Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Água Doce by Akwaeke Emezi

398 reviews

fieldsandfeels's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Akwaeke Emezi never fails to really pull us into their mind with the poetry and pain of their ogbanje companions. By giving each of them individual voices and personalities, we see how real it is for everyone. I particularly love the conflict of the Western need to pathologize so many of Ada’s thoughts and behaviors, when in reality they do have agency in what we learn is a beautiful sort of symbiosis. This is really just about the journey to self-acceptance, and that should be celebrated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

jdors00's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Eating disorder, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Alcohol, Body horror, and Infidelity

zeemeermijn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Rape, and Self harm

ekgolden's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Car accident and Domestic abuse

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Racism, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Grief, Homophobia, Stalking, Body horror, Colonisation, Drug use, Mental illness, Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Blood, Child abuse, Medical content, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Child death, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

maddieemp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm and Rape

mxcrayon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm

Moderate: Rape and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia

abijmieds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Addiction, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Dysphoria

poetology's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

An intriguing first novel about trauma and coming of age that makes me want to find out more about the writer's work. I felt uneasy that possession seems to drive the protagonist's queerness but I suspect that the Igbo spiritual landscape is more complex than I can grasp based  on this novel alone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Child abuse

pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I listened to this via Libro.fm- it's read by the author and absolutely incredible. Highly highly reccomend. Their tone is meditative, the cadence is hypnotic and dreamy.

An amalgamation of Nigerian folklore and spirituality, psuedo-autobiographical origin story, examination of mental health, sexuality, and gender expression, and deep effects of multiple traumas. Despite coming from a completely different situation and life, I found reflections of my experiences, which helped me feel real and seen. I think many other Queer and/or non-conforming folks could find cathartic comfort here as well. I wouldn't call this a "happy" story, but cathartic (emotionally purging). You're gonna cry, ugly sad mortified cry, but also warm hug after a bad day cry.

I'm so excited to read EVERYTHING else by Akwaeke Emezi, their new novel "Little Rot" comes out this Spring, and they're currently releasing a new album 🔥

CW: rape, disordered eating, suicide, self-harm, addiction, gaslighting, psychosis, dysmorphia, emotional/physical abuse, medical trauma, trans/homophobia, death, miscarriage. Definitely check StoryGraph for more in depth analysis of content warnings if there are specific topics you wish to avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Blood, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Abandonment, Grief, Self harm, and Suicide