A review by readswithrosie
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
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 ⭐️