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elmo_isnotmyname's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The protagonist's 'fractured selves' spoke more than the protagonist themself -- though: what even is a self?, they end up wondering.
Instead of telling a lifetime of traumatic events through the eyes of the person battling against their ensuing 'madness' (as it is called here) -- we follow 'the madness' battling against the human body it is bound to. Outrageous lust and anger splitting the Ada (the protagonist) and their memories into multiple versions. Ultimatly as to protect the Ada.
So this can be read as a story about Dissociative Identitiy Disorder; weaving in tales of Igbo gods, myths, and spirituality.
There are many graphic scence of violence. The latter endeared this book to me (-- I'm sorry, as a reader I'm just craving for mirrors of myself, but I don't want to spoil this work of art by mixing in my own ego.)
I'm looking forward to reading Emezi's other work!
Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Car accident, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders
am2ara's review against another edition
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Self harm, and Abandonment
Moderate: Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Car accident, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
jamie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Blood, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Outing
Moderate: Medical content, Transphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, and Lesbophobia
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
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
martinza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Rape
Moderate: Dysphoria and Eating disorder
lycheejelly's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Dysphoria, Vomit, Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, and Homophobia
Minor: Outing, Transphobia, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Religious bigotry
aile_'s review against another edition
- 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
read in english, paperback
I understand why 15 year old me was astonished by this. But I didn’t feel as strongly this time. Maybe I’ve come in terms with my gender, or more spiritually disconnected. Not sure. This time I didn’t cry once. While I cried all the time the first time I read it. Doesn’t take away the authors’ ingenuity and the books’ amazingness
And I still deeply love freshwater. I know this book has shaped me to the place I am now.
april 2022
read in swedish, ebook
If I could give this book 6 stars I would. Absolutely beautiful. I didn’t understand everything in this book but that do not change the fact that the book is the best ever made. I wonder though if it is a autobiography or not? And my favorite character was Saint Vincent. Going to have to reread it sometime. In english because I read it in swedish.
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Self harm
Moderate: Abandonment, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Transphobia, Addiction, and Violence
egrime's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Cursing, Rape, Gore, Eating disorder, Violence, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
i find ọgbanje to be fascinating, but the incorporation of it, or rather the way it's incorporated, in this novel is a lil bit too full of misery. this doesnt mean the book is bad by any means - in fact, i find it to be quite well written - but it purely comes down to my personal taste, which simply doesnt rly click w/ it. and while the lack of a plot doesnt bother me, its long-winded and verbose content that seemingly repeats in countless similar loops does.
the structure and lack of enough info/details also confuse me at times as well, w/ the former jumping around timeline and chronology, and the latter resulting in statements indicating some development or sudden change that the reader isnt previously privy to, making things a bit jarring. i'll still be checking out emezi's the death of vivek oji tho, which hopefully will be better than this one.
Graphic: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Self harm
Moderate: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Rape, Blood, and Eating disorder
Minor: Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, and Child abuse
qtcarolyn's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Rape, Dysphoria, Biphobia, Car accident, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Body shaming and Pedophilia