Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for gifting me this title in exchange for an honest review.

"I'm not what anyone thinks I am... 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... So: If nobody sees you, are you still there?"

Opening with his mother finding his body on her doorstep, The Death of Vivek Oji is a tragic, yet beautiful tale that unspools the story of Vivek and his life leading up to the day of his death. We see his complicated relationship with his cousin, his blooming friendships with the girls in his community, and his mother's tragic search for the truth of what happened to her son. From his birth, to the day that he passed, we experience his journey to becoming who he is from multiple perspectives -- a third person narration that focuses on different characters throughout the story, a first person narration from his cousin Osita, and short first person sections from his own perspective.

The story covers a lot of thought-provoking themes including love, acceptance, and what it means to be different in a society that doesn't understand you. It felt universal in that anyone who may have experienced something similar can see themselves in Vivek and the life he built for himself. I believe this aspect of the story was extremely well done and leaves a great impact on the reader, wrapping up in a satisfying way.

The writing is lyrical and lush, and so quick to get through, putting us into these character's shoes in a way that makes them round, whole, and real. I really enjoyed learning about the Nigerwives and their children, who I thought were the most interesting characters in the novel (besides Vivek). For such a short book, I was very impressed by the character-building. I cared about them and felt their pain.

I also really enjoyed being immersed in Nigerian culture and dialog -- something I've never experienced before, making this novel a great look into that world. Emezi did a wonderful job writing dialog that felt authentic, which I always appreciate in a story.

My main issues with the novel stem from the fact that there were so many characters in so many relationships that just didn't seem that important to the overarching plot. All of these branching relationships, while perhaps pertinent to the novel's theme, did not add any substance to me. I would much rather have had more perspective from Vivek and what he was thinking and feeling during this time rather than what the other characters were up to apart from him. It also seemed like nobody in the novel had a healthy marriage, which I found hard to believe. There was also a lot of sex that felt unnecessary to me as well, and I'm not usually prudish -- it seems like sex is sometimes used as a shorthand for relationship building in novels, which I doesn't work for me a lot of the time.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and flew through it, wanting to know what had happened to Vivek and was given an incredible, impactful tale that I will remember for a long time. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and likes to read about LGBTQ+ themes.

This is honestly so upsetting because this is the first literary fiction I've liked....

Let's start with "then why 1 star?" As an Arab this was too offending to me.

Exhibit one:

I would like to warn everyone that the author has fed into the stereotype of old rich Arab men wanting to f*ck everyone different......

TW: SEXUAL ASSAULT

"Osita pressed his forehead against the glass of the window as a blurry memory tried to push forward. There had been a man. He rubbed his eyes and tried to place the image. Yes, there had definitely been a man, in that same hotel room. Short and stocky, with hairy muscles. Lebanese. Osita vaguely remembered the man undressing him, then removing his own shirt to expose a firm potbelly."

Now can someone tell me if this "Lebanese" in the middle, not even in a sentence, was necessary? The author could've said foreign and gotten what they want. But they had to feed into such harmful stereotype?

As soon as I read this part I went to Google to see if there was a problem involving Lebanese people in Nigeria and all I found is that there are a lot of Lebanese people living in nigeria. That's it. I'm not saying there are no bad arab men but that whole word was NOT necessary.

Exhibit 2:

"“Can you come and help me with my hair?” Aunty Kavita lit up at the request. “Of course, beta! I’m coming.” My father looked up from his plate. “Mary, you can lend her a pair of scissors, abi?” Aunty Kavita glared at him as she left the room, and my father sighed. “It was worth a try. Walking around looking like a prophet. Ridiculous.”"

Now I know this character was meant to be bad and usually I would've overlooked it for that reason, but considering the first problem,,,,, although I'm not sure if there are other types of prophets this character is talking about but I know that the prophets of my religion and most religions have long hair. I found this to be very offending as well.

_____________

Talking about the "good" after that feels ridiculous but I guess we can take this as a "what would make me like a literary fiction book"

1. Very well flushed out characters. Each had their own problems going on, and yet nothing was confusing and if felt like it was all tied together.

2. Beautiful writing. I liked the mystery till it got to the reveal....

The bad (other than the racism):

I wish we got to see more of vivek pov (and I also wish that lebanese comment wasn't there but we dont always get what we wish for, do we?) because honestly his chapters were the best. They gave insight to how people in his position feel.

I also felt the ending to be anticlimactic. I know it fits very well, and I know it makes so much sense for him to have died that way. But apart from already guessing the ending, it felt like all the build up to it was so unnecessary.

Overall, I do not recommend. I hope people would start talking about the racism here instead of worrying about the non-existent incest. Before you start barking about how disgusting something is, maybe go check if the place the novel takes place in accepts that specific thing ;)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3451024260

Akwaeke Emezi's writing is fantastic. Their recent release, The Death of Vivek Oji, does not disappoint.

The book mainly focuses on the upbringing and life of Vivek Oji and his subsequent murder. These details are told through the lenses of his grieving friends and family. After Vivek's death, his loved ones struggle to grieve somebody they never fully understood. Set against the backdrop of a tight-knit community in Nigeria, you see the impact that Vivek has on those who were closest to him even after he's gone.

Emezi tackles many themes, including sexism, gender fluidity, and race. The author does an incredible job of weaving these different threads throughout the central plot without losing any between the cracks. The writing was particularly beautiful and moving. The plot, at times, seemed to ebb and flow but this rhythm perfectly mirrored the emotions felt by our characters.

I’d been putting this off for ages because I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but I found myself completely drawn into this world.

At the start of The Death of Vivek Oji we get, of course, the death of Vivek Oji, whose body is discovered by his mother, dropped at the front door, completely naked.

The book tells the story of both before and after his death, from different character’s perspective, including Vivek himself, but mostly from the perspective of his cousin, Osita.

It’s beautiful and sad and wonderfully written and gave me a real taste of life and culture in Nigeria. I was worried at one point it would be too over-sentimental but in the end I actually found it very moving but in a gentle way.

4 stars

Akwaeke has blessed us once again with her wonderful writing, I LOVE they way they write. It's captivating and it doesn't drag. They are able to write scenarios really well and add in just the perfect amount of character detail so we understand the importance of what is being said. That said, I simply didn't enjoy this story and this may be because of my initial thought when reading the book and then the climax of the story in finding out about Vivek's life and how she died. The story in my reading hinted at an almost supernatural element, Vivek was having blackouts and I thought this was what was going to be the focal point of the story instead it took a very different turn. In effect, it became a book about secrets and felt a bit like a murder mystery if I'm honest. I think the decision to keep the reader away from what Vivek was up to in secret was a terrible one, simply because I don't see that secret as a shocking thing. I get it was done in part to put us into the shoes of Kavita (his mother) however, we don't form that maternal bond to Vivek so whilst you feel Kavita's grief at the loss of her child, you really want to find out what happened to Vivek. And sadly in the end what happened to him felt anti-climatic. It was still a lovely story about change and acceptance but I feel we should have had more of that rather than the build-up of who killed Vivek and why.

One of the unique books and you will definitely fall in love with the characters! Empowering and heartbreaking at the same moment. I loved the author's writing style and I don't think I am going to forget Vivek Oji real soon!

However, I do not think I will recommend it to under 16.
Trigger Warning: Graphical Violence.

Wow. This book is everywhere and has received so much well-deserved praise. It's a novel of family, self-discovery and grief. After finishing it, my heart hurt and I had to sit in awe to absorb everything I had just read. Absolutely one of my favorites this year.

"The Death of Vivek Oji" is the story of two cousins, Vivek and Osita. As they grow older, Vivek retreats from the family, finding friendship with the girls in their close-knit Nigerian community. Soon, Osita finds himself back in Vivek's life right before his cousin's sudden, bloody death. Flashing back and forth between different time periods and narrators, we learn what happened to Vivek and what was being hidden away for years.

It admittedly took me a few tries to get into this book (I reread the first few chapters three or four times because I just kept putting the book down) but I regret not reading it sooner. Every page is a gift and Akwaeke Emezi's writing is absolutely beautiful. I have so many sentences underlined because I was just in awe. It's like poetry.

But wow, I sobbed like a baby. Even when Emenzi was ripping my heart out, it was just so powerful and stunning. It's a relatively short novel and I could've spent so much more time with these characters, Vivek especially.

Vivek Oji has always been, as his father claims, a soft and sensitive Nigerian boy. Born on the day his paternal grandmother passed away, Vivek Oji’s birth seems to be more a mythical one than a coincidence. His birth is a celebration of femininity, a challenge to masculinity. Nevertheless, it predates struggle on Vivek’s part, which is manifested in a series of blackouts experienced by his adolescent self. A clear-cut evidence of gender dysphoria and social intolerance on gender fluidity. Nigerian society, as portrayed in the story, is marked by the preference of sons over daughters and the distinction between socially acceptable masculine and feminine ideals. Vivek’s life, which has always been dictated by propriety and parental expectations, changes when his self-determination comes into play, when his relationship and friendship with his cousin Osita and a group of childhood girlfriends bloom. The growth of his hair and the dresses he wears behind the closed door engender the formation and recognition of his gender identity. Grief and suffering dominate almost the entire narrative due to Vivek’s untimely and unexpected death which is revealed at the very first chapter. However, there are also happy and bittersweet moments for Vivek is not alone. He has a protective and caring mother, a group of supportive friends, and a cousin who loves him deeply. They are always there for him when he feels doubt or upset. I’ll leave it here for I don’t wish to give away too much. The Death of Vivek Oji was a remarkable read and I enjoyed it very much, in spite of its various difficult topics. It is a book of happiness and pain, of raw and brutal meditation of body, gender and sexuality, loneliness, belonging, autonomy, friendship, parenthood (especially motherhood), acceptance. At its core, it is a love story.

