Contemporary Fiction: Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi is another Goodreads find with a premise that caught my attention. With promises of a story about a girl who develops multiple selves, "written with stylistic brilliance," I figured it was worth checking out this debut novel by a new author many people are excited about.

The Situation: Ada is born the second of three kids to Saul and Saachi in southern Nigeria. From the moment she was born, there was something not quite right about her. Even as an infant, she is hard to comfort, prone to loud and sustained outbursts, and her parents cannot figure out what to do with her. Things only get worse as Ada gets older, until a traumatic event in college changes her, allowing the completion of a transformation that had long been in process. Ada speaks freely with the multiple selves inside of her head, and the conversations are not always pleasant. But the selves are insistent on keeping Ada safe, even if it means protecting her from herself.

The Problem: To see the situation from the outside, it would not look as if the selves are protecting Ada from anyone, including herself. They have her break glasses and  mirrors, only to use the shards to cut herself; they ruthlessly and efficiently hunt down men to play with sexually, only to leave them broken in the end; and they lead her in destroying friendships if only to get some small temporary pleasure for themselves. None of this leaves Ada feeling protected or safe, and any attempts to take her life back fail. If Ada does not find a way to regain control, one self will lead her to its goal of ultimate and final freedom.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a fiction novel that is set in the present and in various locations. Ada's early life takes place in Nigeria, with her moving to America for college, and then traveling all over the world in her adult life. Many readers have placed this book under the label of literary fiction because of the unique narration, and the amount of story that takes place inside of Ada's head. In fact, most of the narration does not come from Ada, but from the "selves" inside of her, all of which claim to be gods or ogbanje, evil spirits that intentionally cause misfortune. There is We, a collection of selves; Asughara, a protective but also selfish and violent self; and St. Vincent, a gentle self that prefers that Ada reject her more feminine qualities. The We self makes it clear that there may be more selves in play here, but these are the ones the reader sees the most, and all of them claim to care for Ada, while also putting her through immense pain. They will insist they care for her, and then on the next page will assure the reader that they care nothing about what she wants and will do as they please. Only at rare points will Ada seek medical help for what is happening to her, while the selves protest and fight to hold onto their control. And possibly the saddest thing about this novel is the amount of abuse Ada endures from real humans, in addition to what goes on in her head.

My Verdict: This is certainly a fascinating look into a mind that has split itself into separate selves, seemingly in the interest of protection and self-preservation. It is when Ada goes through traumatic events that a new one seemed to show up, and they all have their own agenda, while being more or less united in their actions. There are plenty of heartbreaking moments in the novel, and they mostly come from the self that claims to be the most intent on saving her. Ada is the very definition of the idea of being your own worst enemy, as her worst and most abusive relationship comes from inside of her own head. With intense and impressive language, Emezi writes from her own experiences, and gives us a character who desperately needs to be saved from herself. My only warning would be for anyone with trauma triggers, specifically physical and sexual abuse, as there are plenty of them in the 200+ pages of this book. 

Favorite Moment: *spoiler alert* When We admits the truth that Ada is stronger than they are, and that control was easy when she did not know it.

Favorite Character: I would like to be able to pick Ada's mother, Saachi, but she is often so far removed from her daughter's life that she is rendered mostly useless in helping her. She leaves her children while Ada is still fairly young, which ends up being one of the many events that aids in her daughter's downward spiral. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton, which follows a teenage boy as he struggles with schizophrenia and a new school environment. There is also You Are Here: An Owner's Manual for Dangerous Minds by Jenny Lawson, which is more or less a coloring book for adults filled with encouragements and witty insights.