Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

110 reviews

_tannel's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-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 loved this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Blood

Minor: Death

mosope21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, and Sexual harassment

jill_holly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

It feels impossible to review this book because it is so hard to describe. It had me in a chokehold the moment I started it and didn't let up. I was breathless by the end. Both devastatingly dark and heartwrenchingly beautiful, it dives headfirst into the lasting impacts of sexual trauma, the struggles of mental health, and the splitting of a fractured identity. It pulls from Igbo mythology, which I enjoyed learning more about. I was riveted, heartbroken and aching from the prose, weirdness, and intensity of Ada's story. I need to go read everything else Akwaeke Emezi has ever written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse

lizlee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Forced institutionalization

vklyle99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Suicide attempt

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

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is so dark and sad. But what an interesting new view. The darkness of mental health issues as told by the darkness. The fully fractured people that can happen. It’s a viewpoint I’ve never been able to understand but this really breaks it down. It takes a minute to get into that voice and headspace but once you’re there, it’s hard to leave it. It’s haunting but powerful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sydthereader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Colonisation

nel0nen's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Car accident

Minor: Death and Lesbophobia

hazelbynature's review against another edition

Enjoyed the premise and read 14–39% in one day, but then found I just couldn’t bring myself to pick it back up again over the following week.
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. 

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Content Warnings

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