A review by deereadstoo
Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. I'm not sure what to say other than wow. I think Akwaeke's special weapon might be crafting full-bodied characters. There's no way you leave their books without your brain split amongst the good, bad, and the ugly of any character they bring to life. That's especially evident in Little Rot. 

To be frank, the plot isn't even what's important here. The true meat of this novel is the characters, how their lives interwine, and what that means for their futures. Emezi carefully crafts these characters by starting us off with something as innocent as a break-up and--ironically enough--a sex party and plunging us deep into the belly of the beast with each action that unfolds the true horrors that lay within. A book always sticks with me more when I can go back and fully understand the meaning behind the title and the epigraph. Going back to page 0 after I finished and seeing the quote from Toni Morrison in the epigraph, "I'm just trying to look at something without blinking to see what it is like, or it could have been like, and how that had something to do with the way we live now," packed a different punch. Seeing people for who they are in their fullness might be your salvation or destruction. 

I say all this to say that Little Rot was a true character study and a testament to humanity and the truth. How it can only be hidden for so long until it is brought to light for all to reckon with. You peel back layers upon layers of people you've known your whole life only to realize you haven't even scratched the surface. Their core holds secrets they'll never tell and pain that's etched into their bones. So for those that love character-driven books, this might just be your favorite piece of rotten fruit.
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