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suspencebooks's review against another edition
4.0
They are one hell of a writer, I immediately want to reread after finishing even though it crushed my heart
noetherboltzmann's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
4.5
A very emotional book. Told almost completely from the perspectives of people surrounding the main character. It brings some empathy and awareness to the complexity of loving someone in the midst of not understanding them, and even hurting them because of it.
jossenoynaert's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
liagiba_abigail's review against another edition
5.0
from a review i read: "We know right away that Vivek dies, but Emezi writes him with such loving detail that you can’t help reading on, just in case he’ll survive after all"
lucaswilliams's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
absentjuls's review against another edition
3.0
beautifully written but started strong just to go down really fast, way too many characters and side stories that do not matter, the real "pick a struggle" and the incest part,,,, girl what was that? um chile anyway so
astronutty's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
file this under: books that made me uncomfortable, books that made me cry, books that I think people misunderstand, books that I wouldn't recommend to people because of what it might say about me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
sarahvankuiken's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Important. I have no other words.
shannenlc's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
The Death of Vivek Oji is a heart-wrenching exploration of the title character's life and identity. The book begins with Vivek's mother discovering her sons dead body on her front doorstep. From there it incorporates flashbacks with present day as it pieces together the fragments of Vivek's life from birth up until his death.
Akwaeke Emezi's writing style is stunning and I really enjoyed it. She has an ability to convey complex emotions and I loved her use of metaphors. The exploration of culture in Nigeria and diverse cast of characters (there were multiple characters of mixed heritage and LGBTQ+) was fantastic. As individuals existing in a minority groups, it was interesting to see how the characters adopted double lives to survive the conservative, unaccepting community they were living in. Vivek was the center of this, and despite not being a POV character, the narrative is primarily focused on him.
I did find aspects of the plot gratuitous and perhaps even a little exploitative. I particularly disliked the way that I also found the depiction of incest uncomfortable. This in itself isn't an issue (I've read Flowers in the Attic!), but I did have an issue with the fact that it wasn't addressed within the text and somewhat romanticised. I did do a little follow-up research because I thought perhaps this might be due to cultural and legal differences between the UK and Nigeria, but based on what I read
Considering the size of the book, there were a few too many POV characters and I think the book would've felt more polished and packed more of a punch if Emezi had chosen a select few characters to focus on. I was also disappointed that Vivek didn't have much of a voice within the book considering it was primarily his story. Nonetheless, I appreciate that this was a creative choice and that Emezi purposefully restricted Vivek's perspective so that we got to know him through the eyes of those around him. Therefore, Vivek himself remained elusive and mysterious throughout.
The reveal about the cause of Vivek's death was anti-climatic. I predicted what had happened before the end. This wouldn't have been an issue, but there was a lot of emphasis on the plot and the mystery surrounding Vivek's death. If it had been more focused on Vivek's life and identity, I wouldn't have had so much of an issue with the ending being predictable.
Overall, I really liked Emezi's writing style and exploration of complex themes around gender, sexuality, death and love. The setting was vibrant and culturally diverse, and the characters were authentic. Unfortunately, the book was slightly let down by certain aspects of the plot, the ending and the way that gender identity was used as a plot device.
The Death of Vivek Oji is a heart-wrenching exploration of the title character's life and identity. The book begins with Vivek's mother discovering her sons dead body on her front doorstep. From there it incorporates flashbacks with present day as it pieces together the fragments of Vivek's life from birth up until his death.
Akwaeke Emezi's writing style is stunning and I really enjoyed it. She has an ability to convey complex emotions and I loved her use of metaphors. The exploration of culture in Nigeria and diverse cast of characters (there were multiple characters of mixed heritage and LGBTQ+) was fantastic. As individuals existing in a minority groups, it was interesting to see how the characters adopted double lives to survive the conservative, unaccepting community they were living in. Vivek was the center of this, and despite not being a POV character, the narrative is primarily focused on him.
I did find aspects of the plot gratuitous and perhaps even a little exploitative. I particularly disliked the way that
Spoiler
Vivek's gender identity was used as a plot device, with the reveal of Nnemdi (Vivek's female identity) almost being purposefully withheld from the reader and then dramatically revealed towards the end.Spoiler
incest between first cousins is illegal and generally unacceptable socially.Considering the size of the book, there were a few too many POV characters and I think the book would've felt more polished and packed more of a punch if Emezi had chosen a select few characters to focus on. I was also disappointed that Vivek didn't have much of a voice within the book considering it was primarily his story. Nonetheless, I appreciate that this was a creative choice and that Emezi purposefully restricted Vivek's perspective so that we got to know him through the eyes of those around him. Therefore, Vivek himself remained elusive and mysterious throughout.
The reveal about the cause of Vivek's death was anti-climatic. I predicted what had happened before the end. This wouldn't have been an issue, but there was a lot of emphasis on the plot and the mystery surrounding Vivek's death. If it had been more focused on Vivek's life and identity, I wouldn't have had so much of an issue with the ending being predictable.
Overall, I really liked Emezi's writing style and exploration of complex themes around gender, sexuality, death and love. The setting was vibrant and culturally diverse, and the characters were authentic. Unfortunately, the book was slightly let down by certain aspects of the plot, the ending and the way that gender identity was used as a plot device.