Freshwater

A tale of self discovery that borders on extremely intense reality and dances with a bit of the religious and mythological all at once. Not a story for the faint of heart but very well written and a gut-wrenching journey.

I know this book has won awards and been praised to the heavens, but honestly? Freshwater and I were not a good match. The narration — split between ogbanje spirits in Ada’s head — is meant to be mythic and experimental, but I found it more disorienting than dazzling. It felt like being stuck in a chorus of cryptic voices that never actually get to the point.

And then there’s the content. Within the first stretch, you’re knee-deep in sexual assault, self-harm, body horror, and eventually genital mutilation. Important topics? Sure. But it was like being smacked with trauma after trauma, and frankly I wasn’t in the headspace for it. Without a strong narrative backbone to balance it all, it just felt gratuitous — a pile of pain without enough payoff.

I get that the novel is pushing boundaries of identity, spirituality, and what it means to live with many selves. But between the muddled structure, the relentless bleakness, and the lack of a character I could actually care about, I closed the book feeling more drained than enlightened. Admirable? Maybe. Enjoyable? Not for me.

The author creates a really interesting head space to get lost in. I also like that Akwaeke Emezi narrated the audio book.

this book amazed me. i went in cold and its structure and prose swept me away. the story felt so familiar and so otherworldly at the same time. wow. think inside out but elevated times a thousand

cw: SA, self harm, suicidal ideation and attempt

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