Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Freshwater, by Akwaeke Emezi

11 reviews

lanid's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Body shaming, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Rape, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

allisonbrooke's review against another edition

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 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

lycheejelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

qtcarolyn's review against another edition

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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

arwa's review against another edition

dark emotional

• 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

tina94's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Drug use

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

shahana_bookquoting's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

 wow! what a smashing debut! i don't know how to put into words how this book made me feel. this hit different than the books I've read recently. this had the wierdness of a Murakami book with all those magical realism-ish elements. I didn't expect to get a clear explanation or an answer in the end & i'm ok with it.
this book deals with some dark shit but the writing makes it oh so easy to get through it. usually when a book gets tough i keep it down & take a break from it, but not this one. i just wanted to keep reading it & the way it's written certainly helps. 

is this a perfect book? no. it has it's flaws, the characters come off a little unclear at 1st & it takes some time to understand & get into it, & yeah some things are not very well explained by the end, but despite it's flaws it's nothing short of 5star read for me, cuz it achieved way more in 230 pages that some books are not able to achieve even in 500 pages. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Transphobia, Death, Body shaming, and Child abuse

emfass's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

It is hard to capture my feelings about this book - maybe I will come back and share more thoughts when I've processed a bit. 

I am close to someone who experiences dissociative identity disorder, and while I don't want to compare their experience to a culture/ontology/spirituality I know nothing about and the parallels and contrasts therein, I will also say that this book was both incredibly profound and challenging to read, due to how closely it seems to reflect some of my friend's experiences.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Homophobia

moonandmadness's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There is little this novel lacks. Heart breaking prose, inundated with culture, and metaphor, while still staying grounded in experiences that are all too real. Everyone should read this, if they can.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Transphobia and Body shaming