Akwaeke Emezi

A New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and “one of our greatest living writers” (Shondaland) reimagines the love story in this fresh and seductive novel about a young woman seeking joy while healing from loss. Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again. It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career. She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the dangerous thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love? ​ Akwaeke Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing, and the constant bravery of choosing love against all odds.

A Novel

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

Turia L. M.

“What he didn’t understand was that it had taken years for Feyi to become the girl he’d screamed at in his father’s house, someone he could intimidate because she had chosen to be soft, chosen to care, chosen to allow her heart to shed the deep rot-dark scales it grew on that road. Men like Nasir didn’t see the other parts, the fork in the road, the thing she was before she decided to live again. He didn’t respect her, he thought she had no power because she had wept under the onslaught of his words, and so he felt brave enough, safe enough, to fuck with her work. The rage unfurled like a bonfire and Feyi let it wash over her, wash away the soft girl, coat her in the widow who would gladly burn the whole fucking world down.”

Coley T

“Surrendering to it felt effortless, like floating on great salt, like calm and peace and everything was going to be all right in the end, even if he didn’t love her back, because her heart could do this. After everything it had been through, her heart could still do this.”

Megan BV

The mountains laughed green beyond the glass, a new world intact and fragile, for now.

She was fucking alive, and Feyi knew that in that moment, she would burn anything, everything, a whole world just to hold on to that feeling.

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty

Lindsay

Revna

Sarah Sammis

** spoiler alert **
           In the modern genre sense of the word "romance," this book aint it. It's literary fiction with some romantic tropes. Mostly though it's just a lot of sex and tragedy porn set on an island that seems lifted from Death in Paradise, minus the interesting murder mystery.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

Anjorin Molayo 

I loved how chaotic and messy this book was. I loved the fact that the main character thought of herself and how she wanted to be alive. I’m not disputing the fact that she hurt other people while at it, and it’s definitely not deserving but she took her world in her hands and lived it how she wanted, with her supportive friend of course. I think Awaeki Emezi is my new favorite African author. I love their writing style. A solid 4.5/5.

Kweh Quiambao

The story was messy in a way Feyi unfortunately falls for the dad (Alim) of this guy (Nasir) she’s kinda dating who was rich and has given her a big opportunity for her career. It was messy in the way Feyi constantly changes her mind out of fear. 

But this wasn’t what comes into mind when I think of a messy main character. This wasn’t like Devi from Never Have I Ever constantly blowing things out of proportion. To me this is a romance where they unfortunately finds that rare connection in a person they shouldn’t. And they were brave enough to fight for it. They were brave enough to choose for themselves.

This also feels like a cautionary tale to men like Nasir. The “good guys” who are actually expecting something in return of their kindness. It was unfortunate what happened to him, yes, but he still didn’t have the right to treat Feyi like that out of his anger. I’ve experienced this and it blew my mind how someone who was patient and kind for years (!!!) turned into someone I don’t know in a blink of an eye. I’m glad Feyi didn’t end up with him, he still has some growing up to do.
 
More things I enjoyed:
- The energy of both Feyi and Joy was so upbeat I’d follow them and their friendship wherever they go.
- Rich people in books give me an ick but this was an exception. This made me dream of my own quiet life by the mountains.
- all throughout they were using the words being alive as an encouragement to live for themselves and take risks which I initially thought was cringe but I loved it by the end

How is this not a booktok sensation? Is it because it’s ACTUALLY good?

Cloudface

I would like to preface this review by saying I initially see this as a romance and read it like a literary fiction. This is a lot of that things to unpack and it just happened to have romance as the sub genre. This was an excellent exploration on how grief and the death of a loved one can alter your entire life and how it sticks with you. Feyi and Alim both deal with the this crippling grief and in this grief they find one another. Alim learns to put himself first after after sacrificing his want for romantic love for the sake of his children and Feyi learns to open up again to other people after channeling her grief through her art. Nasir and Lorraine (especially Nasir) didn't understand both Feyi and Alim's perception of grief but it was not their place to judge (like you're father is a grown man). However, the way Feyi handled her relationship with Nasir (in my opinion) was not handled well, but this messy situation could've been a by-product of how her grief affected her. She wanted to (and at times forced herself to) open up to Nasir, but it didn't feel 'right' than when she opened up to Alim. With all of this being said I really loved the way this was written and how the author depicted grief and death and intimacy because it felt authentic and raw and I would definitely recommend this.

Michaella 

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️1

God, this book is awful. I hated it. This book's romance (if you can call it that) bothered me to no end. I found Feyi and Alim as a 'thing' to be gross and weird. Throughout the book, I couldn't root for them. Their only connection is that both have deceased partners. In other words, trauma and tragedy.

Truth be told, the relationship gave uncle and niece, but it also gave mentor and mentee at times. It gave both of these things, but not once did it give two adults with undeniable romantic chemistry who were meant to be together. Honestly, why is this book classified as a romance? That annoys me. 

Alim and Feyi need to have some shame, since they obviously don't have any.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mess, but this? A hot mess. The mess here wasn't even the enjoyable kind. Despite how well the book discussed concepts such as grief, living life to the fullest and finding happiness after losing a significant other, it was so frustrating to read about Feyi and Alim's 'romance' that I hated it.

Overall, this book irritated me to no end. I could go on and on about how much I dislike this book, but it would not suffice. I honestly should have DNF'd. One of the least enjoyable books I've read this year.

This book only gets one star from me because the cover with the red background is absolutely stunning. However, that's the only pleasant thing I can say about this book.

I didn’t really like the plot or the writing style. Not me for me but I can see why other people like it. 

Tori Albin

Melanie

This was a very enjoyable read. Very well written. Characters are robust. My favorite character was Joy. Loved her so much! Grief is the focusing narrative of this book and it's described so beautifully. I would highly recommend this book. I wanted to keep my review short and sweet as to not give too much away. I think it is worth a read.

Interesting story about grief, second-chances, and going against grain. This story was fast paced and I liked the author’s writing style and natural use of AAVE. While the love between the main characters could be perceived as selfish and/or unbelievable, I did appreciate the breakdown of grief and how it consumes people and can control one’s decision-making for life. I enjoyed watching the main character become unapologetic about her wants and needs to obtain happiness but I wish the story included more of Joy. Her character had potential to play a bigger role in the story or have her own spin-off. 

Maya Johnson

This was a really messy and raw romance. Despite that it turned out to be cute with some laugh out loud moments. The middle of the story was slow and a bit boring so I took points off because of that. Overall I enjoyed this even though the pacing was a little slow in the middle.
I give this 3.5 stars

Alexa M

not for me.

the romance in this was just way too unbelievable for me. not only because it is literally INSTANT - but also because i find it hard to believe a grown ass man like Alim would want to be with Feyi. they literally have nothing in common except for the trauma that they use to bond over. i was honestly so bored the whole time. i can see how some people would like this but it just was not for me.

Yeah I don’t know if I buy the love between Feyi and Alim. Like it happened soooo fast.

Lydia Enge

This started out a little rough for me (not a euphemism for that scene haha), but I think the main character development was necessary in order to truly appreciate the comparison from start to finish. I found myself crying at the end and I’m not really sure why - I think just the beauty of what can happen when someone stops trying to manage other people’s needs, other people’s feelings, what you think is in their best interest at your own detriment, and lives their truth. To try and name certain characters in this book as villain or not villain is way too simplistic. As Jonah says, humans are messy! 

cannot believe that I am rating one of Emezi's book 1.5 stars LIKE ugh i feel so? but also i had such a visceral reaction to this book and I cannot justifiably rate it any higher. i've the same qualms that everyone has- Nasir isn't the villain he was made into and this love between the two main characters? is a BIG NO. if i can't root for the main romance then what's the point of reading a romance novel. anyway as always their writing was phenomenal absolutely loved the lyrical and beautiful words. 

Midori Kobayashi

This was an engrossing, beautiful and emotionally charged read. Feyi felt like a friend who was navigating a new chapter of healing and growth and I was with her in all of the mess that comes with. The way that grief, love, loss, anger, lust and new beginnings are written is enough to take your breath away! 

Ashlei Cottom-Moran

This was an engrossing, beautiful and emotionally charged read. Feyi felt like a friend who was navigating a new chapter of healing and growth and I was with her in all of the mess that comes with. The way that grief, love, loss, anger, lust and new beginnings are written is enough to take your breath away! 



jupiter

really good, wish it was a little longer. love joyfeyis friendship like mi gente sapphic fr

Shareca

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty
Akwaeke Emezi ★★★★

🍋 pgs: 278
🍊 genre: romance + Black
🍐 pace: fast
🥭 pov: feyi
🍓 sex: 🌶️🌶️

The pure messiness of You Made a Fool makes for a satisfying read. This novel gives drama, spice, and so much more than what is implied by the synopsis. 'Fool of Death' was not what I expected from an age-gap romance, and I was immersed in the messiest of relationships that I could not put down. Feyi ✨absolutely✨ delivered. 👏🏾

Is the romance for me? ✨Sadly, no.✨ Despite the sweetness, all of the men were dusty, including Papi/Daddy. This book did not have a “likable” male character, and for some reason, I did not enjoy the romance as much as I expected. BUT ‼️ I did enjoy the sex-positive environment.

My favorite aspect was the messiness of it, how messy it became, how messy it was, and how ✨out-of-pocket✨ it turned out to be. The character of Joy was by far the most memorable in the novel; I embody Joy more than I would like to admit. 💓

Among the most enjoyable aspects of this novel were its poetic prose and romantic tone. Even when discussing her deceased husband, Feyi was so poetic and melancholy; Feyi's personality appealed to me because it reminded me much of myself when I am buried in a sea of grief so vast that it appears to encompass me from every angle. Feyi is similarly disposed, and I am able to relate to her in that regard. 😮‍💨🥹

Truthfully, it was quite natural for Feyi to gravitate toward Alim since he was the mature counterpart to Nasir. The difference between Feyi and Nasir is that Feyi was married before and had a planned-out life, whereas Nasir is just beginning his. Being older, Alim was married previously and had a planned future like Feyi, and as a woman of Feyi's caliber, it makes sense that she would fall in love with a man of the same emotional standing.

Although I do not enjoy reading age-gap sexual/romantic situations, this book is a delight. 😍

Really well written, plot was a little too messy for me but it was still really good

Megan Mathis

I bought this when it came out because a. the cover is gorgeous and b. I read somewhere it was two bisexual people falling in love. And then I just forgot to read it. Now that lots of “Best of 22” book lists are coming out I was reminded of it, picked it up and read in less than one day. 

It’s more of a novel dealing with loss and grief and love than a boyfriend’s dad romance, but still manages to do both of those beautifully. 

Feyi and Joy’s friendship is so wonderful, I love every one of their interactions. I am very happy to have read this book and to experience this love. 

What a beautiful book.

I bought this when it came out because a. the cover is gorgeous and b. I read somewhere it was two bisexual people falling in love. And then I just forgot to read it. Now that lots of “Best of 22” book lists are coming out I was reminded of it, picked it up and read in less than one day. 

It’s more of a novel dealing with loss and grief and love than a boyfriend’s dad romance, but still manages to do both of those beautifully. 

Feyi and Joy’s friendship is so wonderful, I love every one of their interactions. I am very happy to have read this book and to experience this love. 

Sarai Johnson

This annoyed me. I mostly skimmed the second half. Nothing happens. It reads like grocery store romance without much actual sex. We spend a lot of time rehashing the exact same feelings again and again and again. Jonah’s death feels like something that happened to Feyi instead of the tragic end of a young man’s life. 

Feyi and Alim are both unreasonably and unbelievably irresponsible. I could see Alim risking his career. He’s made his money/reputation or whatever. But Feyi has not. How messy. She was really playing with her career… for what purpose? For a man she knew for a week? Stahp. 

I will say I appreciate the fact that this story isn’t often told from the perspective of the woman who sleeps with her boyfriend’s dad. 

But I don’t feel any sympathy for Feyi. She’s radically self-centered. Not just in the way that she handles Alim/Nasir but also in the way she handles her relationship with Joy, if you ask me (she forgets the name of the Joy’s married lover?!?!). And the way the narrative deals with Jonah. 

Joy’s character is a gem. I wish it were told from her perspective. 

I do think the sense of place is strong and all five senses are engaged throughout. I also feel like it was written in a recognizable voice. But I would not recommend.

ETA PLUS: why does Milan call to co-sign ole girl’s chaotic nonsense?

AND i don’t mind the idea of a character who is difficult to like. But this character, who does as she pleases with little to not regard for herself or others isn’t pleasant or interesting (for me) to read. Maybe some of y’all like that. Otessa Moshfegh writes characters that are difficult to like but they don’t annoy me.?

I’ve come back to this review three months later. This book annoyed me that much, a feat unto itself. Anyway, I was trying to figure out why this felt so vapid. It’s the absence of a connection to the main character. She makes bad choices but we don’t get any sense of WHY, other than for some nebulous idea of “fulfillment” and we don’t get the sense that this relationship with this this man will provide any sense of fulfillment. Validation, perhaps. But not self actualization or anything meaningful like that. And maybe that’s the point but it just wasn’t a satisfying reading experience.

Um once again I’ve been queer baited only to read about a heterosexual happy ending; very hot tho 

Crick

It's the opportunity of a lifetime: Feyi is about to be given the chance to escape the City's blistering heat for a dream island holiday: poolside cocktails, beach sunsets, and elaborate meals. And as the sun goes down on her old life our heroine also might just be ready to open her heart to someone new. The only problem is, she's falling for the one man she absolutely can't have.

Honestly, I was annoyed by the way they spoke. Phrases like low-key, vibing, balling, lit, for some reason annoyed the shit out of me. The overall story, however, was beautiful. A broken-hearted woman looking for a way to continue her life after losing her husband, looking for ways to express herself, to connect with people again, to love again. But also, letting herself be loved again, be vulnerable with someone. Quite beautiful.

Jovana Gjekanovikj 

Charlotte 

A beautiful, aching, mesmerising exploration of desire, love, grief, loss and friendship. This book cracked my heart open in the best of ways.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty A Novel

Reviews

Highlights