Premise: "Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side.""

I don’t understand the love for this book. Yes, it’s highly original and it was well written but it just wasn’t for me.

Some of the language was beautifully descriptive:
“...she drank a lot of tequila, pouring the golden burn of it down her throat till it held her from the inside out...”

“...the snow fell thickly like it was being shoveled out of the sky.”

And more. But.

Ada is or was a python— this book often was confusing. Ada has brothersisters —and others —all with different names. Ada’s other personalities — primarily Asughara and Saint Vincent—struggle to take control of her. And Ada moves around a lot—Malaysia, Nigeria, London and America.

Ada is heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual? Partially transitions by having her breasts removed but then becomes heterosexual again —all part of her personality struggles.

Because of all her issues she also has some mental instability —no wonder.

At multiple points she contemplates suicide. She is a cutter but then turns to tattoos as another way of marking herself.

This novel is very dark.

Read it for yourself and decide.

This is one of those books that is beautiful on so many levels that it is almost overpowering. The language is spare, yet lovely and so descriptive I felt the individual madness of each separate character. The story is stunning, heartbreaking, and ultimately one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

This book is a story of human mental illness told through a mythological view. Many Igbo stories and beliefs are similar to Pueblo beliefs, so much of the allegory resonated with me. Ada is a young woman who is struggling with the selves who have emerged from a splintered connection to her creator. Surrounded by people who understand very little of what she is going through, it becomes easier to listen to her madness than the well meaning but useless help from her friends and family. The story is mostly told by Ada’s other selves, and because of this the horror and sadness she feels are very detached to the reader. It’s almost like reading a case study. It’s not until the end of the story that the reader realizes how horrible her experiences have been, and how much she has suffered.

I will recommend this book over and over. I realize it’s not a book for everyone, and it’s not a light read, but it’s still one of those books I think people should have anyway, just to have it nearby. Thanks Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read it early!

I am a sucker for Nigerian folklore, so Freshwater got my attention from the very first line. It's the story of (the) Ada, a Nigerian woman who has, among other things, multiple personality disorder. Her different personalities (who happen to be gods) emerge at different points in her life, following different traumatic events.
First of all, this story deals with complex and difficult themes: self harm, fractured families, physical abuse, rape, suicide, gender identity, mental health, guilt... The list seems almost endless. I loved how complex and messy it was. The author does not shy away from the dark. Oh, and I liked that it was different. I have never read something like it before.
There were some issues I had with the story. I found the constant time warps rather confusing, as I tried to keep up with Ada's spiralling life. Considering how already complex the story is, I would have preferred a more linear plot, rather than going back and forth in the story. I thought some characters who seemed to play an important role in Ada's life were introduced as and afterthought (Uche) and others did not add much to the story (St Vincent).
I would recommend Freshwater with a trigger warning disclaimer for the reader. The book description on Netgalley says Freshwater is "based in the author's reality" which really intrigues me. I would love to hear her give a talk about the book.

This was absolutely stunning. From the very first page I knew I was in for something extraordinary and unlike anything I have ever read. This debut combines many things I adore in books: unconventional framing and unreliable narrators, a story that gets recontextualized constantly and kept me on my toes, a basis in mythology that informed but did not over-shadow the actual story, perfect sentence structure that packs an unbelievable punch, and so many more things that I am still struggling to adequately talk about.

This is Ada's story, or more accurately Ada's and her other personalities' story. The first part is told in a we-perspective from her alternate personalities, brothersisters based in Nigerian mythology, that frame her story in what that means to them rather than her. The Ada, as she is called by them, then moves to the US where a traumatic events leads to a further fragmentation of self, Asụghara and Saint Vincent who will take over more and more. These two selves are even more different to her than the brothersisters were and tend to wreck havoc in her life. This description does not really do the book any justice because more than a straightforward narrative, the story unfolds forward and backwards with things happening (or not?) and is highly introspective. As I was wondering about the timeline, Akwaeke Emezi pulled the rug under me more often than I could count, leaving my head spinning and my heart broken.

I do not think I can do this book justice, but believe me when I say that this is an extraordinary achievement and unlike anything I read before. This will for sure stay with me and keep me thinking for months to come.

The description of this book does not do it justice. The protagonist, Ada, is inhabited by gods who have been trapped in her with the door to their god-world still partially opened, so that they are aware of what they have lost and where they are. The story is told alternately by Ada and several of the gods living within her. While supernatural, it is also a moving portrait of a young woman’s experience of various forms of abuse, depression, and (maybe?) madness. It is a universal tale, told through an African lens, in exquisite language. I would highly recommend it!

A surprising novel to finish the year. I was confused for several chapters, but let my brain settle into the magic realism, or mysticism, or whatever you want to call it, and enjoyed the story from there. It's tough to read at times, never completely clear... but also really beautiful and touching. I'm so glad I found this little treasure.

Whew. This book is refreshingly, compellingly different. A part of me thinks I should probably wait a day or two before writing the review to let all that I've read completely marinate and digest. However, I am compelled to get it all out while the impression it has left is strong and penetrating. The Dedication of the book says "To those of us with one foot on the other side." From that moment you know this book will be unlike anything you've ever read and it did not disappoint. Emezi illustrated with perfection just how delicate our grasp on reality can be and how experiences we have repressed can shape who become and the choices we make. If you've ever struggled with balancing your spiritual and human self, you identify with Ada immediately and even sometimes lose patience with her just as we often do with ourselves when we forget (or simply don't know) just how spiritually powerful we are.

I didn't fully understand where Emezi was going with the different voices or "personalities" of Ada, sometimes even believing that she was writing a novel about mental illness and spiritual awakening. However, seeing how they evolved throughout the story and how Ada eventually understood the necessity of their existence made this novel an amazing portrait of why traditional African religions still have an important place in the lives of the descendants of Africa.

When I got the depths of this novel, here during these dark hours, I was blown away! My eyes were misty at the end.
It’s absolutely the most brilliant creative book written of its kind ....
It became personal to me....looking back at my own journey- my own struggles - my own fight - my own growth - my own inner peace.

At one point I kept thinking,
“No wonder it’s soooo hard for people to get well”.
“No wonder people repeat the same repetitive unwanted behaviors for years”.

I don’t usually write reviews on my iPhone from bed -
I’m usually not ‘this’ vague about the story either. But honestly it’s best to TAKE THIS BOOK IN....read each word - digest it!
Its possible to read this novel in different ways. Many ways to experience it.

For me... I related it to our little voices in our heads ... that little voice which always speaks to us.
The critical voice -the happy voice too -
I thought about the deeper evil spirits ... the personality splits.
I loved the metaphysical storytelling. At times it felt contemporary as any other novel - ha!!
Parents - family - struggles - coming of age
- interests - education - travel - sex - friends - but....
THIS IS NOT like ANY BOOK I’ve ever read!!!

It took me about 8% to understand what I was reading - what was going on...

It took my almost half way to get the DEPTS AND POWER of this novel...
And then the ending... OH MY GOSH....it’s soooo beautiful. It still wants to make me cry!!!!

“Freshwater” is FRESH!!! Sooooooooo GORGEOUSLY written....
It allowed me to distant myself - FROM - myself - and be incredibly thankful that I have made remarkable growth in the area of healing in my lifetime.

This is one of the most unique and symbolic transforming books I’ve ever read!!!!

Thank you Grove Atlantic, Netgalley, and the brilliant author Akwaeke Emezi

I couldn't get into this book. Probably my end-of-the-semester brain, not the writing.

This review is required to be 50 words long. This review is required to be 50 words long. This review is required to be 50 words long. This review is required to be 50 words long. This review is required to be 50 words long.

