Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

19 reviews

filosophicfoton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Grief, Transphobia, Abandonment, Death, Incest, and Outing

Moderate: Homophobia, Blood, Hate crime, Violence, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

lazlio's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

This was a beautifully written book. Very sad and heavy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death, Lesbophobia, Outing, Homophobia, and Transphobia

workingdaley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This book made me feel, deeply. It really makes me think of all of the moments of joy that we try to find, even when we are surrounded by tragedy. I am deeply fascinated by the characters and their motivations. Their moments of discovery, their moments of betrayal, their moments of joy, their moments of grief. Each of these characters carry a significant weight on their shoulder, and you can feel it in the way that they move through the world. But you can also feel how deeply they care for one another, and the lengths that they would go to protect one another. This is a deeply emotional story, but I feel like it's so relevant to the times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Transphobia, Death, Blood, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Sexual harassment and Drug use

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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? Yes

3.25

im v happy that i enjoy the death of vivek oji much more than emezi's previous work. this novel brims with emotion while the writing also deeply touches me at times, and a sense of doom and sadness permeates the whole book even thru - or perhaps esp during - the brief happy moments bc of the inevitable, unfortunate conclusion so obvs touted in the title.

there are def things in the story that i (bombastically) side-eye, however, bc they dont have to do all that to make a point. while the structure adds more mystery to already-known conclusion, it can also be confusing w/ the various timelines and povs. the pacing's quite uneven in the novel's first half as well, being too detailed at points and focusing too much on confusion around vivek's behavior, when more time couldve been given to the friend group's time tgt in juju's house or another safe space, just to make us feel even more for vivek's loss whose happy times are rarely shown in detail.

in sum, tho, this is a story filled w/ emotions and one that shows the struggles of queer ppl that still persist despite popular belief to the contrary and progress elsewhere. it's some sad stuff but it's def the reality for many.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Infidelity, Death, Grief, and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Blood, and Sexual content

Minor: Infertility

litliz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Vomit, Homophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Deadnaming, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Islamophobia, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Biphobia, Blood, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Xenophobia and Fire/Fire injury

kasarin's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Transphobia, Death, Homophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual harassment, Lesbophobia, Infertility, Hate crime, Miscarriage, and Animal death

morganperks's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Outing, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Medical content, Self harm, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Alcoholism, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, War, Death of parent, Transphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Child abuse, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Sexism

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Blood and Drug use

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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

4.0

The Death of Vivek Oji is a heartbreaking book. It was also the perfect book to read through Transgender Awareness Week and Remembrance Day. It's far too easy to dismiss the transphobia that runs rampant in the world. Vivek/Nnemdi's story - mirroring parts of Akwaeke Emezi's experience - tells of the painful stages of discovery of one's identity in a world that would deny her the truth of her identity and would kill her for it.

There's a single sticking point though. Most this book is wonderful, but there's some strong, graphic, repeated, unopposed incest. If not for that, I'd give the book five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Incest, Alcohol, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Transphobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Minor: Animal death, Hate crime, and Murder

samdalefox's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I think it's much better to go into this book without knowing too much. The story unfolds relatively evenly and the developments and realisations are more powerful if you don't know them beforehand. The absolute minimum information you need to know is that this is a book about frienship, family, and Queerness in southeastern Nigeria. It is heartbreaking in a sad and a happy way. I definitely recommend reading it. I particuarly enjoyed listening as an audiobook due to the excellent performances and accents. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Describes absence seizures or dissociative fugue states and the difficulties accompanying them.