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sproinkly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Car accident
carolinebl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
hazelbynature's review against another edition
It had a very negative tone, with no sign/hope of things improving for the human character. Very detached narrative voice, with lots of foreshadowing for things to get worse without any sign they’d improve.
Due to detachment of narrative voice, struggled to be emotionally invested in the human character.
Didn’t feel like there was really an overarching plot, just following the human character’s life as they lived it.
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
frankieclc's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
discocaptain's review
- 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
3.5
just. the most brutally freeing exploration of mental illness and spirituality. emezi understands what its like to be toeing the lines of everything, from gender to sanity to cultural boundaries to religion. its a story about being an ọgbanje from its core to its toes. its horrible. like its actually horrible to read it is uncomfortable and voyeuristic and it all happens from the perspective of spirits that are inside ada's mind so just knowing that we aren't even seeing the whole picture makes my stomach drop. but that means we don't see all of the joy. the love, not just the heartbreaks. ada claws for every second on earth and heir nails are bleeding.
this book also has my faaavorite chapter on transness ever. the top surgery that ada decided as an ultimatum. ugh. beautiful. its just really beautiful in the way any well written horror piece is.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore
sycomode's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
cleansky7's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
froggy1png's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
dancevera's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
micksland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CW: Sexual assault, suicide, eating disorders, domestic violence, alcoholism and drug abuse, etc. Very graphic - but worth it for most readers.
___
This is a lyrical debut novel from an author whose work I thoroughly enjoy. Emezi tells the semi-autobiographical story of The Ada, a young girl born in Nigeria with multiple ogbanje inside her. The author explains ogbanje in this way:
"An ogbanje is an Igbo spirit that’s born into a human body, a kind of malevolent trickster, whose goal is to torment the human mother by dying unexpectedly only to return in the next child and do it all over again. They come and go. They are never really here — if you are a thing that was born to die, you are a dead thing even while you live."
In this story, something goes wrong with the process. The ogbanje do not die as they are meant to do; they remain mostly dormant inside The Ada throughout her childhood. When The Ada moves to the USA for college, a traumatic event awakens the spirits sleeping inside her, fracturing her mind into multiple personalities. Most predominant of these personalities is Asughara, the id, a spirit who is sexually aggressive, self-harming, self-destructive, and intent on sending The Ada back to the "other side". Also present is Saint Vincent, a male spirit who wishes for The Ada to change her body to accommodate their shared identity. Finally, there is Yeshua, a visiting spirit who explores the relationship between Christianity and Igbo religion and cosmology.
The language is absolutely gorgeous and poetic, despite the violence and sadness of the subject matter. Emezi has some of the most gorgeous prose of any author I've read recently, and the contrast between the poetry of their words and the blood behind them is stunning. It's a difficult and traumatic, but thoroughly worthwhile, read.
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol