Scan barcode
A review by lovelymisanthrope
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book broke my heart. This powerful and beautiful story mainly takes place following Vivek Oji's death, and how his death deeply impacted his family and friends.
No one really knew Vivek during his live, except for his closest cousin, Osita. Now in his death, his mother is grasping to learn everything she did not understand about Vivek. Vivek's mother found his naked body wrapped in fabric, delivered to their home. She just wants to understand how Vivek died, because she assumes there was some sort of foul play. She turns to Osita because he is the one who knew Vivek best.
This book tackles a lot of challenging issues because Vivek suffers from debilitating disconnections, and he also struggled with his identity. Vivek likes to wear dresses and he likes boys, which is NOT accepted in his Nigeran home. There are also themes of grief and acceptance that were impeccably done.
I cannot say enough how impactful this read was.
No one really knew Vivek during his live, except for his closest cousin, Osita. Now in his death, his mother is grasping to learn everything she did not understand about Vivek. Vivek's mother found his naked body wrapped in fabric, delivered to their home. She just wants to understand how Vivek died, because she assumes there was some sort of foul play. She turns to Osita because he is the one who knew Vivek best.
This book tackles a lot of challenging issues because Vivek suffers from debilitating disconnections, and he also struggled with his identity. Vivek likes to wear dresses and he likes boys, which is NOT accepted in his Nigeran home. There are also themes of grief and acceptance that were impeccably done.
I cannot say enough how impactful this read was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual content