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notesbynnenna 's review for:
The Death of Vivek Oji
by Akwaeke Emezi
I devoured this book in one day. I’d heard such good things about Emezi’s writing and now I know for myself they are a wonderful storyteller.
I loved that this book was set in Nigeria. I’ve only been to Nigeria a few times, so I enjoy learning more about the country and the culture through books. I appreciated the way that Emezi incorporated some Igbo phrases without explaining them, and Pidgin English. I knew what most of the phrases meant and it made the dialogue feel very realistic.
The story unfurls slowly. We start with the knowledge that Vivek Oji is dead, and then layer after layer is peeled off until we are left with the truth. Some chapters are written from Vivek’s perspective, some from his cousin, Osita’s perspective, and the rest from a third-person narrator. I thought the pacing was really well done, especially given that it’s a short book.
Emezi writes about the cyclical nature of life and about discovering your true self. I’m being vague about the plot/themes because I really feel like you should go into this book blind and just let the story take you.
The opening chapters in particular felt very cinematic to me- I could see this being a quiet and beautifully shot film. It’s just a beautiful and heartbreaking story and now I am even more excited to read the rest of Emezi’s work.
I loved that this book was set in Nigeria. I’ve only been to Nigeria a few times, so I enjoy learning more about the country and the culture through books. I appreciated the way that Emezi incorporated some Igbo phrases without explaining them, and Pidgin English. I knew what most of the phrases meant and it made the dialogue feel very realistic.
The story unfurls slowly. We start with the knowledge that Vivek Oji is dead, and then layer after layer is peeled off until we are left with the truth. Some chapters are written from Vivek’s perspective, some from his cousin, Osita’s perspective, and the rest from a third-person narrator. I thought the pacing was really well done, especially given that it’s a short book.
Emezi writes about the cyclical nature of life and about discovering your true self. I’m being vague about the plot/themes because I really feel like you should go into this book blind and just let the story take you.
The opening chapters in particular felt very cinematic to me- I could see this being a quiet and beautifully shot film. It’s just a beautiful and heartbreaking story and now I am even more excited to read the rest of Emezi’s work.