This novel is unique, intense and immersive. Incredible characters and story. The prose alone was so beautifully written that I couldn't let myself put it down and when I did I found myself thinking of it. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my family and friends.

A unique examination of painful adolescence, Freshwater is bewitching, bewildering and arresting in equal measure. The novel combines an almost stream-of-consciousness narrative style with the central conceit of the multiple narrators being deities that inhabit the protagonist's mind. The result is an interesting perspective on a fractured sense of self, and it is the experience of this perspective, rather than the actual story or plot, that fuels the book.

5★ DEBUT!
“Dedication
To those of us
with one foot
on the other side."

“By the time she (our body) struggled out into the world, slick and louder than a village of storms, the gates were left open. We should have been anchored in her by then, asleep inside her membranes and synched with her mind. That would have been the safest way. But since the gates were open, not closed against remembrance, we became confused. We were at once old and newborn. We were her and yet not. We were not conscious but we were alive—in fact, the main problem was that we were a distinct WE instead of being fully and just HER.”

Outstanding, mesmerising, poetically macabre and believably unbelievable. “The Ada”, as her captive spirits refer to her, is never alone. Her constant mental companions are spirits which should have been able to possess and influence her and then come and go at will, through the gates, across the bridge.

But not these mischievous, evil beings. The gods closed the gates behind them, so they lead The Ada into all sorts of trouble, both in Nigeria where she was born, and which has a tradition of ogbanje possessing children, and in the US when her family migrates.

The ogbanje are reminiscent of the scary faeries at the bottom of the garden (Ireland’s Little People who steal children and some adults and leave changelings in their place), the witches of the witch trials, poltergeists, and malevolent voodoo spirits. She befriends a girl familiar with the voodoo traditions, too.

Ada grows up, and a little like the well-known The Three Faces Of Eve, has a split personality, influenced not only by the first two WE who were born with her, but also by a wild and naughty girl, Asughara, who is "born" when Ada first has sex. A real troublemaker, but sometimes Ada enjoys the excuse to cut loose.

Speaking of cutting, she does that, too, “feeding” her demons, as it were. The only way they can enjoy more lives is to escape this life and cross back over, as they were supposed to do.

But remember? The gates closed behind them, so you know what that means? Who’s the bridge? Their “host” body, that's who, and while Ada/Asughara bounces from lover to anorexia to psychiatric ward and back again, they all have conversations with her, and they may even hug her somehow. Sometimes she feels safest "inside" with them.

She survives the American college experience, the club scene, pubs, you name it. She/they have an active social and love life and don’t miss much!

It’s a wonderful read and I found it absolutely compelling.

I especially enjoyed this author’s thank you to award-winning Nigerian author, Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie:

“Chimamanda Adichie, for the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop and the ripples from that. For that moment when I started to tell you about the book and you tilted your head, looked at me, and said, ‘Ah, so you’re an ogbanje.’”

Emezi obviously got it right. AND THIS IS A DEBUT!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Press for the review copy from which I’ve quoted, so quotes may be changed.

This isn't due for publication until February 2018 but is available on NetGalley until then, so I’m posting my review early to encourage other reviewers to have a look.

Akwaeke Emezi’s debut novel is an intriguing story about the complex psychological life of Ada, a young Nigerian woman. Her multiple personalities are envisaged as figures from Igbo mythology and Christianity, and there is constant conflict and emotional stress as these characters fight to gain control of Ada. A difficult subject dealt with in a fascinating and original way. But this is not an easy book to read on any level.
I found the magical realism off-putting and sometimes confusing and there is a tendency towards unnecessary repetition; but Akwaeke Emezi is a skilled and imaginative writer and I look forward to reading her next novel.

Very good book! It's not really like anything I've read before. If I had to compare it to something, I'd say the mysticism and somewhat opaque (but descriptive) writing style reminds me of Rushdie. I was confused by the POV at first but quickly got caught up in Ada's life. Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

“The first madness was that were were born, that they stuffed a god into a bag of skin.”

