Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Freshwater

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

54 reviews

kjboldon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

Wowza, for a shortish book this one is not a quick read and definitely a disturbing one. I found this book actively difficult to read. The main character, Ada, shares their existence with a variety of gods or spirits and most of them take a turn at narration. I'm still not sure if the book's reach exceeded the author's grasp or if the book has such challenging subjects that wrestling with them would be exhausting no matter what, as I felt the first time I read Jean Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea. I suspect the former; there were too many jumps about in time (though was this simply because the gods experience time differently?) And the characters other than Ada are hard to track, and often not fully dimensional. Still, this is a wild ride and unlike anything else I can think of. Ada's journal is brutal: self harm, rape, family abuse, suicide. But that they come through it and into themselves is something of a brightly shining miracle.

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lanid's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective

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

4.5

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vildanda's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

5.0

Beautifully written. A challenging but incredibly valuable read. The exploration of oneself, culture, mental health and gender and sexual identity throughout the novel was done in a way I’ve never seen it done before. Definitely a must read and another incredible work from this author, I would just recommend checking trigger warnings before reading.

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boba_n_books's review

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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? Yes

3.0

This book was wild, to say the least. I was intrigued with the concept but felt a little lost towards the end. Definitely not my favorite book, but it was not a bad book by any means. It’s different from any other book I’ve read before, and I enjoyed being able to branch out in this way!

Make sure to check CWs for this one as there is a lot of triggering material.

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thebakersbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

Akwaeke Emezi's debut novel Freshwater was the perfect book to boost me out of a reading slump. The prose is beautiful, the characters full of energy and detail, the experiences visceral. This is a book of sharp and jagged edges that cut to the emotional quick. I don't have the skill as a reviewer to do this story justice, but I enjoyed it a lot, even the painful parts.

It's odd to call such a dreamlike book relatable, but the main character of Freshwater was easy to connect to even when her specific struggles weren't ones I'd experienced. Ada's exploration of gender and sexuality were particularly special to me as someone with similar experiences. I'd be remiss not to mention that intersections of cultural and sexual/gender identity are unique to those who live them; as a white U.S.ian reader, I'm sure much of the nuance of being Black, Nigerian, an immigrant, etc. AND queer went over my head. That didn't diminish my enjoyment of reading it at all, and I hope will add to the richness of the experience for readers who do share those identities as well.

Freshwater is a short book but not necessarily a quick read; it grapples with a number of serious topics including rape, trauma, and grief. Nevertheless, the hints of magic and myth, whether real or allegorical, add a bit of lightness and much-needed distance from events that happen to Ada. There is joy amidst the pain that overshadows much of Ada's life, and the payoff when she eventually begins to understand herself more and come into her own feels like its own kind of magic. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time, a standout as both a literary work and a fantasy novel. I highly recommend this book to adult readers.

Content notes: accidental child injury (graphic); self-harm throughout; rape; eating disorder/anorexia; abusive relationships; drug use; alcohol addiction; gender dysphoria; outing a trans character; mild/brief homophobia; child sexual assault; suicide attempt

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wilful_wisp's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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spinesinaline's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

Freshwater has been described as partially non-fiction because both author and character experience multiplicity (multiple personalities) and consider themselves as an ogbanje, a term from Igbo religion meaning a hostile spirit in a human body. It felt like such a creative way to illustrate this reality but knowing that this is the author’s own way of identifying helped it feel grounded as well.

This is an intense book. There are many traumatic events within, including graphic sexual assault, so do take care when reading this one. I found it a powerful story and interesting following the review above as the main character here feels a bit monstrous at times as she seeks to destroy or cope with her other selves. Very glad I finally started reading Emezi this year.

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