A review by ashley_mrose530
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was an incredibly well-written book. It made me feel for the characters and love them all so much. The way the story was told was fascinating - weird but fairly easy to follow even though I was listening to it rather than physically reading it. The time jumps weren't jarring but seemed smoothly transitioned throughout, same for the POV shifts. I also really liked that we slowly learned more and more about what happened surrounding Vivek's death.
I don't usually gravitate toward the contemporary genre, and of those that I've tried, I usually didn't like, but this one was truly beautiful. I think the only thing I didn't really understand or get why it was included in this book is Vivek's blackouts. They seem to be brought up for a little while and then completely forgotten. They didn't seem to be connected to his mental health or anything like that, so I wasn't sure what they were or why they were important enough to include in the story. 
Either that is a small thing and didn't hinder my reading experience too much and I loved the book otherwise. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for more trans reading rep.