This book was a journey. I was not prepared for how intense and powerful it was going to be. I listened to the audio of this narrated by the author. It was haunting.
There is so much to this incredible book and I am not sure how well I can express my thoughts around it but here we go.
This story was so intriguing and I have spent a lot of time trying to frame my thoughts and response to it. Something that helped me to better understand the concept of ogbanje was reading Akwaeke Emezi’s article in The Cut (Link is at the bottom of the page). The way they expressed themselves and explained their journey made Ada’s story so much clearer. So many people recommended this book to me as great representation of living with mental illness. That is not what this book is about. Ada is not mentally ill. They are living a life that is predetermined. Their path has been laid out by the spirits that they are sharing their body with.
As the story progresses, Ada learns to coexist with the entities that call their body home rather than trying to supress them and it is in this acceptance that we really begin to see Ada grow and begin to become who they truly are.
This stunning novel challenges binaries at every opportunity; nationality, race, religion, gender, sexuality. Ada sees the world in relation to the spectrums they exist within and their story is a fantastic commentary on societies need for things to be one way or another rather than more fluid and adaptable.
This story is going to stay with me for a long time. I want to do more research and then read it again as I am sure there is so much more to unearth.
Read this book. Just, read it.
CW: self harm, rape, suicidal thoughts, transphobia, child abuse, eating disorders.
https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/writer-and-artist-akwaeke-emezi-gender-transition-and-ogbanje.html
Only If I Can Bring A Book 