Akwaeke Emezi

"A tender, potent, and compulsively readable novel of a Nigerian-Indian family and the deeply held secret that tests their traditions and bonds"--

The Death of Vivek Oji

bianca

Picture: a house thrown into wailing the day he left it, restored to the way it was when he entered.

Picture: his father shattered, his mother gone mad. A dead foot with a deflated starfish spilled over its curve, the beginning and end of everything.

This is how [he] was born, after death and into grief. It marked him, you see, it cut him down like a tree. They brought him into a home filled with incapacitating sorrow; his whole life was a mourning.

 That morning, she was wearing an orange cotton dress; she looked like a burning sunset, and [He] knew immediately that his story would end with her, that he would drown in her large liquid eyes and it would be the perfect way to go. There was nothing boiling in him, just a loud and clear exhale, a weight of peace wrapping around his heart.

Alli

Somewhere, you see, in the river of time I am already alive.

Some people can’t see softness without wanting to hurt it

ephe

** spoiler alert **
           2,5/5
i don’t know where to begin this review. i think i should first state that i probably lack cultural background as it is set in nigeria, being european makes me biased. that being said i will say that i really enjoyed the first half of the story, i really enjoyed how the themes were handled by emezi, i thought the prose was amazing and really liked the brotherly love between two only child, vivek and osita. i liked the parts with the nigerwives, how they gathered around their shared strangeness to the country. 
the second half of the book, starting from when vivek’s and osita’s relationship turned romantic, at first i was confused and i will admit that it got me triggered, but i got past it and finished the book - which i had decided against at first -. i liked their relationship - putting the incest aside - it was bittersweet, violent and beautifully written. i thought the relationship between juju and elizabeth was nice, some other parts i found kind of useless adding nothing to the plot. the last few chapter were quick but efficient, to me the ending was well managed, the mystery of vivek’s death finally unravelled. i was also (very..!) disappointed at the handling of vivek’s gender fluidity, how his friend never ever called him she or by the other name he chose for himself. i thought the headstone scene was nice though, how kavita - his mother - decided to honor his identity, also the force of her grief really shown during this scene, it was powerful.
overall the book was nice, i hated that the relationship was incestuous it was -to me- portrayed too positively. i liked that it had multiple point of views and the non-chronological aspect of the book it made the unraveling of the mystery of vivek’s death all the more powerful.

Hannah Yoon

This is my first book by Awaeke Emezi and it did not let me down. I had no idea what to expect before reading this. I don't think I even read the premise, but saw only positive reviews about it so I knew I had to read it. 

The ending is sometimes only the beginning. We know Vivek dies, but we are left wondering who this person was and what they meant to the people around them. Emezi beautifully weaves different perspectives and timelines to put together the story of Vivek. Though we know Vivek is dead, we also feel so much of who they are as the story progresses.

I appreciated how pain is weaved throughout the story with tender word choices. It's like Emezi was gently guiding us through Vivek's story and the feelings Vivek was experiencing. 

The longing to be seen and understood is felt throughout the whole book with each character. 

The only thing I had a hard time with was how quick Kavita reconciles who she thought Vivek was and who they were revealed to be. I wanted more of a struggle or battle.

A great and also easy read. It needs your full attention but Emezi draws you in right from the beginning.

I was absolutely gripped by anxiety this entire book. Extraordinarily vivid and heart breaking 

Shohini Gupta

camille peiffer

** spoiler alert **
           this was definitely a beautiful story about acceptance, love, and friendship. i wish it made me feel more than it did though. i agree with a lot of these reviews saying there were too many characters without enough storyline behind all of them and i think there definitely wasn’t enough from vivek’s point of view. i honestly wish there was more on his “blackouts” he was having as well because i don’t think that was ever answered.

tbh i really don’t understand why vivek and osita had to be cousins. why write part of the story as two cousins being in love with each other

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️5

Having read 'You Made A Fool Out of Death With Your Beauty' by Akwaeke Emezi herself and disliked it heavily, I was hesitant to read another book by her, thinking she wasn't the right author for me. 

But now, having read 'The Death of Vivek Oji', I'm glad I didn't completely stray from her books, as despite being less than 300 pages, 'The Death of Vivek Oji' is one of the most bittersweet yet compelling books I've read this year. 

Throughout the book, the prose is expertly written. The intricacies of the characters' lives are beautifully explained, and I quickly warmed to the characters as a result. This book effortlessly weaves together themes such as the beginnings of first love, the despair of never really seeing your child in the light he or she has become and feels comfortable in and, the sorrow of losing a child, the restrictions of living in a society that doesn't understand you, and the kindness and solace of a chosen family found among young LGBTIA+ people coming together and finding spaces to exist. There wasn't a single theme in this book that hadn't been well explored. This book blew me away. I dislike nothing about this book. An absolute masterpiece.

Wow. I absolutely loved this. A gut-wrenching ode to queerness and love, this book and these characters will be with me for a long time. 

Angie Van Sprang

Alexa M

Akwaeke Emezi’s writing is beautiful as per usual. Wasn’t really a fan of how the narrative kept jumping around. I was expecting more of Vivek and his life and his experiences but 80% of the book was about other people? Also, the ‘thing’ that happens in this book… that doesn’t get addressed for being a ‘thing’… yeah… why?? No seriously, why is no one talking about this 😭 

This story had a lot of potential but didn’t live up to the hype for me. I guess it makes sense because this is not called ‘The Life of Vivek Oji’ but still.

There's much to love about this book. It's a depiction of grief,  neglect, and not being understood by others. I felt for Vivek because of the neglect and abuse during his short life. 

But, and it's a big but for me, the subject matter was just too much. This novel has every trigger warning out there, and I mean every one. It was hard to stomach. Books that depict such bleak lives with no redeeming characters don't bother me as much in an over-the-top thriller, but here it was just too much for me.

Cheri McElroy

Three and a half stars rounded down.

There's much to love about this book. It's a depiction of grief,  neglect, and not being understood by others. I felt for Vivek because of the neglect and abuse during his short life. 

But, and it's a big but for me, the subject matter was just too much. This novel has every trigger warning out there, and I mean every one. It was hard to stomach. Books that depict such bleak lives with no redeeming characters don't bother me as much in an over-the-top thriller, but here it was just too much for me.

Midori Kobayashi

4/5stars

Yes I am giving 4 stars to this book, yes I am STILL very confused as to how I feel about this: it is what it is. Okay but hear me out: On one hand the author has done a brilliant job with the composition and writing style and the topics covered are really important and it's a coming of age story set in Nigeria. But on the other other hand, there still are certain things I am not sure if I liked them in here. But the writing, the prose? ah *chef's kiss*-



I'm not what anyone thinks I am. I never was. I didn't have the mouth to put it into words, to say what was wrong, to change the things I felt I needed to change. And every day it was difficult, walking around and knowing that people saw me one way, knowing that they were wrong, so completely wrong, that the real me was invisible to them. It didn't even exist to them. So: If nobody sees you, are you still there?



As the title suggests this book is about the death of our main character: Vivek and the circumstances surrounding it. And his mom trying to find out the reason behind his death. Obviously there is more than what meets the eye, the mother doesn't even know the half of what was happening in Vivek's life. 
The one thing I really loved here was how Vivek's friends were so supportive of him throughout this whole journey, how they even stood up for him even after he passed away. That being said, I hated the character of Vivek's aunt(Mary? wtv her name was) Literally couldn't tolerate her for one second. 



If nobody sees you, are you still there?



Emezi has done a beautiful job with the LGBTQIA+ rep in the book. And not only rep, the descriptions are so well-written so accurate. For anyone who has ever experienced gender dysphoria you will see what I am talking about. There are so many diff characters in the book, there are gender fluid people, there are lesbians there are bisexuals- it's the whole thing and I think the major reason why it felt so natural and perfect was because they are themselves enby. They address the topic of identity and belonging in the most beautiful and heart-warming way. The characters were multi-dimensional and well written, to the point you felt for them and their struggle. It's like you almost wanted to reach out and comfort them, be there for them.



He didn't belong to you...You keep talking as if he belonged to you, just because you were his mother, but he didn't.

He didn't belong to anybody but himself.



That being said, was incest really necessary for the progression of the story? I don't know. I didn't feel comfortable reading about (view spoiler)[ Vivek and his cousin Osita having sexual relationships. I mean I get the part about trying to depict something that is unusual, unaccepted or even forbidden but incest? (hide spoiler)] I think the story could have done without it. But that's the just me. Rest I think the book was perfect. Highly recommend. 



Love and guilt sometimes taste the same, you know.



CWs for the book- loss of a child, physical abuse, domestic abuse, abuse of LGBTQIA+ people, homophobia, animal death, mentions of miscarriage + rape, death, incest

This book absolutely gutted me. Emezi is an incredible writer and has created possibly the most painful story I've ever read. Filled with grief, shame and fear, this book unravels the truth behind Vivek's death, slowly revealing their secret life and the pain that comes with holding such secrets. 

(I do wish the main characters had not been cousins because without that this would have been a full 5 stars for me.)

This book absolutely gutted me. Emezi is an incredible writer and has created possibly the most painful story I've ever read. Filled with grief, shame and fear, this book unravels the truth behind Vivek's death, slowly revealing their secret life and the pain that comes with holding such secrets. 

(I do wish the main characters had not been cousins because without that this would have been a full 5 stars for me.)

Isabela H 

When I first started this book, I immediately thought of A Chronicle of a Death Foretold and I was super excited when I got to the dedication and saw Emerzi's reference to Marquez. 
As someone who loved Death Foretold, I really liked the story telling of The Death of Vivek Oji because we learned the right information at the best times, and the criss-crossed timeline made the story all the more intriguing.

Stefanie  Uwah

For me, it was just okay. I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts together on this book but overall, I liked the ideas more than I liked the execution. There were lots of character elements that were mentioned but not explored. Lots of grey in this one. I love an ambiguous book as much as the next person but certain details were brought up about characters and not addressed at any other point in the book. It was a bit frustrating at times. By the end of the book, I didn't feel like I had a complete picture of who Vivek was and I was bummed about that.

Eva Bailey

3.5 stars. This book shattered me. The writing was also beautiful.

Celeste Richardson

While a beautifully written book, reading The Death of Vivek Ojo wasn’t a pleasant experience. Nor was it meant to be. This story is one of the dangers of boxing someone in with your expectations, and how violently those expectations can be railed against. Even if the person you’ve boxed in is someone you love desperately, and the person rebelling loves you just as much. It’s a tale of cultural norms not evolving with the times, and how harmful and heavy this can weigh on the younger generations of a society. It’s a story of family secrets, of misunderstood and hidden gender identities and sexualities and how keeping such secrets can fester within a soul. I was very uncomfortable with the levels of open-door, descriptive sexual content, but it was unequivocally central to the plot. A powerful book that I’m glad to have read, but will never be reading again.

Apparently, I'm dead inside -that would explain why this book wasn't a five-star read, but it is an amazing book truly.

I guess my only complaint is that so much had happened in such a short book that I had a hard time catching up with the story.

Clara Moore

A beautifully heartbreaking book. A must read.

They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died. One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover the lifeless body of her son wrapped in fabric on the welcome mat. The story of that child, Vivek Oji, is the story of two families from disparate cultures who came together in a time of upheaval, and of Vivek's struggle to be true to a self whose spirit and longings defy conventional expectations. Raised by a privileged, distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, fugue states that disrupt all connection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women resettled in the area. But Vivek's closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens--and Osita struggles to understand his friend's escalating crisis--the mystery of Vivek's behavior gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of transcendent freedom. Propulsively readable, teeming with vivid and unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a story of family and friendship that challenges expectations at every turn. It is a major step forward from a writer of rare insight into the porous barriers between body and identity, spirit, and self.

