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A review by writingcaia
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This is a complicated book to describe. Also not the easiest to read if one is not familiar with African and Nigerian deities and folklore, still it is a coming of age story, a story of a girl that is born filled with others that are Gods, genderless, capricious, sometimes evil, sometimes protectors.
Plagued with a hard childhood she self mutilates especially after becoming more physically woman-like and what it means.
In her late teens she’s brought up to America from Nigeria just to suffer at the hands of evil men and to fight the trauma of they’ve done she becomes that which they fear and desire, lost inside herself she lets the Gods inside take control so she can endure. But, she’s constantly divided, constantly in between realms, our world and the veil other world from where they all came and will come again. She is plagued with gods, identities, struggle and pain. Sometimes being pushed into closely wanting to be gone and join the gods that occupy her body.
It is not an easy tale but it follows closely the author’s own journey with accepting their troublesome and pained past and also gender identity, while heavily mixing it with the roots and myths of their culture.
An almost magical realism biographical fiction story of spirit, religion and resilience, and finding one true self in the mist of much pain, despair, and wanting to be gone, and also to be truly found in oneself.
The ending of the book was a bit confusing and I am still not truly sure what it meant although I choose to believe the best happened for them.
Plagued with a hard childhood she self mutilates especially after becoming more physically woman-like and what it means.
In her late teens she’s brought up to America from Nigeria just to suffer at the hands of evil men and to fight the trauma of they’ve done she becomes that which they fear and desire, lost inside herself she lets the Gods inside take control so she can endure. But, she’s constantly divided, constantly in between realms, our world and the veil other world from where they all came and will come again. She is plagued with gods, identities, struggle and pain. Sometimes being pushed into closely wanting to be gone and join the gods that occupy her body.
It is not an easy tale but it follows closely the author’s own journey with accepting their troublesome and pained past and also gender identity, while heavily mixing it with the roots and myths of their culture.
An almost magical realism biographical fiction story of spirit, religion and resilience, and finding one true self in the mist of much pain, despair, and wanting to be gone, and also to be truly found in oneself.
The ending of the book was a bit confusing and I am still not truly sure what it meant although I choose to believe the best happened for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Suicide and Rape