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A review by reflectiverambling_nalana
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not even sure where to begin. This is a novel that I put off as hype sometimes leads to my greatest disappointments. It is with confidence that I can say this is worth all of the hype. Following the story of one person's journey of self and identity through the spirits that live in cohabitation with their body, "Freshwater" is a dark and yearning tale that hits like a hammer and keeps on pounding.
While this is seen as a masterful work of magical realism, I believe the appeal and accessibility is that it dealt with issues that made it feel more like skeptical. There is a belief system in which ancestors and spirits exist within an embodiment and those who genuinely refer to themselves in the plural. THe existence of these other religious figures and entities existing concurrently, as to even someone without any particular faith alignment, settle in the mind as more mythical rather than fantastical as it is a truth to some people. This 'grounds' the idea more than, say, the presence of unicorns, aliens, fae, or boogeymen for many in the modern era.
Added to this is that the voice also tends to feel more like an unreliable narrator tool. There is enough room for doubt, the lead figure in question even explores the idea, of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Even if this is not the case, and in support of when our primary narrator 'takes over', it is not uncommon for a person to compartmentalize aspects of their life as a result or in reaction to ongoing trauma. To a broader extent, I believe we all recognize how differently we behave in different situations. For someone with mental health struggles, I personally have never considered myself to have different 'selves' but it's been helpful to recognize cycles of different thought patterns as separate from my core identity. I label them the 'brain demons' to remind myself that the chemicals within the brain are very good liars--that there are times you shouldn't listen to yourself or to recognize that things you are processing are the result of others opinions and not your personal truth. The book itself contains a line about how good humans are about lying to themselves.
As a result this narrative can be seen as one of fantasy, of faith, or just a way in which we survive and develop as life throws its challenges at us. For people like Ada, it's sometimes just a terrible hand that has been dealt too early on. As dark as this novel can get, there is also a lot of love. There are powerful as well as toxic friendships and relationships. It is one that makes a person take another step against the world, against yourself, even when you're not sure you're strong or sane enough to do so.
While this is seen as a masterful work of magical realism, I believe the appeal and accessibility is that it dealt with issues that made it feel more like skeptical. There is a belief system in which ancestors and spirits exist within an embodiment and those who genuinely refer to themselves in the plural. THe existence of these other religious figures and entities existing concurrently, as to even someone without any particular faith alignment, settle in the mind as more mythical rather than fantastical as it is a truth to some people. This 'grounds' the idea more than, say, the presence of unicorns, aliens, fae, or boogeymen for many in the modern era.
Added to this is that the voice also tends to feel more like an unreliable narrator tool. There is enough room for doubt, the lead figure in question even explores the idea, of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Even if this is not the case, and in support of when our primary narrator 'takes over', it is not uncommon for a person to compartmentalize aspects of their life as a result or in reaction to ongoing trauma. To a broader extent, I believe we all recognize how differently we behave in different situations. For someone with mental health struggles, I personally have never considered myself to have different 'selves' but it's been helpful to recognize cycles of different thought patterns as separate from my core identity. I label them the 'brain demons' to remind myself that the chemicals within the brain are very good liars--that there are times you shouldn't listen to yourself or to recognize that things you are processing are the result of others opinions and not your personal truth. The book itself contains a line about how good humans are about lying to themselves.
As a result this narrative can be seen as one of fantasy, of faith, or just a way in which we survive and develop as life throws its challenges at us. For people like Ada, it's sometimes just a terrible hand that has been dealt too early on. As dark as this novel can get, there is also a lot of love. There are powerful as well as toxic friendships and relationships. It is one that makes a person take another step against the world, against yourself, even when you're not sure you're strong or sane enough to do so.