Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

79 reviews

sondered's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

 I listened to this via Libro.fm- it's read by the author and absolutely incredible. Highly highly reccomend. Their tone is meditative, the cadence is hypnotic and dreamy.

An amalgamation of Nigerian folklore and spirituality, psuedo-autobiographical origin story, examination of mental health, sexuality, and gender expression, and deep effects of multiple traumas. Despite coming from a completely different situation and life, I found reflections of my experiences, which helped me feel real and seen. I think many other Queer and/or non-conforming folks could find cathartic comfort here as well. I wouldn't call this a "happy" story, but cathartic (emotionally purging). You're gonna cry, ugly sad mortified cry, but also warm hug after a bad day cry.

I'm so excited to read EVERYTHING else by Akwaeke Emezi, their new novel "Little Rot" comes out this Spring, and they're currently releasing a new album 🔥

CW: rape, disordered eating, suicide, self-harm, addiction, gaslighting, psychosis, dysmorphia, emotional/physical abuse, medical trauma, trans/homophobia, death, miscarriage. Definitely check StoryGraph for more in depth analysis of content warnings if there are specific topics you wish to avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Blood, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Abandonment, Grief, Self harm, and Suicide

phillygirl2013's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

I liked this book a lot. I didn’t really like the ending. The writing is amazinggggg. The different characters are interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism

ctatu's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Eating disorder, and Self harm

mruds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

a SOLID 5/5 — i got chills reading it. the concept of having “multiple people inside of you” really resonated with me — though i don’t relate to the latter, i’ve definitely experienced a lot of the emotions displayed within the book. 

the writing is powerful and evocative, and i think i’m going to struggle to find something better written than this. 

i’ll conclude this with this thought: the really scary parts of this aren’t what happens to ada (those are clearly EXTREMELY depressing and deserve TWs in their own right) but rather ada’s developing and deteriorating psychology. 

terrifying. i’ll be hard-pressed to find a psychological thriller better done than this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

allygogo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Suicide, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

leechspit's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

Absolute poetry.  A journey with heartbreak and layers of complex thoughts and feelings. Ada is a beautiful character who goes through so much and we are blessed and cursed to read along.
The trauma and transition of Ada make you feel scared, and angry, and mad. I could read this book again and again losing myself in that raw feeling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Racism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

sallymodz123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

Beautiful, but honestly at times painful, story about a person with DID. Well written and thought provoking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

grandiose_r's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Rape, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Car accident, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Addiction, Blood, Medical content, and Body horror

Moderate: Death, Lesbophobia, Infertility, Racism, Gaslighting, Transphobia, Cultural appropriation, and Homophobia

Minor: Outing, Vomit, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Confinement

scrunger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide