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A review by discarded_dust_jacket
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? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I absolutely love Emezi’s writing style. Their descriptions of the home and its picturesque island setting (the food!!) is so refreshingly indulgent without weighing down the narrative. This book was easy to devour really quickly; there were no lulls that dragged the pacing or unnecessary exposition that disrupted the flow. I also really appreciated the way that it addresses grief, especially in terms of how Feyi explores reconciling it with her renewed sexuality and capacity for love.
My only complaint is the lack of a truly believable progression in the relationship between Feyi and Alim. It’s understandable that the bulk of their encounters while she’s staying in his home are framed within their individual struggles to repress their attraction to one another. I get that that was done intentionally, and that tension belongs there. But it didn’t feel like an entirely believable jump from the few sexually-charged moments and brief, heartfelt conversations they share to the sudden declaration of I’m-willing-to-blow-up-my-life-for-you-level devotion. I think there was enough room in the story for more substance in between to draw out that tension and intensify it incrementally in a way that would’ve felt more natural. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me; I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.
[And for the record, I have zero problems with the “dad” thing. I’m actually surprised people are literally aghast—reviewing this book harshly solely because of the fact that Feyi is being messy for choosing Alim when… 1) the whoops-I’m-attracted-to-your-father aspect is explicitly addressed on the inside cover summary; why are we shocked? and 2) that’s kind of the point! Feyi herself struggles with her guilt over the messiness of the whole situation. That’s the focal nature of the entire conflict of the story.]
My only complaint is the lack of a truly believable progression in the relationship between Feyi and Alim. It’s understandable that the bulk of their encounters while she’s staying in his home are framed within their individual struggles to repress their attraction to one another. I get that that was done intentionally, and that tension belongs there. But it didn’t feel like an entirely believable jump from the few sexually-charged moments and brief, heartfelt conversations they share to the sudden declaration of I’m-willing-to-blow-up-my-life-for-you-level devotion. I think there was enough room in the story for more substance in between to draw out that tension and intensify it incrementally in a way that would’ve felt more natural. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me; I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.
[And for the record, I have zero problems with the “dad” thing. I’m actually surprised people are literally aghast—reviewing this book harshly solely because of the fact that Feyi is being messy for choosing Alim when… 1) the whoops-I’m-attracted-to-your-father aspect is explicitly addressed on the inside cover summary; why are we shocked? and 2) that’s kind of the point! Feyi herself struggles with her guilt over the messiness of the whole situation. That’s the focal nature of the entire conflict of the story.]
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Child death and Terminal illness