Freshwater

“When you have been hiding in a great shadow, it hurts to look at the light, to be awake, to feel.”

It was hard to keep up with the storyline for most of the book. I was expecting a lot more as it touches upon complex topics like mental health, trauma and violence. Overall, poor and confusing writing.

This was a powerful and intriguing exploration of ancestry, mental stability, trauma, inner turmoil and more. I loved the way each chapter was written from a part of the main character's fractured self.

Content warning for violence, sexual violence, abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, attempted suicide, self-harm, and related topics. I really liked the premise of this book, but reading it was not a particularly enjoyable experience for me. There were some really beautiful moments that I liked, but overall I felt like it was disjointed and I was confused the whole time. Even if that was the point, I don't like to be confused. I didn't like the chorus style narration of the ogbanje, but I really liked the sections where Ada would talk with her other selves. I liked the incorporation of Igbo (I think that's the language, Google didn't tell me when I used the translate function), but I wish there had been a glossary in the book for readers to look through. This book has gotten stellar reviews from others, but I preferred the Death of Vivek Oji.

Freshwater is quite unlike any other book I've read. I found myself underlining many gorgeous lines and phrases that made my soul sing. While the writing drew me in, I didn't find myself as invested in the main character(s) as I wanted to be, especially considering it's a fictional autobiography. I will be checking out some more of the author's works.