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A review by jukietoss
Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi
dark
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Akwaeke Emezi is one of my favorite authors, and they only reinforced that with Little Rot. I love the way Emezi plays with genre, bending the boundaries and carving profound stories that defy strict categorization. Taking place over one consequential weekend, we are dropped into the characters' lives as observers of long-lasting relationships whose dynamics are all on the brink of major changes. I really enjoyed seeing the characters learn one another anew as circumstances shifted and events exposed new aspects of each's personality. Emezi so thoughtfully touched on both the depth of longterm friendships and that which remains invisible to them until/unless circumstances demand.
It's a story about what's hidden from the light, about the walls we put up and who and where and when we let people behind those walls. It shows the necessity of connection but also the limits to how vulnerable any one person is willing to be. Each character thinks they understand their own motivations and boundaries, but over the course of the book those are tested. They also think they understand the people by whom they're surrounded, but there are similarly limitations there, too. Despite their interdependence, this novel looks at deep loneliness. It is wrenching, raw, gorgeously written, and entirely absorbing.
It's a story about what's hidden from the light, about the walls we put up and who and where and when we let people behind those walls. It shows the necessity of connection but also the limits to how vulnerable any one person is willing to be. Each character thinks they understand their own motivations and boundaries, but over the course of the book those are tested. They also think they understand the people by whom they're surrounded, but there are similarly limitations there, too. Despite their interdependence, this novel looks at deep loneliness. It is wrenching, raw, gorgeously written, and entirely absorbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence and Murder