E-review copy, courtesy of NetGalley.

This was outside my usual comfort zone for sure. I wasn't sure how i would like it but the hype around it made me request for a copy. The story is good and the prose flows smoothly. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy.

I've never read anything by this author before, but I know it was getting a lot of hype, even being selected as a Book of the Month choice, so I requested it on netgalley.

The writing was gorgeous, descriptive, and immersive. Unfortunately, several factors of the story detracted from my enjoyment, and I only finished because I wanted to know...

I don't consider myself a prude, but apparently I am. The central sexual relationship was a big nope for me, and that's after the MC is a creep. While some of the sex was relevant to the plot, some of it was not, some of it was weird, and some of it was...potentially racist.

As if that wasn't enough, the thing I wanted to know finally comes, and it was so underwhelming. But beautifully written.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy. I received it after the publication date.

This book is full of juxtapositions. One minute it is steamy. The next it is disturbing. Soul destroying and then epically poignant. The characters constantly straddle a line between shame and acceptance, desire and disgust, expression and repression.

Vivek Oji is a a gay man who likes to wear drag and lives in contemporary Nigeria where just being gay is a death wish. Against all odds he manages to hide his secret and his sexuality from his parents but comes out to his friends and his cousin who agree to keep his secret. But his blissful bubble bursts and somewhat inevitably we start the novel with his death.

This started of as a slow burn but by chapter three, I was engrossed. Following a mystery set up of who killed Vivek and why? We traverse time periods, from Vivek’s childhood, to his death and then from the perspectives of his loved ones, particularly his cousin following his death. These time periods are not chronological so we only get all the pieces of the puzzle at the end of the novel which I found satisfying and compelling.

This book will haunt me for a while. The sadness imbued as a reader by knowing and accepting Vivek’s identity but knowing the Nigerian community never would, is painful. The pseudo sexual incestual relationship between the two cousins also made for extremely uncomfortable reading. I loved both characters and wanted them to be happy in their own skin but found their familial and sexual feelings for one another disturbing.

This story is complex and the relationships between characters are gnarly and deeply hidden. Emezi is an extremely talented storyteller and this novel is well layered and multifaceted. Vivek will stay with me. An incandescent character. I am very impressed with this novel and will be going back and reading this authors other works. A sweeping and bittersweet story of love and loss.

Thanks to Faber and Faber, the author and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book broke my heart. The writing was amazing and I felt really connected to each of the characters.

The only reason it wasn't a five-star read is that I often got confused while reading and often had to re-read a section multiple times. This is probably due to the fact that the timeline is non-linear and we have multiple narrators. It added a lot of value to the book though.

Some of the secondary characters felt overwhelming, there were almost too many to keep track of. Sometimes they took away from the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for an advance copy.

God, Akwaeke Emezi is becoming one of my favourite authors. Their writing is amazing and their stories so unique, gripping and good. I was completely pulled into this story. It discusses the themes of grief so well. I also like the discussion around sexual/gender identity. The only reason this isn't a five star is because I got confused at certain moments. The timeline isn't lineair, which really added to the story and I think it was the best way to tell it, and there were some moments I was a bit lost. Overall, this was an amazing book that I would recommend to everyone.

We need more authors like Emezi ,who in "The Death of Vivek Oji" gives a beautifully balanced and deeply reflective insight into the importance of always being true to oneself. Set in Nigeria, amidst a culture that is still prone to extreme acts of violence where societal norms are transgressed, we follow the all too short life of Vivek. Only gradually do we come to understand his gender confusion and the impact it has on the lives of those to whom he is closest. How the different generations respond to him, both in life and in death, is brutally exposed as the novel progresses ,and it would take an extraordinarily closed mind to not to be deeply moved by the agonising personal conflicts that Vivek has to square up to every day. However, in spite of these issues Vivek both gives and finds love. The final sections of this novel are written with such empathy and sincerity it is surely impossible for any reader not to be deeply affected. Emezi is to be congratulated on writing this searingly honest novel built around LBGT issues - it will open many eyes and engender much-needed understanding

While I really enjoyed this one, I felt the way the multiple time lines confused the story. Since the story jumped back and forth with very little warning, I had trouble figuring out where what I was reading fit into the story. I also felt the inclusion of so many secondary characters that were introduced and then never talked about further kept me from loving the book.

However, this is such a powerful story of loss and love that I did enjoy the book a lot.

Wow. I have never read anything like The Death of Vivek Oji. I began this book based off of glowing recommendations- but knew next to nothing about it. This book surprised me at every turn.

My heart goes out to everyone who ever has to struggle with their true identity & acceptance. This book exposed the lives of LGBQT teens in Nigeria. The Nigerian culture was something I enjoyed learning about through this book. It was done so well- I didn’t feel like I was reading facts. It was interwoven so the reader just figured out this is how things were. Vivek was a magical character.

The only thing I struggled with was the heaviness of this book. It was so well written- but the story was painful at times. And rightfully so. Each time I picked it up I wanted to know more while simultaneously wanting to turn a blind eye. It’s so very sad the reality that faces those who don’t follow the stereotypical life path. This book did a beautiful job exposing lesbian/bi/gay culture and the pain it is filled with. It also painted a beautiful story of loving someone for who they are. I wish more people would be awakened to this. It has totally changed my view on what it’s like to hide who you are and how certain cultures handle that.

At this point, I think I'll run out of words to describe Akwaeke Emezi's writing long before they run out of stories.

I don't even know if I want to talk about this in terms of "decentering" whiteness, cis-ness or eurocentricism l because I didn't feel like anything had been shifted out of place when I read THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI, but rather it's a righting and a restoration. Emezi's characters are powerfully and viscerally drawn and there's real beauty in the communities they depict, even in critique. Writers like Emezi have converted me from a hater of multi-perspective narratives (it transpires I didn't hate them, I just hated hearing from ten different Janes in one book...) - it's a real gift to be able to weave so many authentic voices together to form such a vibrant narrative mosaic, a gift Emezi wields skilfully.

This novel screams from every page the necessity of living your life on your own terms and particularly challenged, for me, the notion that funerals are for the dead - in that our ownership of our own identities, and stories, shouldn't stop once we are no longer living.

I'm building my own canon of writers I can rely on to completely subvert my expectations yet consistently deliver. Undoubtedly, Akwaeke Emezi is one of them. This is a real love story.

Decolonising the curriculum: 'Romeo and Juliet'... 'Hamlet'... give the babies proper PROPER tragedy; break their hearts beautifully.

The Death of Vivek Oji begins with the day when the market was fired and Vivek was dead with the story describing Vivek's life. The body of Vivek was found in the veranda with blood stains and his mother was trying to find out how he died and who kept his body in the veranda. Vivek wants to live a different life but he felt his parents won't accept it so he doesn't say anything to them and only people to know what happens in his life was his friends. Vivek's mother is an Indian and they have a community called Nigerwives which is for the women who married Nigerians and living there.

I loved reading it and I felt pity for Vivek. When I came to how he died and his cousins love for him I felt so sad.
People don't live the way they want because of society and their parents are not open-minded and don't have acceptance. Parents should be open-minded to treat their children as friends and try to know what's going through them and accept them. If Vivek can trust his parents he may have existed in the world and lived a happy life.

"Some people can't see softness without wanting to hurt it"

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwake Emezi. Vivek dies on the day that the market burns down and is left by his parents doorstep, convinced that his death was a hate crime or a targeted attack. His mother tries to uncover the truth behind this through his friends and family. (I'll use Vivek he/him here)

This story is heartbreaking, it is sad and heavy and as I read through the book I felt sorry for every character. There's Vivek who knows that he exists outside of the norm and even though he's scared, he does not change himself. He lives, till his last day brushing shoulders with death and being okay with that as long as he gets to be himself. But there's only so much one can take alone so there's need for a support system which he does find in his friends while his family is struggling to find a name for what Vivek is and how to help him even though this help does more harm than good.
Through these pages, you get to experience Vivek from different perspectives and realize how utterly alone he really is. Osita's point of view is especially heart wrenching

What I loved the most about it is the attempt to affirm the queer African experience. There's this part in the book where Mary tells Kavita that Vivek is only safe because he's mixed and that sooner or later people are going to get tired and he'll get what's coming for him. Though partly true, I think that by Vivek reclaiming the name
'NNEMDI' makes him unapologetically tied to his fathers roots as he is to his mother. The idea of immortality/ continuity of life in the African naming system also makes this book hopeful.

This book had a lot more explicit scenes than I was expecting 😅

cw// queerphobia, conversion therapy, domestic violence mentioned, incest

"If nobody sees you, are you still there?"⁠

This book is so special; it’s one that grabbed me from the first sentence and wouldn’t let me go until the gripping conclusion. This will absolutely be one of my favorite books of the year.

A shorter read at just 240 pages, Emezi crafts a moving, spellbinding tale of Vivek and those who loved Vivek’s individuality, warm and kindness. It’s so hard to know what to say without spoiling the book and its emotional punch, but it deals with a number of deeper issues - to name just a few, it covers caste, gender identity, sexuality, transphobia, family dynamics, and religion.

This hyped book was worth every once of the hype, and I’ll be carrying it close to my heart for awhile.