Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

186 reviews

amermanda's review

4.5

Dark yet powerful read that is both innovative yet relatable. Check trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

persnickery's review

challenging dark emotional

• 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, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Child abuse

tartanshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Death

arj's review

challenging dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Rape

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Self harm, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity, Homophobia, and Car accident

jmcampbell57's review

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Rape, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders

lisettemarie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

zumpers's review

dark emotional sad slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Eating disorder, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

nicjmorrow's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A very challenging book with hard subjects matter. I don't know that I'm the right person to have read this book and gotten the most out of it. The reading however was gorgeous. The spiritual subject matter is beautiful. And the realistic view of trauma is painful but true. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Self harm, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual content, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Blood

allygogo's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Suicide, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

alexdebello's review

dark mysterious 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

I’m at a loss for words after reading this book - trying to pin it down feels like an injustice. 

Emezi is a visionary, and is bringing to life unforeseen possibilities that run wild outside of boxes and pre-established norms for writers of color and writers at large. 

I cannot recommend this book enough, and personally plan on reading more of Emezi’s work as soon as possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, Outing, and Child abuse

Minor: Dysphoria