Freshwater (early export PB)

I don't think I could write a subtle review of this brilliant novel, ever. I knew that this book is going to be a soul stirring one when I read the very first chapter. It was difficult, dark and poetic.It's so beautifully written, story of a young Nigerian woman Ada who has a fractured self or "one foot on the other side". Her body and mind were mistakenly occupied by Ogbanje spirits thus she experience the world in a whole different way or she doesn't experience at all. Blending reality with folklore, this dark tale explores many interesting, important themes of trauma, gender identity and sexuality.Ada's body is a theatre where the most tragic and surprising plays are being performed. She doesn't have a role, she's not a character, a mere medium. The spirits hold her, perform for her, like her to satisfy themselves, neither the audience nor Ada. Lifeless, worthless without the performers, Ada struggles to get back into a normal life but they won't let her.The saint. The devil. The God. The Human.The writing is magnificient and the story too, but the fragmented style of the novel made it difficult for me to form a real emotional connection to the characters. Ada is soul less without the spirits, she know nothing, she is nothing. It's absolutely a brilliant book of its kind. It'd be a bit difficult to read and understand because of the fractured timeline, multiple layers and not-so-progressive character development, but the content is unique and outstanding, so definitely recommending this one!!

The best word to describe my reaction is interesting. I have never read a book narrated by the gods or spirits which inhabit the lead character before. There are many of them and they take turns to narrate either as 'we' or as various individual members of the collective who come to the fore. Occasionally, there is a short section from the perspective of the host - the Ada - but these are few and far between. The African culture is another interesting layer because I have read few books set here - so I was rather disappointed when the Ada goes to college in America and it becomes more about culture clash.The major problem is that gods don't care about the impact of their behaviour on humans. So I found that I did not care much about what happened to the lead character either. So it became more an intellectual - oh that's clever - rather than an emotional read (despite a lot of dramatic and emotional content). Emezi has a habit of throwing forward to the future and this cuts down the tension too.In the second half, the events get even more bizarre and surprise lands on surprise - often when another spirit takes over (or they battle each other) and there are enough twists to keep a soap opera in plot-lines for a couple of years.In the final section, all the strands begin to come together and the Ada finally comes to the fore. The writing in this section is beautiful. Unfortunately, there are characters who float through her life, a priest, a historian and a lover who copes with a major panic attack and I would have liked to really know them better and understand their impact more.For me, ultimately it was an attempt to understand mental health problems from a uniquely African perspective, using the myths and archetypes of the Igbo people - rather than trying to get the Ada to fit into the Western model. So I am back to that word again 'interesting' - especially as it becomes clear from the thank you notes that this is a semi-autobiographical novel.I promise you that you've never read a book quite like this one before.

This is probably the most original book I've read this year. The prose is alive, frantic and urgent - I was compelled to read the whole book in one sitting. A more perfect expression of a quest to restore and heal a broken psyche I have never read. So refreshing to see such sensitive subject matter dealt with so consistently and respectfully. I don't know if it's based on the author's own experiences or pure invention but if it's the latter then it must have been incredibly detailed research. I loved it. Very impressive.

Goodness, what a complex subject, but so well crafted and an easy read. This book answered some of the spiritual and cultural questions I had on reading Yea Gyasi's Homegoing. It is also interesting to note the contacts the author had with key Nigerian authors. Spirits born with a baby conflicting in this world and in her mind. It is like a battle of good over evil. Or is it? Do these spirits help the protaganist to survive a difficult life. The path is not always straight. This is a lovely refreshing unique novel and I cannot wait for the next novel from this author. A delight to read.

I got this off a summer new book list -- and thought it would be some folklore fantasy a la Neil Gaiman. It is nothing of the sort. So instead, if you are looking for some very original storytelling style, but quite obviously full of self-biographical references and self-discovery stuff, then go for it, but most of the book gives the feeling that the writer only wrote up the life of a cooler version of herself. Not much folklore, a lot more tough-love version of Sex and the city --a long list of whom she dated while having split-personality issues.

A really interesting read. There are a few things I usually do not get on with: very literary descriptions, allegory, loose plot, religion/spirituality. This has all of these things. Despite this, I am really glad to have read it. The audio book is very well read and helped me keep momentum through dense/highly poetic sections.The use of religion/spirituality in this novel is central to the description and experience of self, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a commentary about religion per se, so if religion is not your thing (the case for me) don’t let this put you off. The struggle handling internal conflict with respect to the disparity between perceived and experienced masculinity and femininity is palpable; The use of Gods and spirit characters makes this all the more so.An excellent book I recommend persevering with.