Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

188 reviews

kumquats87's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria and Gaslighting

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child abuse, Sexual content, Child death, Colonisation, Self harm, Body horror, Biphobia, Mental illness, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Violence, Transphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

dwejra's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is, without a doubt, one of the most original novels I've ever read. In this gripping autobiography Emezi blurs the lines between the events from their life and their emotional journey of dealing with trauma, and accepting their nature as ogbanje.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death

liannaengland's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Violence, Rape, Child abuse, and Eating disorder

woweewhoa's review against another edition

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

nicolescottwv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Dysphoria, Eating disorder, and Adult/minor relationship

secanno's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders

decie's review against another edition

4.75

i wish there were more books like this. i loved reading about multiplicity from a depathologized lens, and entirely from a system's pov. 

note: definitelyyy check the trigger warnings on this one, friends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Car accident, Eating disorder, Rape, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Abandonment

Minor: Body horror

solenekeleroux's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Eating disorder, Child abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Car accident, Biphobia, and Medical content

cilie's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

Ok, lige til at starte med troede jeg denne bog ville blive en DNF... den er temmelig mærkelig! Det meste af historien om Ada er fortalt af de 'ånder' der er fanget inde i hende og det var simpelthen for syret til at starte med. Jo, længere jeg kom ind i bogen jo mere accepterede og forstod jeg ånderne som et billede på noget andet - og så blev jeg virkelig grebet og rørt. 
Det er en fortælling om traume, om at finde sig selv, om forskellige måder at beskytte sig selv på, om psykiske problemer, svigt, venskab og kærlighed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Eating disorder and Child abuse

paigeisinabook's review against another edition

dark informative sad slow-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

2.5

What the Western world calls mental illness, in Nigeria there is ogbanje. They are not the same.

Ada is troubled and saved by those from another plane of existence. They protect her while also shaping her into a creature of their own making. This begins at birth but shows itself fully in the U.S. while in college and follows her for as long as they need each other or meet an end. As Ada comes to understand she is more than one person, the world opens up for her.

So, this was my second Emezi book. I should have read this first, I know. But, it worked itself out.

This book was okay. Very heavy on the sexual relations that at times, that it seemed to be all that the book was about. Like Ada was just being promiscuous and that was all (not that that is a bad thing). I know there was more to it, but the rest of it just seemed unbalanced. None of the other spirits had balanced time on the page (which I guess could mean that they weren't as powerful or as present). That was the main drawback for me. I would have liked to read from some more perspectives for longer.

I was torn because I know this book is well-acclaimed, but in my gut (for now) I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

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31 March 2024
After thinking about it, 2 or 2.5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual assault

There are a lot of content warnings for this book that I'm forgetting. It might be good to look up the content warnings from other reviewers before picking up this book if you need them.