Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

24 reviews

tamerebel's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Transphobia

eleennaeisloved's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

skudiklier's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

This book was stunning and heartbreaking and beautiful and painful and surprising. I read it for a book club that isn't meeting for several weeks (I always read book club books too early accidentally haha), but this time I'm glad because I want to think about it a lot before I'll know what to say. I'd definitely recommend it though, it's very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Vomit, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Infidelity, Infertility, Incest, Homophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Deadnaming, and Bullying

Moderate: Abortion, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Eating disorder, Cursing, and Rape

Minor: Ableism

nibs's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have so many thoughts and feelings around this book. Centred around the tragedy of Vivek's death, it follows his life and those of people close to him. I found it to be really thoughtfully constructed.

One of the first things I really appreciate about the book is the title. By broadcasting Vivek's death though its title, it is preventing his death from being a dramatic surprise plot twist, and it prevents us from getting this false hope that Vivek might have a happy ending, and then being crushed when it isn't a happy ending.  With so many queer stories in media containing tragedy (although true to life, it is often oversaturated in the media), it was helpful to have this as a warning of sorts coming in. 

While reading the book, I gained an appreciation of how it was layered. In terms of time, the book jumps back and forward through varying times in Vivek's life, from before he was born, to after his death, through the perspectives of many characters. But in terms of the story, as the book progresses we slowly uncover information and learn more about Vivek, like secrets unfurling. It's written in such a subtle way that we don't even realise how much we don't know until we begin to find it out. 

Would strongly recommend it, but be aware of the content warnings, it is a heavy book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Incest

Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts