A review by rosenaughtin
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • 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

Freshwater is like nothing I’ve read before, both in content and style. The writing is otherworldly, mysterious, and thought-provoking. It is a story of Ada, an Ogbanje, and the gods/tricksters/saints who live inside of her. It offers a completely decolonized perspective on mental illness and gender, and the story reflects the author’s lived experience. Deeply heartbreaking at times, it ultimately is about resilience and acceptance amidst trauma. 

Favorite quote: “That was the first thing that made us interested in him — his anger. His rich, thick blood sap anger. His nightmare childhood trauma anger...you could taste the sharp sting of it, the salty frantic colors it had.“
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