A review by therainbowshelf
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What happens when a baby is born with gods who remember being gods inside her? Freshwater is a haunting exploration of metaphysical existence shoved into flesh. Ada and her godselves struggle with identity throughout the book, trying to find a balance between the metaphysical nature of the godselves and Ada's physical body that they share. The book reads a bit like someone experiencing dissociative identity disorder because of the way that one of the godselves materializes following a trauma and continues taking over the body whenever related situations come up. Akwaeke Emezi doesn't pull any punches as Ada and her godselves survive traumatic experiences that complicate their understanding of identity. I enjoyed the many glimpses this book gave me into Igbo culture and mythology, which I am not very familiar with beyond things I've learned from other novels. Ada's later exploration of sexuality and gender identity was also very welcome. I was a bit detached from many parts of book because there is a lot of focus on sex throughout, which I simply didn't connect with as much because I've rarely experienced that drive myself. 

This book may be difficult for anyone who has experienced trauma, panic attacks, sexual assault, has detached parents, or has been touched by suicide. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings