Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

8 reviews

angiepoggi's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

The Death of Vivek Oji not only depicts mourning in a beautyful manner, but also brings us, the readers, into that mourning as well.

Vivek's death is not only about the act of not ever being able to breath anymore, it's about the death of who his family thought he was, and, as well as his birth that was accompanied by grief, about her rebirth.

It's such a carefully woven story that never let's go of the nuances of every decision and thought of It's characters, who, if you told me were real, I would've believed without sparing a doubt. 

Even thought there were some relationships that I have conflicted feelings about and believe could've been brought here in a different way, I'll still cary this story for life and think about it.



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litliz's review against another edition

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emotional sad 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

4.25


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ameliez's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad 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? No

5.0


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morganperks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

5.0

did not appreciate the emotions this book made me feel. I was crying by the end (when am I not tho?)

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emliza's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0


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gemmagetson's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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maisierosereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with Awkaeke Emezi's writing as soon as I read Freshwater last year, so The Death of Vivek Oji was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020. From the first, one-sentence chapter I was hooked  on the plot, and ended up reading the whole book in less than 48 hours.

The way this book is structured - with the mystery of how Vivek died, the events leading up to his death, and the way his death affects his loved ones - makes the story captivating even though you know from before you open this book that the titular character will die. The chapters are told from different points of view and from different points in time, with all of these perspectives coming together cohesively to form the whole story. 

Emezi's writing style is as gorgeous as always, and their characters are beautiful in their imperfect complexity. The relationships between them are also beautiful, complex, and challenging. In their interview with Rivers Solomon for Greenlight Bookstore, Emezi talked about how they wanted to present these relationships as they were without telling the reader how to feel about them and leave the reactions up to the readers - I could definitely see and feel this when reading The Death of Vivek Oji, particularly in regards to the central relationship (which is consensual but incestuous). 

As with their previous books, Emezi's writing is informed and influenced by personal experiences of growing up in Nigeria and their own intersecting identities. The influences from life - Igbo spirituality, the Nigerwives, the politial upheaval, the conflict between the different religious and ethnic groups - give this story a richness and realness that add to the compelling and emotive nature of the plot.

Overall, I enjoyed The Death of Vivek Oji just as much as I was expecting to and highly recommend it.

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