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

emotional sad slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

4/4.5 - What a powerful book. What a sad book. I’ve wanted to read Emezi’s work for some time now and can definitely see why they have garnered so much deserved praise.
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The themes explored in this one are deep and relevant to all: loss of a child and loved one; discovering your own identity; harm caused by cultural and religious beliefs to LGBTQIA+ people; handling (or mishandling) the coming-of-gender journey of someone close to you. Plus I loved the narrative structure, loosely switching POVs while never getting confusing. Cried towards the end.
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