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General Book Club - we read a wide-variety of genres because books are selected by member proposals and voting that takes place about twice a year, which makes our books as varied as our members are.

Freshwater

Description
A National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" Honoree
Finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for a Debut Novel
Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
A New York Times Notable Book

The astonishing debut novel from the acclaimed bestselling author of The Death of Vivek Oji, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, and Pet, Freshwater tells the story of Ada, an unusual child who is a source of deep concern to her southern Nigerian family. Young Ada is troubled, prone to violent fits. Born "with one foot on the other side," she begins to develop separate selves within her as she grows into adulthood. And when she travels to America for college, a traumatic event on campus crystallizes the selves into something powerful and potentially dangerous, making Ada fade into the background of her own mind as these alters--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control. Written with stylistic brilliance and based in the author's realities, Freshwater dazzles with ferocious energy and serpentine grace.



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240 pages

Average rating: 7.1

70 RATINGS

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7 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Denyliz
May 04, 2024
3/10 stars
It was hard to keep up with the storyline for most of the book. I was expecting a lot more as it touches upon complex topics like mental health, trauma and violence. Overall, poor and confusing writing.
Anonymous
Nov 28, 2023
10/10 stars
This was a powerful and intriguing exploration of ancestry, mental stability, trauma, inner turmoil and more. I loved the way each chapter was written from a part of the main character's fractured self.
Maddieholmes
Aug 28, 2023
6/10 stars
Content warning for violence, sexual violence, abuse, drug/alcohol abuse, attempted suicide, self-harm, and related topics. I really liked the premise of this book, but reading it was not a particularly enjoyable experience for me. There were some really beautiful moments that I liked, but overall I felt like it was disjointed and I was confused the whole time. Even if that was the point, I don't like to be confused. I didn't like the chorus styl...read more
Anonymous
Apr 24, 2023
6/10 stars
Freshwater is quite unlike any other book I've read. I found myself underlining many gorgeous lines and phrases that made my soul sing. While the writing drew me in, I didn't find myself as invested in the main character(s) as I wanted to be, especially considering it's a fictional autobiography. I will be checking out some more of the author's works.
Skooby
Feb 28, 2023
8/10 stars
First book of its kind. Never heard the word Obanje before reading but knew of them from my own cultural experiences. To relate to this novel spiritually was a very refreshing.

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