A review by eabh
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book felt a bit like reading Seven Days in June again. There is such depth and intensity to this story and the characters. As someone who has walked with grief for a long time, I found myself these pages at times. And sometimes it was uncomfortable, and I think that’s part of the point of the story. It’s hard to look away from these chaotic characters and their choices. 

This literary fiction novel is messy and raw and explosive with new and forbidden love. Which made it beautiful and also at times rather un-relatable. You are both repelled and repulsed by some of the characters choices, both enamored and dismayed. 
You made a fool out of death with your beauty is an interesting exploration of ethics and how grief molds and changes each of us in vastly different ways. This novel is quite atmospheric, and you may find yourself with a new appreciation for the art of food and creation (I know I did). 
It is written incredibly well, and it very quite quotable. 

For a shorter book, I found it simultaneously lagging in some parts and feeling very rushed and others. However, it does seem intentional on the authors behalf. But it made it challenging for me to stay invested in the plot. Overall, I am grateful I read this book for its bravery in characterization and beautiful depiction of the environment, but felt pulled out of the world at times due to how the story was written. 
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