Reviews

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

socksandmelons's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

nikkinmichaels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

storyofmaryam's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

kimmaloo's review against another edition

I’m not sure what I think about this book yet but I can’t wait for the book club discussion!

famke_hv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

l_d_star's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

best_lemon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

jluv1220's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

futurama1979's review against another edition

4.0

This book had such a heavy sweetness to it that, if it could, it would drip. The most atmospheric book I've read this year without question. Really beautiful meditation on religion and gender and trauma.

I had a professor recently who always talked about "drip-feeding information" throughout a fiction piece, and I think this book did that incredibly well, in a swell gentle way. It's a book that already makes sense before you read the end and more sense after you read the end, and it's also a book that has you constantly recontextualizing what you've already read. I was so happy that it ended the way it did for Ada.

It's a book that forces you to read it slowly, and I'm glad it does. More time to drink it in that way.

katiekull's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I wish I had read this before their memoir I think I would have loved it more. It was still gorgeous but knowing the behind the scenes stole some of the magic I think. 

I’ll read anything and everything by Akwaeke though. Always gorgeous.