Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

119 reviews

jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Akwaeke Emezi packs a heartbreaking punch with Feyi's tale of grief and its everlasting effect on our lives. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is my favorite of the two Emezi works I've read. The forbidden romance plot mixed with Feyi's character really sucked me in. The writing is so easy to want to keep reading. It definitely had the typical messy charm I've come to associate with their storytelling as well as a lush setting description. 

I think the best part of Feyi and Alim's romance is that they've both experience the unique grief of losing a partner that you'd thought you'd grow old with. It makes their romance that much more believable because they understand each other's loss. I generally didn't like the third act drama from Alim's grown-ass kids, but I understood why it happened. I would've liked to see just a little bit more at the end, but it was still very good. 

Read this if you like forbidden/friends dad romance, being insanely attracted to someone you shouldn't, delicious and delectable foods, and art that packs a punch.
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smartcookiesca's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ella8ella's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I’m conflicted; some of the prose is beautifully written, but I found the
relationship with Alim
both unrealistic and really annoying, with a nihilistic edge. I do think the grief aspect was well-handled. 
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acorn192k's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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peggy_racham's review against another edition

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5.0

Truely no words are there to describe this book. Hooked from first page to the end. 
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jupitercaii's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I tried reading this book a while ago but had to DNF because it was kind of triggering. However, I think that's mostly because the book was so real (for lack of better words). The messiness of grief as a concept and, especially, how it impacts relationships was very well done. It felt very honest and raw.

The portrayal of the characters dealing with grief was messy but in a good way. It made the characters feel realistic, easy to love, and connect to. Each character was well developed with their own personalities, development, and conflicts. None of the progress felt rushed and managed to make everything feel realistic.

The book balanced the romance and healing process very well. I don't think one ever overpowered the other, but rather that they built off of each other.

One the downside, there were certain parts that I felt dragged. I listened to the audiobook and found myself having to rewind a few times because it wasn't always super engaging. That being said, these parts were very rare (maybe 2 or 3 sections?).

Overall, a book I would still recommend with the caveat of reading trigger warnings.
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ashaelise's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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paidays's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Beautiful and lush, brave, and hopeful even in the face of immense grief
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readingwithgoose's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Absolutely floored by this book, by its unflinching perspective on love and grief and how we can keep living through any kind of mess. 
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kyleethecatlady's review

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emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was pretty good! Moved slow at some points where I skipped some pages, but I was invested in the story, so I read to the end. Very interesting and unique story. 
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