Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

25 reviews

oliviantoinette's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Death

Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, and Infidelity

Minor: Bullying

lupitabaeyongo's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Homophobia

egg_cup's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

this book chewed me up and spat me out like a pomegranate seed I cried so hard during the last quarter of this book my eyes were sore and I had to lie silently and stare at the ceiling after I was finished for a while no thoughts head empty reduced to just an absolute shell of a human. 

Vivek I love you; Akwaeke Emezi it is ON SIGHT.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, Incest, Grief, Violence, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Death

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Murder, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Ableism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime

isleoflinds's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death, and Incest

emliza's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Outing, Religious bigotry, Violence, Infidelity, Infertility, and Animal death

merin_aran's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

Stunning. Subperb. Sublime. This books is everything! Emezi is an incredibly gifted author and crafts a beautiful story full of depth and complexity. Despite knowing beforehand that Vivek dies (it's in the title) the reader is still left guessing and not knowing exactly what happens at the end. As a queer trans person myself this story hit me hard, it's so heartbreaking and I was left sobbing at the end. The representation of complex queer black characters is so important and Emezi executed it to perfection. One of my all-time favourite books. I will never stop recommending it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Outing, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, and Domestic abuse

badmom's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Death, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Biphobia, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Outing, Sexual assault, Violence, and Alcohol

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

reflective sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

gm_vak's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence

albernikolauras's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

4.5

The words rolled off of the page in this book. It starts off with Vivek's dead body on their mother's steps, and builds outwards. Bouncing around through time and from different people's memories of Vivek. Emotion dripped off the page as you slowly pick up momentum to discover how Vivek died.

This book was uncomfortable to sit with at times, beautiful, full of pain, full of joy. It was about being yourself and how that can put you at risk. It is a book to sit with or read/listen to when you can focus on it because Vivek deserves that level of consideration.

I am not sure what separates this book from being 5 stars. I just didn't end up quite feeling as connected to it as expected. I think I wanted more Vivek (which might be because everyone wanted more of them). Perhaps it was the discomfort of sitting in the grief of this book. Either way, I would strongly recommend this for anyone.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

Minor: Miscarriage