Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

43 reviews

omega's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Medical content, and Grief

saoreads's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Much deeper than the surface, it touched on identity, mental health, and emotions. The extremes had mostly been carved out of reflections on relationships with other people. The vileness of others and the vileness within. It is a strange book with strange perceptions. But for one to account for, there wasn't much guidance to spare. There's a sense of rawness that offers no gentleness in words or in deeds. It cuts through corners straightforwardly, which causes panic. More or less, it provided insights into life without God, and the life surrounding it is a pity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

discocaptain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• 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

(sent here by liam konneman's book on transmasculinity!)

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.

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Content Warnings

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

e1095's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

froggy1png's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

A real insightful read, so beautifully written 😭✨👏🏻

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Content Warnings

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

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

 I listened to this via Libro.fm- it's read by the author and absolutely incredible. Highly highly reccomend. Their tone is meditative, the cadence is hypnotic and dreamy.

An amalgamation of Nigerian folklore and spirituality, psuedo-autobiographical origin story, examination of mental health, sexuality, and gender expression, and deep effects of multiple traumas. Despite coming from a completely different situation and life, I found reflections of my experiences, which helped me feel real and seen. I think many other Queer and/or non-conforming folks could find cathartic comfort here as well. I wouldn't call this a "happy" story, but cathartic (emotionally purging). You're gonna cry, ugly sad mortified cry, but also warm hug after a bad day cry.

I'm so excited to read EVERYTHING else by Akwaeke Emezi, their new novel "Little Rot" comes out this Spring, and they're currently releasing a new album 🔥

CW: rape, disordered eating, suicide, self-harm, addiction, gaslighting, psychosis, dysmorphia, emotional/physical abuse, medical trauma, trans/homophobia, death, miscarriage. Definitely check StoryGraph for more in depth analysis of content warnings if there are specific topics you wish to avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

michaelion's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

Akwaeke Emezi, I will find you one day. One day, I will find you. I will drop to my knees. And I will ask for your hand in marriage.

They peeled my scalp back, cracked my skull open, and wrote exactly what's going on in my brain. What the heck Akwaeke Emezi my future spouse. How dare you. I love you. I guess I'm an ogbanje? Is it appropriative of me to say that even though I know my ancestry comes from Nigeria I'm just not sure which people group? Anyway anyway. I am her and they is me and I am we. Amazing. I'm so glad I chose to pock this up this month. THIS IS Black history NOW !!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Transphobia, and Medical content

grandiose_r's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Racism, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Outing

biggerpusherover's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis