Reviews tagging 'Outing'

Acquadolce by Akwaeke Emezi

19 reviews

emily_journals's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.5

This is a beautifully written partial memoir that I believe will have a strong impact on anyone who reads it. Make sure to check trigger warnings for this one before you pick it up as there is a lot of triggering content, but if you are willing/able to read those triggers this is definitely worth the read. 

I found this to be a very intriguing exploration of identity, gender, and sexuality through the lens of Igbo religion and culture. This book was heartbreaking and profound and is a book that I will be rereading in the future to fully appreciate and absorb everything portrayed in this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Outing

Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Transphobia, Stalking, and Lesbophobia

jamie_reads_stuff's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

thebakersbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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's debut novel Freshwater was the perfect book to boost me out of a reading slump. The prose is beautiful, the characters full of energy and detail, the experiences visceral. This is a book of sharp and jagged edges that cut to the emotional quick. I don't have the skill as a reviewer to do this story justice, but I enjoyed it a lot, even the painful parts.

It's odd to call such a dreamlike book relatable, but the main character of Freshwater was easy to connect to even when her specific struggles weren't ones I'd experienced. Ada's exploration of gender and sexuality were particularly special to me as someone with similar experiences. I'd be remiss not to mention that intersections of cultural and sexual/gender identity are unique to those who live them; as a white U.S.ian reader, I'm sure much of the nuance of being Black, Nigerian, an immigrant, etc. AND queer went over my head. That didn't diminish my enjoyment of reading it at all, and I hope will add to the richness of the experience for readers who do share those identities as well.

Freshwater is a short book but not necessarily a quick read; it grapples with a number of serious topics including rape, trauma, and grief. Nevertheless, the hints of magic and myth, whether real or allegorical, add a bit of lightness and much-needed distance from events that happen to Ada. There is joy amidst the pain that overshadows much of Ada's life, and the payoff when she eventually begins to understand herself more and come into her own feels like its own kind of magic. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time, a standout as both a literary work and a fantasy novel. I highly recommend this book to adult readers.

Content notes: accidental child injury (graphic); self-harm throughout; rape; eating disorder/anorexia; abusive relationships; drug use; alcohol addiction; gender dysphoria; outing a trans character; mild/brief homophobia; child sexual assault; suicide attempt

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Transphobia, Outing, and Dysphoria

lycheejelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Vomit, and Dysphoria

Minor: Pedophilia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicide, Transphobia, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Outing

Assault scenes are present but not extremely graphic; aftermath and results are covered more extensively than events themselves, though there are frank descriptions of rape and (C)SA.

snowforest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Blood

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Outing, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

camimonae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

hlabusi_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, and Outing

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Transphobia and Religious bigotry