This novel takes us on a journey through Ada’s complex, tragic, yet hopeful life. We watch her constantly battle to keep her head above water, and at the same time watch how the many gods are battling for control of her soul from within. The use of Nigerian mysticism creates a beautiful and realistic portrayal of mental illness and its path of destruction on a person’s life.

The writing is beautiful and poetic through each part in Ada’s life. We are given a different POV from the gods living within Ada, which gives a very unique perspective. The most heartbreaking POV is from Ada as we watch as each piece of her soul slips away and fight to become whole again. Each time I had to book this book down for work, Ada was on my mind. This is one of the best books I have read this year and will stay with you days, weeks, and months after reading. This book deserves all of the awards.

Stunning, Enchanting. Riveting. Rich prose. Evocative narrator.

The experience of reading this took me back to my reading of Beloved for the first time (that book, like this one, demands eyes on it more than once). What they have in common is the fragmentation between the body and spirit but unlike so many other books, this one seeps in the supernatural. Not the kind of supernatural with vampires and werewolves but in a visceral, lush ethereal landscape where a spirit wanders and hovers in a parallel world to the real humans recognize as ours.

This is gorgeous and a must, must read.

TW: Rape
Representation for: PTSD, Multiple Personality Disorder

This book is too good, and at around 41 pages to go I decided to stop reading. I may pick it up again but I decided to stop because I didn't want to say goodbye to this book. This has never happened before and I doubt it ever will again. Freshwater is easily one of the top three books I have read this year. The writing is so sophisticated and polished that I found myself immersed in this world extremely quickly. I found myself wanting to rush home or skip work just to spend time reading this book. It's one of my favourite feelings as a reader and I am extremely happy I found it in this book.

That said, while I deeply loved this book I think there may be some readers who will struggle to feel as fully immersed as I did. A large part of this is due to the writing style in the first few chapters as "we." This, I believe is largely intentional and mimics the chaos of the spirit world as well as what Ada herself may have felt when she was young. If you find yourself struggling in the first few chapters keep reading.

There are multiple layers to the voices, and the characters, although I think there will be those who wish we got more of St. Vincent. I'm not sure if the continued exploitation of his POV would enhance the story so I am fine leaving it at the current minimum.

That said, this is a disgustingly good book and I cannot recommend it enough.

This book is unique. There's no other way to put it. There's just no other book like it.
The author herself regards it as her autobiography, but I think it's categorized as a literary fiction work by the publisher. I do think it can be both, though.
I've never read any book where the main character has multiple personalities. I've seen movies like the Split(2016), but never read a book written from POVs of individual personalities. That's the first and most important thing that makes this book unique.
Despite the uniqueness, it was quite easy to read. The narrative of "we" can be confusing at times, but that doesn't affect the understanding of the story. Although, their POV is one of the factors that put me off a little bit. Since I'm not religious by any means, I had a hard time understanding what's going on with the Gods, where are they actually from, and what do they really want. I think I still don't get half of it, but that's okay.
The main character, Ada, doesn't get much "screen time", since she's constantly taken over by the other personality from the middle of the book towards the end. And I find myself sympathizing with her and wanting to know what will happen to her.
The ending is another thing that I wish I could like more. I'm more of a full closure girl. I always crave that definitive ending when I read a book, especially ones I consider fiction. I guess in a way, the MC did find peace in being different and having multiple personalities. I just wished to know more about what happened to their life.
Anyway, I wish the author happiness in her life and hope she can remain productive and bring us more unique materials like this one.

This debut novel addresses many dark and difficult topics (abuse, self-harm, mental illness) in a moving and creative way. The narrator is described as having a fractured self and the book's format follows the voices of the many selves inside her. With some magical realism elements and lots of strange and surreal storytelling, the author speaks primarily to living with mental illness. For me, the complex ideas being transmitted were complicated and difficult to follow at times.