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

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

3.5

This book has a little bit of everything: romance, grief, and a bit of glamor. It's interesting because, as much as this book may serve as an escape for the reader, the behaviors in which Feyi, the main character, engages function as her own personal escape from the grief she still lives in. I thought this novel was a really intriguing look into how we might choose to cope with massive amounts of loss and grief; I'm of the camp that can't bring themselves to agree with Feyi's choices, but I'm not convinced that Emezi wants readers to "side" with Feyi. While it's true that Feyi herself must live with the choices she makes, they also impact others in profound ways that I'm not sure she truly appreciates.

I flew through this book, but I will say that towards the beginning there was a trope that did not quite work for me and nagged me for a large chunk of the book. And, I think there are a lot of ways in which Emezi crafts these characters with the hope or expectation that the reader will side with Feyi...

Nevertheless, I'm sure I'll be seeing this book on beaches during the summer--it's heartfelt, challenging, but also balances this out with a fair deal of lightheartedness throughout.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings