rickjones's Reviews (1.66k)

While I felt this book was frustrating to get into because of the switching perspectives and tightly held secrets, the ending has to be the most gratifying of any mystery book I've read, and was one I could not have predicted. I do think that the characters were well written, they had distinct personalities and motivations for the choices they made and why they grew to feel ashamed or enraged by them. Yet I often have little patience for stories that unravel slowly, so I found myself not appreciating the book until I got to the ending. Ultimately, I would recommend The Guest List to others looking for a moody, twisty mystery story and I look forward to reading Foley's other titles. 

I read this book while fairly exhausted from reading, so I feel it's a great pick for when you're looking for something engaging and not strenuous. While some of the plot points were predictable, I did love the lush descriptions of the kaiju and the world they inhabit. Trying to imagine what Scalzi had was the most enjoyable part of the experience. Aside from that, I did like the relatability and humor and felt the characters, while not entirely memorable, were affable enough for me to feel invested in. I would definitely recommend this book to others searching for a short, energetic read.

Freshwater is a dizzying, original tale of a young woman who comes of age with gods trapped within her mind and her flesh. Emezi's writing is cutting and clear, conveying the messages of Ada's divine residents with precise expression and violent, glittering imagery. While the chronology of the book was disorienting at times, I never felt lost. The way events were revealed made sense in context, and furthered our understanding of the characters' thought processes. I am not familiar with Igbo onotology, or metaphysical theories in general, yet my lack of knowledge did not make the story hard to follow, thanks to Emezi's direct style and explicit metaphors. However, I would not recommend this book to people triggered by or vulnerable to depictions of sexual violence and self harm. A key plot development in the book is the arrival of a vengeful and hedonistic god summoned to protect Ada from the realization she has been raped. Even before this, Ada was self harming to provide her gods with the blood they craved, yet this event accelerates the self destructive behavior her gods encourage. Though deeply unsettling, I did enjoy reading this novel. I've never encountered another story like it, and look forward to reading the unique and divergent works Emezi felt inspired by.