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

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book had a lot of promise and started with a 'bang' with a very intense first chapter. I got the book through the Rare Birds Bookshop advent calendar so had expected good things, but I have to say I found the main character Feyi's choices hard to believe or relate to. There has been a lot of talk in other reviews about how it feels unbelievable and in slightly poor taste that her somewhat poor decisions in the book are down to the trauma she has experienced and that this is a little reductive and I would hasten to agree. Also, after a lot of build-up throughout the book, the pivotal sex scene was really disappointing from a feminist perspective! I think the book could have been much better with more character development and a more heart-warming story. 
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