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A review by gabsalott13
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
3.0
Meme Corner: I struggled to summarize this book visually, but here is my best shot. I also want to share a visual disclaimer for what I’m about to type, because EYE KNOW it’s me and not the book.
I want to start by saying this is an incredibly impressive debut, and I do feel that I learned a lot about Igbo spiritual concepts (specifically the ọgbanje.) Akwaeke Emezi is imaginative and immersive in their depiction of what it would be like to be haunted in this way, and it is a feat that many authors could never pull off. There are so many really important topics raised through this book that I want to keeping thinking about: pre-colonial concepts of mental health and illness, how Western spirituality obscures these concepts, and how these concepts operate beyond the gender binary. (If you're curious, I think this interview of Emezi by my fave, Deesha Philyaw provides a bit more insight into each topic.)
With that said, I am TIRED of books that are weird for weird’s sake!!! Maybe it’s the (non-denominational) Baptist in me, but I just do not have the range for magical realism. At several points throughout the story, I had to check if I’d lost my place and read something over again. Like we get it, Ada is haunted!!!!! Around the 60% mark, things did pick up *a bit.* Leaving the “we” narrative and actually getting some details from Ada’s perspective helped things cohere into a fuller story, but I still felt like the events were super detached. Ify’s review is on the money here: in too many places, we are told and not shown, and I just don’t enjoy that kind of narration as a reader. I’ve never considered myself to be someone who prefers plot-driven books over character-driven ones, partially because the distinction has always confused me LOL. But this time around, I felt like the characters were driving ME (cue our third meme for today.)
As many of y’all know, Emezi’s YA debut (Pet) really changed the game for me, and I immediately rushed to check out their other two novels—I am somewhat on the hunt for a fourth “favorite author.” I am holding out hope for [b:The Death of Vivek Oji|48595550|The Death of Vivek Oji|Akwaeke Emezi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579616999l/48595550._SY75_.jpg|73238762], but I really want to see what their forthcoming memoir, [b:Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir|55877915|Dear Senthuran A Black spirit memoir|Akwaeke Emezi|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|87091255], is all about, because I think it will be a better way for me to read the same story begun in Freshwater. As J.L. Sutton notes in a very well-researched review, Akwaeke Emezi intended for this novel to be very autobiographical, drawing from many parts of their lived experience. They have written some articles about their experience as an ọgbanje that I really enjoyed, and I think the truth is I am better able to process certain stories/styles in a creative non-fiction format.
Exhibit A: my negative experience with Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado’s speculative short story collection. I really was interested in the concepts she raised about queer relationships, but just could not stomach the style. Flash forward two years, and I fell in love with her memoir, In The Dream House, which covers many of these same concepts, but channels Machado’s creativity into a format I could better appreciate.
I am going to call it now that a similar thing will happen with my experience of Emezi’s fictional debut vs. their memoir. I remain super impressed by their work, and very interested in their life story. I am hopeful that in a more straight-shooting format, I will be able to fully understand everything. :)
I want to start by saying this is an incredibly impressive debut, and I do feel that I learned a lot about Igbo spiritual concepts (specifically the ọgbanje.) Akwaeke Emezi is imaginative and immersive in their depiction of what it would be like to be haunted in this way, and it is a feat that many authors could never pull off. There are so many really important topics raised through this book that I want to keeping thinking about: pre-colonial concepts of mental health and illness, how Western spirituality obscures these concepts, and how these concepts operate beyond the gender binary. (If you're curious, I think this interview of Emezi by my fave, Deesha Philyaw provides a bit more insight into each topic.)
With that said, I am TIRED of books that are weird for weird’s sake!!! Maybe it’s the (non-denominational) Baptist in me, but I just do not have the range for magical realism. At several points throughout the story, I had to check if I’d lost my place and read something over again. Like we get it, Ada is haunted!!!!! Around the 60% mark, things did pick up *a bit.* Leaving the “we” narrative and actually getting some details from Ada’s perspective helped things cohere into a fuller story, but I still felt like the events were super detached. Ify’s review is on the money here: in too many places, we are told and not shown, and I just don’t enjoy that kind of narration as a reader. I’ve never considered myself to be someone who prefers plot-driven books over character-driven ones, partially because the distinction has always confused me LOL. But this time around, I felt like the characters were driving ME (cue our third meme for today.)
As many of y’all know, Emezi’s YA debut (Pet) really changed the game for me, and I immediately rushed to check out their other two novels—I am somewhat on the hunt for a fourth “favorite author.” I am holding out hope for [b:The Death of Vivek Oji|48595550|The Death of Vivek Oji|Akwaeke Emezi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579616999l/48595550._SY75_.jpg|73238762], but I really want to see what their forthcoming memoir, [b:Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir|55877915|Dear Senthuran A Black spirit memoir|Akwaeke Emezi|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|87091255], is all about, because I think it will be a better way for me to read the same story begun in Freshwater. As J.L. Sutton notes in a very well-researched review, Akwaeke Emezi intended for this novel to be very autobiographical, drawing from many parts of their lived experience. They have written some articles about their experience as an ọgbanje that I really enjoyed, and I think the truth is I am better able to process certain stories/styles in a creative non-fiction format.
Exhibit A: my negative experience with Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado’s speculative short story collection. I really was interested in the concepts she raised about queer relationships, but just could not stomach the style. Flash forward two years, and I fell in love with her memoir, In The Dream House, which covers many of these same concepts, but channels Machado’s creativity into a format I could better appreciate.
I am going to call it now that a similar thing will happen with my experience of Emezi’s fictional debut vs. their memoir. I remain super impressed by their work, and very interested in their life story. I am hopeful that in a more straight-shooting format, I will be able to fully understand everything. :)