Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

17 reviews

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

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

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

thekissballad's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

3.0

This was a hard one to get through, and not just because of the content. For which I'll say, do your research and read any warnings before diving in.

I did enjoy reading all of the personalities' perspectives and seeing how they help and/or hinder. However, in doing so, there was no clear timeline. The story jumped all around, and with it brought an excessive amount of repetitiveness.

The graphic and/or vulgar scenes were also not to my liking, and there were many. Had I done the research I suggested any future readers do, I probably would not have chosen to read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

allisonbrooke's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Transphobia, Car accident, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Abortion, Biphobia, Body shaming, Homophobia, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Incest, Grief, Mental illness, and Sexual harassment

woweewhoa's review

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

An incredible book about identity and how it intersects with spirituality, trauma, and living. Akwaeke Emezi's writing is really vivid, and most of the explicit scenes, while yes they are explicit, they don't feel voyeuristic. I think this book very good, though please exercise caution as the book is very dark, though it does end on a hopeful note. A lot of heavy subject matter in present in this book, and I feel like most of it is done very well and with a caring hand. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Self harm, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Medical content, and Addiction

Minor: Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia

penguiniq's review

challenging dark reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Transphobia

jkbrx's review

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Animal death, Blood, Death, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

tangleroot_eli's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

A thinly fictionalized account of Emezi's life. Might've been more impressive on its own; having read Dear Senthuran last month, it all piled up a bit too much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Car accident, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

Minor: Drug use

snowforest's review

adventurous 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Misogyny, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Grief, Dysphoria, Addiction, Biphobia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Car accident