riidobobino's review against another edition
5.0
poetic in a way that was hard for me to grasp at first, but i also rarely read anything that's written in that way. not fully chronological because sometimes you learn new things that weren't mentioned before. really beautiful and dark at the same time. i don't think i got everything i could have the first time around so may have to reread eventually. interesting how gender wasn't at the beginning and became more apparent later on. but also was interested because i often see people write about Ada using they/them pronouns but in the book i think only she/her was used? idk.
room4creation's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
readswithrosie's review
4.0
This is one of those books where reading it once isn’t enough. Or probably even twice. When I got to the tenth chapter I actually started over again, as I felt that I wasn’t fully grasping the story. This is also a book where you could write exploratory essays upon essays and still not capture its depth. So keep that in mind with this review.
Here is my take on this beautiful and confusing story- Ada is born with “gods” inside of her. These gods are fully born when traumatic incidents occur- so, Ada’s two others inside of her come out as traumatic incidents in her life take place. We watch as she grapples with these gods inside of her, trying to placate them, fight against them, and lean on them.
Ada is a Nigerian woman, and mental health is looked at in different ways in her culture. In this case, what Western therapists view as dissociative identity disorder (also widely known as multiple personality disorder) is viewed as gods (in this case evil spirits) taking over one’s body. Ada’s “ogbanje” (evil spirits) protect her, but also simultaneously create chaos in her life.
This was an incredibly difficult read- the themes are complex, and fully understanding Ada’s journey takes more mental effort than your average work of fiction. Very obviously this book is far from average- Emezi’s writing is beautiful, and understanding the cultural elements and metaphors was a journey well worth it. It is such a unique experience reading this book- as the reader, you’re in the heads of the gods occupying Ada’s body (or, in western terms, viewing the world through the lenses of her alter personalities) and you get to see the desires, feelings, and motivations behind their behaviors. As I mentioned, this is definitely a difficult read- FULL of triggering content and obscure metaphors. But if you’re up for a heavy, intricate read, look no further. Perfect when paired with a sunny + lukewarm afternoon on the porch with Trader Joe’s Scandinavian swimmers. 4.1 ⭐️
Here is my take on this beautiful and confusing story- Ada is born with “gods” inside of her. These gods are fully born when traumatic incidents occur- so, Ada’s two others inside of her come out as traumatic incidents in her life take place. We watch as she grapples with these gods inside of her, trying to placate them, fight against them, and lean on them.
Ada is a Nigerian woman, and mental health is looked at in different ways in her culture. In this case, what Western therapists view as dissociative identity disorder (also widely known as multiple personality disorder) is viewed as gods (in this case evil spirits) taking over one’s body. Ada’s “ogbanje” (evil spirits) protect her, but also simultaneously create chaos in her life.
This was an incredibly difficult read- the themes are complex, and fully understanding Ada’s journey takes more mental effort than your average work of fiction. Very obviously this book is far from average- Emezi’s writing is beautiful, and understanding the cultural elements and metaphors was a journey well worth it. It is such a unique experience reading this book- as the reader, you’re in the heads of the gods occupying Ada’s body (or, in western terms, viewing the world through the lenses of her alter personalities) and you get to see the desires, feelings, and motivations behind their behaviors. As I mentioned, this is definitely a difficult read- FULL of triggering content and obscure metaphors. But if you’re up for a heavy, intricate read, look no further. Perfect when paired with a sunny + lukewarm afternoon on the porch with Trader Joe’s Scandinavian swimmers. 4.1 ⭐️
angelintherye's review
5.0
It’s been a few months since I read this but I loved it. I do recommend it with trigger warnings (especially for sexual violence) because it’s very intense and the authors voice really draws you in. I’m so glad that this book exists and felt so seen in many ways by the storyline- particularly as a non-binary trans person but also as a spiritual person. I only wish that the pace didn’t speed up at the end, I felt like I wanted to spend more time in that part of the story.
pelumitowuru's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Look, I love Emezi. Their work is brilliant and I’m always interested in how they tell their story but the story seems to be getting old. It’s the same themes at this point like how many times can you write about these experiences and bring something new to it. I only say this because I’ve read all their other works first before reading the novel and I’m seeing the bits where fiction and reality blurred and where they were the same difference. Overall, I liked this book and I think this caps me reading her entire bibliography
hibbyhotline's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
rvlgonzalez's review
I wish I had more to say about this book. It's a super interesting concept, exposing me to a spiritual framework I didn't/don't know much about. It invokes a lot of questions that I usually think are pretty interesting on topics like sexuality, gender, mental health, human relationships, etc. But ultimately, I just wasn't too moved and I think that's way more on me than the book.
dlberglund's review against another edition
4.0
The author reads the audiobook, which makes me feel much closer to the material.
This isn't easy to read, and is very open to interpretation, whether or not you've read any interviews with the author. On the surface level (subject matter, age group, level of realism), it is not much like Pet, the author's more recent novel,; however, there is still the skilled crafting of complicated characters, perspectives, and language itself. This story is mostly told by the god-spirits who inhabit the body of Nigerian-born Ada, and much of it centers around trauma and identity. But there are so many layers to this slithering tale; a second reading would probably be even better.
This isn't easy to read, and is very open to interpretation, whether or not you've read any interviews with the author. On the surface level (subject matter, age group, level of realism), it is not much like Pet, the author's more recent novel,; however, there is still the skilled crafting of complicated characters, perspectives, and language itself. This story is mostly told by the god-spirits who inhabit the body of Nigerian-born Ada, and much of it centers around trauma and identity. But there are so many layers to this slithering tale; a second reading would probably be even better.
kiramke's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Sublime exploration of identity, inside and outside.