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

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I tried reading this book a while ago but had to DNF because it was kind of triggering. However, I think that's mostly because the book was so real (for lack of better words). The messiness of grief as a concept and, especially, how it impacts relationships was very well done. It felt very honest and raw.

The portrayal of the characters dealing with grief was messy but in a good way. It made the characters feel realistic, easy to love, and connect to. Each character was well developed with their own personalities, development, and conflicts. None of the progress felt rushed and managed to make everything feel realistic.

The book balanced the romance and healing process very well. I don't think one ever overpowered the other, but rather that they built off of each other.

One the downside, there were certain parts that I felt dragged. I listened to the audiobook and found myself having to rewind a few times because it wasn't always super engaging. That being said, these parts were very rare (maybe 2 or 3 sections?).

Overall, a book I would still recommend with the caveat of reading trigger warnings.
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