Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

53 reviews

spinesinaline's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Medical content

lmshearer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

After reading and thoroughly enjoying Pet, I had such high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I found the structure and style, while ambitious and even experimental at times, to be a bit of a slog. I've read other reviews saying this book requires patience from its reader, and that is certainly the case. I was hoping to be caught up in the narrative but instead felt like I was chipping away to reach an (ultimately anticlimactic) end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

snowforest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Blood, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Misogyny, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Grief, Dysphoria, Addiction, Biphobia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Car accident

peppers_books's review against another edition

4.0

i have a Lot of thoughts. definitely need to read this again when i'm better prepared for the content. however, i will say that the writing is beautiful and the way the story is told is so interesting

also , big big content warning for self h*rm

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

camimonae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

miles's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Transphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Death, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, and Drug abuse

summerb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Blood

Minor: Abandonment, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Cursing, and Child abuse

kaitlinshares's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

Stunning, deep and complex. What reads almost as mythology on the surface, with personified spirits and gods, actually speaks to and explores the darkest depths of the human experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Self harm

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Outing, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Transphobia and Religious bigotry

georgiaalexturnbull's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis