1
of
1
Freshwater
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 35,898 ratings, 5,814 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2600
$2799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER
Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks
Found a better price? Request a price match
Freshwater
$2600
$2799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
The debut novel from one of the National Book Foundation's 2018 5 Under 35.
The debut novel from one of the National Book Foundation's 2018 5 Under 35
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
'Completely blew me away.' - Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under
'One of the most dazzling debuts I've ever read.' - Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go
'I'm urging everyone to read it.' - Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure
Freshwater introduces us to Ada, who has always been unusual. Her existence is the result of her parents' fervent prayers, yet something seems to have gone awry. As a child, Ada begins to develop separate selves and experiences intense fits of anger and grief.
Upon growing up and attending college in America, a traumatic event causes these selves to solidify into something even more powerful. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind, these "alters"βat times protective, at times hedonisticβassume control, guiding her life down an increasingly perilous path.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi is acclaimed for its original and haunting narrative. Critics praise Emezi's lyrical and surreal prose, describing it as a journey into the complexities of identity and selfhood. The novel challenges traditional storytelling by weaving mythology and personal experience, earning it recognition for its innovative and impactful approach.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780571345403
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 June 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Faber & Faber
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 14.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 202g
Pages: 240
Collections
About the Author
Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and video artist based in liminal spaces. They are a recipient of the National Book Foundation's '5 Under 35' award for 2018, selected by Carmen Maria Machado. Born in Umuahia and raised in Aba, Nigeria, Emezi holds two degrees, including an MPA from New York University. In 2017, Emezi was awarded a Global Arts Fund grant and a Sozopol Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction. They won the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa, and their writing has been published by Dazed Magazine, The Cut, Buzzfeed, Granta Online, Vogue.com, and Commonwealth Writers, among others. Freshwater, which was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in fiction by the American Library Association, is their debut novel.
Also by Akwaeke Emezi
View all-
Little Rot
FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'A masterwork of the form . . . mesmerizing.' New York Times 'A fun, sexy, dangerous, dark thriller about corruption.' Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 'A dazzling literary talent.' Esquire Little Rot, Akwaeke Emezi's exhilarating new novel, follows five people over the course of a weekend which will brutally upend all of their lives. As Kalu drops...Paperback$3400Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Little Rot
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY Fun, sexy, dangerous. β NANA KWAME ADJEI-BRENYAH A must-read. β GLAMOUR Addictive. β iNEWS Poetic, scorchingly graphic. β GUARDIAN Thrilling. β PEOPLE MAGAZINE Reeling with grief from their recent breakup, Kalu and Aima are drawn into separate nights of decadence in the heart of New...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
13% offSon of the Morning
The one and only Akwaeke Emezi is back with a breathtaking, sexy, and out-of-this-world page-turner that will blow away their fans. Son of the Morning weaves together Southern folklore and magic with Akwaeke Emezi's own remarkable brand of bold, Black-centred fantasy and romance. Galilee, Gali for short, has been raised by a formidable clan of women, the Kincaids, in the...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE EVENING STANDARD'S BLOCKBUSTER BOOK TRENDS OF THE YEAR SHORTLISTED FOR FOYLES FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR NOMINATED FOR THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS FOR ROMANCE A ZOELLA BOOK CLUB PICK "This book filled me with excitement and possibilities." - Jenny Colgan 'Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.' - @savidgereads 'Say hello to the book of the summer'...Paperback$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Bitter
From the critically acclaimed author of Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, Bitter, a companion novel to Pet, takes a timely and riveting look at the power of youth, protest, and art. Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting, surrounded by other creative teens. But outside...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Dear Senthuran
"Unlike anything I've read . . . Remarkable." - Roxane Gay "An audacious sojourn through the terror and beauty of refusing to explain yourself." - New York Times In letters addressed to their friends, to members of their family - both biological and chosen - and to fellow storytellers, Akwaeke describes the shape of a life lived in overlapping realities....Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Somadina
A sweeping YA fantasy inspired by indigenous Igbo culture from the Sunday Times bestselling author - dibias, deities, magic and a twin hunting down her kidnapped brother. We had done and survived unimaginable things. Our world was so much bigger than our town, the river full of crocodiles, and these forests we'd grown up in. There was an entire sea...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pet
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST β’ STONEWALL BOOK AWARD WINNER β’ ONE OF TIME MAGAZINEβS 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIMENAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by The New York Times, Time, Buzzfeed, NPR, New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY. A genre-defying novel...Paperback$4100Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
The Death of Vivek Oji
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Electrifying." β O: The Oprah Magazine Named a Best Book of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, USA TODAY, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shondaland, Teen Vogue, Vulture, Lit Hub, Bustle, Electric Literature, and BookPage What does it mean for a family to...Paperback$4900Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
The Death of Vivek Oji
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi is a breathtaking and poignant novel that illuminates a contemporary Nigerian family's life through a vivid narrative, rich with emotion and complexity. The story begins dramatically as a mother stumbles upon the lifeless body of her son, Vivek Oji, placed tenderly on her veranda, wrapped in traditional akwete cloth. This encounter propels...PaperbackSold Out -
Pet
How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? She stumbled backwards, her eyes wide, as the figure started coming out of the canvas... She tried to be brave. Well, she said, her hands only a little shaky, at least tell me what I should call you. Well, little girl, it replied, I suppose...PaperbackSold Out -
The Death of Vivek Oji
They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died. This is the tale of Vivek Oji: it begins with his end, his naked body shrouded on his mother's doorstep, and moves backwards through time to unpick the story of his life and the mystery surrounding his death. The Death of Vivek Oji is the story of a Nigerian...PaperbackSold Out
More from General Fiction
View all-
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...Set$12400Elsewhere:$15500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Score
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession... Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Score now for the perfect friends with benefits romance! He knows how to score, on and off the ice... Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Theo of Golden
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came fromβ¦His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance β...Paperback$2899Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Goal
Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Mistake
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Mistake now for the perfect second chance romance! He's a player in more ways than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants....Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseOn Mystic Lake
One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...Paperback$3100Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Legacy
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from the Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Legacy now for the much-anticipated answer to the question: Where are they now? Four stories. Four couples. Three years of real life after graduation . . . A wedding....Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseYesteryear
A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseLand
Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, theΒ new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, TomΓ‘s and his reluctant son,Β Liam, are working for the great...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseSophie, Standing There
From the award-winning, bestselling author ofΒ Sorrow and BlissΒ comes an achingly tender, poignant, funny and bittersweet story of love, loneliness and finding connection in the most unlikely of places. 'So smart, so funny, so moving - Mason has done it again, this time using behind the scenes of a literary festival to reveal the complexity of loneliness and how one woman...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
General Fiction lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listGeneral Fiction
Gothic Reads for Dark Nights
With the advent of movie adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, it looks like pop culture is seeing a revival of the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Top 10 Most Recommended Books
These are my Top 10 books that I always recommend to my friends and whΔnau when they ask for recommendations for getting...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Star Shipped]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Readersβ Top 100 Novels of All Time - from The Guardian
There was some controversy when The Guardian released their critics and authors list of the top 100 novels of all time, but...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...View the list
