Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

393 reviews

dancevera's review

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5

A deeply creative book by one of my favourite writers. Freshwater deals with some heavy themes, and sometimes I had trouble reading the raw pain, especially paired with spiritual language. However the changing view points was absolutely brilliant, and I am already considering giving it a second read through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

orange4orange's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Rape

karishall18's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This novel was truly incredible. I was expecting it to be a difficult read, and it was, but not in the way I was expecting. I loved the themes and the disorientating plot, I loved the interwoven aspects of African history, I loved how original it was. I found this book to be strangely relatable, even in its mania. As a black woman in my 20s, I read it just at the right time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Rape

maggierish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

eestellar's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

This was a dark and heavy book but it was mesmerizing. Definitely look at content warnings before reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Rape

Moderate: Eating disorder

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

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

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

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