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carriepond's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
From the first page and the title of The Death of Vivek Oji, we know the what—the story’s central character, Vivek Oji, has died. What this fairly short novel spends its time considering is the gut-wrenching why, which is answered for the reader through chapters that shift between characters and events before and after Vivek’s death.
Learning what happened to Vivek was as sad as I imagined it would be, but seeing the emotional fallout as characters reckon with the ways they failed to see and love Vivek in life was more devastating. Is protecting someone the same as loving them?
I loved this book.
Learning what happened to Vivek was as sad as I imagined it would be, but seeing the emotional fallout as characters reckon with the ways they failed to see and love Vivek in life was more devastating. Is protecting someone the same as loving them?
I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
lorbach's review against another edition
3.0
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
3.5/5 ⭐
This book, honestly, was a hard read for me. Not due to the writing but because of the subject matter. As a mother of a son who is off doing his own thing, I imagined many times how the mother of Vivek felt. And then I cried.
This is a heartbreaking but somehow beautiful story. A good read to be sure.
3.5/5 ⭐
This book, honestly, was a hard read for me. Not due to the writing but because of the subject matter. As a mother of a son who is off doing his own thing, I imagined many times how the mother of Vivek felt. And then I cried.
This is a heartbreaking but somehow beautiful story. A good read to be sure.
knotemnels's review against another edition
5.0
Devastating & beautiful. Finished in a day because I couldn’t put it down.
tigerrblossom's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? No
4.0
kvelpr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-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
4.0
carsonelainee's review against another edition
3.0
I've been on a slow journey to read all of Akwaeke Emezi's backlist and The Death of Vivek Oji seems to be their most beloved book. I can 100% see why. Emezi's writing style is unrivaled in its beauty and uniqueness.
The Death of Vivek Oji is a story that I haven't seen done before. It felt wholly unique and original. The longer I sit with the story, the more I like it and the more I feel like it made an impact on me. Because of this statement, you may be saying to yourself, "Carson, why the three-star rating then?" Well, dear reader, I rate my books solely based on vibes and the feelings I get from them. Super subjective, I know. But in the end, this didn't feel like a 4 or 5-star read for me. I don't know why, but I can tell you that this is a good book with an important message that I think everyone should read.
The Death of Vivek Oji is a story that I haven't seen done before. It felt wholly unique and original. The longer I sit with the story, the more I like it and the more I feel like it made an impact on me. Because of this statement, you may be saying to yourself, "Carson, why the three-star rating then?" Well, dear reader, I rate my books solely based on vibes and the feelings I get from them. Super subjective, I know. But in the end, this didn't feel like a 4 or 5-star read for me. I don't know why, but I can tell you that this is a good book with an important message that I think everyone should read.
siljacharlotte's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
naya04's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
teresa_a's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25