I loved the focus on absence of community contrasted with a community of people who need a place to come together, and the way that the novel kept returning to the feeling of freedom that can only be unleashed within the safety of community. The novel embraced so many different experiences, relationships, journeys and emotions, but it is this one that it leaves you with and feels like the defining image of the novel.

As soon as I picked up 'Small Worlds' it was impossible to resist Nelson's writing and I absolutely loved this book from start to finish.

It's exploration of love and the space we inhabit within our relationships and within our communities was just beautiful.

I loved how personal and intimate the story felt and how close the writing brought me to Stephen. I was hooked on his love story with Del but it was the complex and difficult relationship which unfolds between Stephen and his father that brought all the feels for me.

I simply can't do it justice - it's a book you need to read and experience as soon as you have the chance.

We're in that summer where you get your A-level results and life is about to change, meeting Stephen, who is in love with fellow musician Del and working at his Auntie Yaa's shop in Peckham, drifting a little and worried about what is to come, feeling pressured by his dad, who expects him to go and do a "proper" degree and bring wealth and prosperity to the family.

We explore his parents' arrival in London from Ghana, his mum's shock at arriving at a time when people were being blamed for riots and racism was rife, the struggles they had to settle and establish themselves, but we also get immersed in music, and music also informs the narrative: as you read on, you realise that certain images and phrases repeat themselves in slightly different forms again and again as the text moves through a few years of Stephen's life, the sun reflected on people's skin, the value of dancing as healing, people's eyes, the appearance of a character called Marlon who is grieving a lost parent and presents a sort of model of that journey.

Like Harley in "Small Joys", Stephen struggles at university with its strangers and microaggressions, and withdraws (this does suggest, along with non-fiction that's around at the moment (like "Taking up Space") that we really do need to be doing something to invest in Black young people's experience of higher education), and other serious topics are covered subtly: the difficulty of going back "home" to Ghana when you're perceived as being very well-off and able to look after people and the exclusionary gentrification of areas like Peckham, the two linked by Auntie Yaa's outcome and decision as she's threatened with being forced out of her shop. There's also the legacy of enslaved peoples, with one female character knowing that her family came to London via Ghana but there had been a round trip via Brazil "by way of force; this history only spoken and, if not spoken, in danger of being lost".

So lots of points are made subtly, placed in the reader's mind to be pondered. Stephen grows, his relationship with his brother Raymond, starting a new generation of the family, shifts, and a break with their father starts to heal, turning into a different kind of care and showing yet another way men can relate to one another.

A lovely book, lyrical and almost hypnotic to read, beautifully written and, I think, a step forward for the writer. I can't wait, again, to see what he does next.

My blog review will appear on 15 May https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2023/05/15/book-review-caleb-azumah-nelson-small-worlds/