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A review by theengineerisreading
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Love and guilt sometimes taste the same, you know."
I wish I can write a decent review that will give justice like how Akwaeki Emezi wrote this book.
The Death of Vivek Oji is Talk Bookish to Me's February admins' pick and I can't thank them enough for choosing this book because this one saved me from a possible slump.
I'm familiar when this one released last year and became a BOTM title but I haven't heard enough buzz about it, unlike Akwaeki's debut, Freshwater, which has been the talk of the town for months. Not until I intentionally browsed the title in Goodreads and saw so many amazing reviews about the book.
As someone who easily gets influenced by others opinion (lol) this made me decide to try and start the audiobook and see why this is so highly-rated.
I guess I was overwhelmed with the ending but this book is definitely a poetry translated into crime fiction. I love how the mystery and suspense keeps on until the very last pages of the book without sacrificing the balance between the social commentary (about Nigeria and LGBTQ+) and other sub-plots (family drama, friendship, mental health, grief.)
Though the main premise of the book revolved on the mystery of Vivek Oji, the only son of Chika and Kavita, the revelation and pieces of the book left me astounded with how forms of love vary from one person to another.
Content warning: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual Abuse, Riot, Blood
Overall, this book sealed the deal and delivered an unforgettable story which made me think about how are we progressing as a society.
RATING: 4.5stars
I wish I can write a decent review that will give justice like how Akwaeki Emezi wrote this book.
The Death of Vivek Oji is Talk Bookish to Me's February admins' pick and I can't thank them enough for choosing this book because this one saved me from a possible slump.
I'm familiar when this one released last year and became a BOTM title but I haven't heard enough buzz about it, unlike Akwaeki's debut, Freshwater, which has been the talk of the town for months. Not until I intentionally browsed the title in Goodreads and saw so many amazing reviews about the book.
As someone who easily gets influenced by others opinion (lol) this made me decide to try and start the audiobook and see why this is so highly-rated.
I guess I was overwhelmed with the ending but this book is definitely a poetry translated into crime fiction. I love how the mystery and suspense keeps on until the very last pages of the book without sacrificing the balance between the social commentary (about Nigeria and LGBTQ+) and other sub-plots (family drama, friendship, mental health, grief.)
Though the main premise of the book revolved on the mystery of Vivek Oji, the only son of Chika and Kavita, the revelation and pieces of the book left me astounded with how forms of love vary from one person to another.
Content warning: Death, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual Abuse, Riot, Blood
Overall, this book sealed the deal and delivered an unforgettable story which made me think about how are we progressing as a society.
RATING: 4.5stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Incest
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence