Oyinda Loves Books

Title: The Death of Vivek Oji
Author: Akwaeke Emezi
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Pub Date: 20 Aug 2020

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Thank you Netgalley, Faber & Faber (publisher), and Akwaeke Emezi (author) for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an impartial review. I’ve set my sights on this book since January, when I read Freshwater and Pet, the author’s other books. They did a great job with these books, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on their third book.
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I’m extremely glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed. The Death of Vivek Oji is a gripping and riveting tale about the life and death of Vivek, the eponymous character. Emezi did a wonderful job with this one, and I must confess that their storytelling is out of this world. The way they set out the plot, the characters, the suspense, the mysteries, and the events of this book is very praise worthy. We’re introduced to the story before Vivek’s birth, and later to the circumstances beyond his death. We see a mother getting lost in her grief, and then his friends and cousin who are also grieving and closing rank to protect his deepest secret. The dynamics of relationships among friends and family members are explored in depth in this book. It was gruesome to see how much Vivek’s mother was suffering – trying to deal with his death and also trying to piece together what happened to him.
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The story was told over multiple timelines – the present, after Vivek’s death; and various points in the past as Vivek, his cousin, and his friends navigate life from childhood to adulthood. There were so many instances of self discovery and self acceptance in the story. Apart from the plot and the mysteries to uncover, the author paints a very vivid picture of life in Nigeria, especially as a queer person.
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Everyone needs to read this, so ensure you get your copy when this book is released on the 20th of August, 2020. It’s a story that will suck you right in, and you won’t be able to put it down till you read the very last word.
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Blurb/ Synopsis :

What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?

One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son’s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection 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 married to Nigerian men. 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 Vivek’s escalating crisis—the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations—a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.