allmight 's review for:

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

4.5

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Moving book about the aftermath of the death of Vivek Oji, a genderfluid(?) Nigerian person, and the reactions of his/her family and friends to that event. Mostly this book is about grief, which it depicts beautifully - but it's also about gender and queerness, and the shame and guilt that comes with being queer when you have grown up and live in a conservative country where being different is dangerous. On the other hand, it's also about how living as your authentic self is beautiful. The prose was stunning and evocative. Akwaeke Emezi truly knows how to write.

Everyone cheating on their significant others was annoying though, and I'm not sure what purpose the cousin incest served. I feel like the book would not have changed much if they had just been childhood friends.