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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: sexual assault, sexual content, child sexual abuse, self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi is a semi biographical literary fiction, and was their debut novel. This was the first book I've read by them that wasn't YA, and it had a very different vibe. It was nothing like I was expecting.
We follow Ada, a Nigerian girl who is inhabited by spirits that were trapped within her at birth, so she always has "one foot on the other side." This leads her to "go mad". Most of the story is actually told by the spirits. We get povs from different spirits to see how they are experiencing Ada's life. Ada was always an emotionally volatile child, but when she goes to America, she experiences a sexual assault that further splits her personalities in order to protect her.
Emezi uses Igbo folklore to bring the story to life. It's so interesting to see what westerners would describe as a kind of mental illness, Emezi explains it as being Ogbanje. There is a lot of discussion of self and the fight that happens within with the spirits. It's also interesting that this spiritual novel reflects the author's experiences.
The prose is very descriptive and beautiful, but a little heavy handed and too floral for my taste. This book was less than 300 pages, but it felt like it took forever, because I really had to pay attention and think about each word being used. It was an incredibly well written book, it just isn't what I normally read. I think I'll stick to their YA books. They have a new one coming out soon.
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi is a semi biographical literary fiction, and was their debut novel. This was the first book I've read by them that wasn't YA, and it had a very different vibe. It was nothing like I was expecting.
We follow Ada, a Nigerian girl who is inhabited by spirits that were trapped within her at birth, so she always has "one foot on the other side." This leads her to "go mad". Most of the story is actually told by the spirits. We get povs from different spirits to see how they are experiencing Ada's life. Ada was always an emotionally volatile child, but when she goes to America, she experiences a sexual assault that further splits her personalities in order to protect her.
Emezi uses Igbo folklore to bring the story to life. It's so interesting to see what westerners would describe as a kind of mental illness, Emezi explains it as being Ogbanje. There is a lot of discussion of self and the fight that happens within with the spirits. It's also interesting that this spiritual novel reflects the author's experiences.
The prose is very descriptive and beautiful, but a little heavy handed and too floral for my taste. This book was less than 300 pages, but it felt like it took forever, because I really had to pay attention and think about each word being used. It was an incredibly well written book, it just isn't what I normally read. I think I'll stick to their YA books. They have a new one coming out soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt