A review by margztgz
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

the death of vivek oji is vivid, devastating, lustful and full of both desire and grief. this novel is a beautiful character study that deepened continually with each plot point revealed. the language is absolutely stunning in this, spellbinding. really great book that examines gender, the dimensions and acceptance of love and the multiplicity of grief's effects, i definitely was tearing up near the end. 

quick tw/note about plot: one thing that's quite polarizing in this book for me is its presence of incest between two cousins. i found it disturbing at times but also interesting to see how the book treated that relationship, but i think it's over-normalized. feel free to skip this book if that would bother you.
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