Fraser Simons

Worthy concept with good prose. Unfortunately, I found the structure of the book deflated the immediate hook of the story for no discernible reason. It tips it’s hand too soon and solidifies the manner of death. 

The narrative jumps around between characters to reveal everyone has a secret; everyone copes with the inability to be who they are. This is when it is at its best. Strange, then, that there is so little dedicated to the main character’s identity. Rather than getting a full picture of them, we learn that no one really knows Vivek and we spend no time beyond a certain threshold. It feels reserved to facilitate a twist that is oddly mostly beneficial to another character... rather than an actual victim. Left me colder and unsatisfied than expected.

Aviya 

Cindy Lieberman

In their tight-knit Niger community, his cousin hides his own secrets well while Vivek struggles to reconcile his two halves, suffering blackouts. Now a young adult, Vivek claims his true identity with disastrous results, and their community must confront what love really means.

Melissa Schwartz

3.5. The Death of Vivek Oji was a heartbreaking story about ultimately accepting yourself and your loved ones as they are. Content warnings include homophobia and transphobia. The best part of this book was the self-acceptance the titular character gains, and that their family and friends often gain. However, you experience a lack of acceptance from many of them before getting to that point. I find there were characters who I connected with, and felt anger towards sometimes but ultimately appreciated them coming to terms with the truth. Those characters include Kavita, Chika, and Juju. I honestly struggle to understand Osita’s ultimate actions. The end was shocking and I truly don’t understand the decision he made. Parts of this book I struggled with were actions and plot lines that added nothing to the story. A lot of those take place earlier in the book, and then the short piece about Ebenezer made no sense to me at all. While I appreciate Juju in the end, I don’t know if her infidelities had a point or if refusing to talk to Kavita initially was necessary. I don’t really think Vivek watching Ostia and Elizabeth had a point; we’re supposed to be connecting with Vivek, even if not a perfect person, in a positive manner not one in which they violate the privacy of others. Overall, I think it ended well and was a good read.

Flavia Louise

Akwaeke Emezi is a masterful writer. Their prose is incredible and the structure of this book is so well done. So I really wanted to love this story. But ultimately for me enjoyment is a huge factor in reading something and this book felt relentless in its portrayal of queer pain and the results of being "othered". (view spoiler)[The incest featured in this story made me extremely uncomfortable. I get it in part and I see the intent behind it but it overtook my appreciation for the story. (hide spoiler)]

Risa C

I went into this book hoping it would devastate me, but I never really emotionally connected with it. The book was compulsively readable, but the writing just didn't do it for me. I typically enjoy lyrical writing, but I felt like the prose was trying too hard at being sensual and beautiful (not that this book isn't beautiful, because there are parts that are truly stunning) and seemed to mask or normalize things that are disturbing or morally questionable, when I would have preferred it if these things had been examined or questioned more. To be clear, I didn't dislike this book and my lukewarm feelings towards it aren't because of one the main relationships in this book, but I can see how that would be a stumbling block for a lot of people. I'm mostly dissatisfied that so much of this book is build-up to a mystery, which, for the most part is easily solved, but still has a disappointing pay-off (but I will say that there is a clue nestled in the earlier chapters of the story that makes for some good foreshadowing).

I do appreciate the cleverness of the title and how its meaning seems to be reinforced by the mysterious circumstances of Vivek's death, but is obverted by the slow unspooling of the story of Vivek's life, which is so deliberate and heavy-handed that you connect the dots much quicker than any of the characters. Kavita is one of the strongest characters and I loved her journey as a mother, who, in her desperation to make sense of her only child's death, discovered who they were in life.

I read this on the first year death anniversary of a very good friend, who, while not exactly like Vivek, also had some secrets I learned only after his passing. Maybe it should have made this book hit harder, but instead I mostly missed my friend.

Not sure if I'll settle on a three for this. I feel like I'll be thinking about this book for a while.

Shafel McDowall

I don't even have the words to describe how this book makes me feel. I have a lot to think about.

The Death of Vivek Oji

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