Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Death of Vivek Oji

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

31 reviews

morganperks's review against another edition

Go to review page

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?)

Content Warnings

drlove2018's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

One of those books that makes you extra sad when you turn the last page because it is just so good. I wanted to spend more time with these people, especially the title character.

Content Warnings

savvylit's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Vivek's gender fluidity is the point around which this novel's narrative pivots. Growing up in small-town Nigeria, Vivek dissociates from their assigned gender from a young age. Vivek's depression and gender expression is constantly misinterpreted by family members as a mysterious illness. As the novel progresses, Emezi explores the heartbreaking ways that misunderstandings can damage relationships and life itself.

Nobody else writes the way Akwaeke Emezi does. In each of their books, their empathetic portrayal of the joys and pain of life feels like an unveiling of universal truths. The Death of Vivek Oji is no exception to this pattern in their work. Vivek, Osita, and their loved ones are all fully-fleshed, fully-flawed characters. True to life, their suffering often comes from ignorance and repressed feelings.

I would have rated this five stars if not for the incest. I just could not understand why the primary relationship in this story had to be incestual. Not only are Vivek and Osita cousins but - as they often note themselves - they were raised as brothers. Couldn't we have been given a powerful romance without it happening with a blood relative? Maybe I'm being a prude but the inclusion of incest often took me out of an otherwise incredibly engaging story.

Content Warnings

paigeisinabook's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? It's complicated

4.0

My first Emezi and it did not disappoint!

I wanted Freshwater to be my first read from this author, but this audiobook became available and I jumped at the chance to read it.

It is difficult to put into words what this book is about as it is almost something you have to figure out and decide on your own.

The Death of Vivek Oji is about Vivek, yes, but it is also about the family and friends that surround Vivek. This is to fully understand the life they lose as well as the death that they experience. Reminding me in ways of Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez but also at the same time being its own thing. This is going to be a book that is taught in a few years for sure.

I'm going to be honest here: I didn't understand Vivek. But, it wasn't for me to understand. Vivek was Vivek. Though I will say, it seemed like the story was going one way and then was rushed into another at the end. I didn't love that. Then again, maybe that was where it was always going and I just missed it. Maybe more can be gained for a re-read (that will definitely happen after I read more of Emezi's works. Which is going to happen ASAP).

Give this book a try. Seriously.

Content Warnings

whatannikareads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

EMEZI HIVE WE’RE HERE!! oh man oh man is this another banger. I don’t think anything can beat Freshwater for me and the experience reading that, but this book gave me the same verve to finish the book quickly and stay up past my bedtime bc I couldn’t put it down. What a culturally rich story that’s ripe full of lgbtq themes and both internal and external conflict. I think even though Vivek is the star, I can’t help but admire how Kavita is one of the most thoroughly written and thought out characters I’ve ever read. I can’t help but sympathize with her and be angry with her but understand and admire her love for her son.

But the things I didn’t really enjoy I couldn’t ignore, like the *big* intentional main controversial relationship; I have seen the reasoning for its inclusion but doesn’t mean it sat well with me ever. And also it felt like there were a lot of characters at times that could’ve been reduced; they weren’t as developed as they could have and sometimes I had trouble keeping up with who was who. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me and how it unfolds, but I’d be lying if Emezi’s writing didn’t have me in a chokehold.

Content Warnings

karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

"Maybe we were all pretending to be fine because the world gave us no other option."

This powerful and heartbreaking story of an identity beginning to unfold after death was gritty and hard to read. I cried during a few moments, especially in the final chapter, which upon finishing seemed to envelop me in a deep sense of calm.

There is no doubt that Akwaeke Emezi can write a damn book. However, I felt that there were a few choices in the writing and storyline to be unnecessary. That being said, I was able to look further into the message behind the book itself and still walked away with a deep appreciation of this beautiful story.

*****Lots of trigger warnings so please proceed with care when picking this up--
transphobia, domestic violence, animal sacrifice, infidelity, death of a loved one, incest, religious trauma, emotional abuse.

Content Warnings

egg_cup's review against another edition

Go to review page

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