DNF @32%
2022; Atria Books, Simon& Schuster Canada

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a great title on a gorgeous cover. Emezi's writing is both realistic and beautiful, but this novel, or rather the story, did not work for me. I was pretty hooked the first 15-20% of the book, and was down to go on this journey with Feyi (Fay-he). What turned me off a bit was that Feyi seems to have love at first sight with every gorgeous man she meets. And going from friend to father, seemed a bit too much for me. Emery's writing and characters did remind me of Terry McMillan's novels. That gave me a great moment of nostalgia.

I am in the minority of not loving this novel, so please check out some of the great 4-5 stars reviews to see if maybe you would be more into it. I did see some reviews that thought it was a "trashy romance" (which I don't see as a negative thing) but I don't think I would call it that. There is a lot going on in this book, serious issues, and I think this is a realistic look at the emotions. Maybe not the rich bf/friend who flies you to be in a Art show while meeting his celebrity chef father, but like reality show real ;)

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss and Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

Some day, I will reread this book, and when I do, I’ll annotate it, and probably have to hold myself back from underlining half the book. I love Akwaeke Emezi’s writing. They have a talent for distilling complicated experiences and emotions in just a few words that pack a very strong punch.

When I heard they’d written a romance, I couldn’t picture what that would look like. THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI was one of my favorite books of 2020, and I was curious (and excited!) to see what “romance” would look like coming from the same author.

But in my mind, this isn’t a romance novel. Yes, it has sex and yearning and tropes. But this book is about Feyi and her art and her having a hot girl summer that helps her move forward from the trauma that’s been weighing her down. It’s possible I feel this way because the tropes here aren’t the ones I gravitate towards (insta-love and age gap), which means I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second. The romance itself is very quick, plot-wise, but Feyi’s introspection about her feelings are drawn out and sticky and full of Emezi’s incredible writing.

I’d recommend this book for people who liked SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE, another romance novel that felt like so much more than a love story.

I received an ARC of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

After Pet and The Death of Vivek Oji, of course I would be reading the latest Akwaeke Emezi. Of course! I was eager to find out what they would do in the realm of romance, a genre of which I desperately need to read more—and the lush cover and title didn’t hurt. But You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, although beautifully written, features a frustrating lack of conflict, and it glamorizes unhealthy relationships under the guise of true love. It made me feel gross.

Five years after the death of her husband, Jonah (who was apparently perfect in every way and therefore a very boring character; thankfully, he is dead), Feyi is learning to love again. First she dates Milan, who seems pretty decent, and then Nasir, who seems pretty decent, and then, um—Nasir’s father? Who she has known for roughly five minutes? Whose house (located in a tropical paradise) Nasir takes her to, and where she stays free of charge? Sure, it’s a discomforting power dynamic and age difference; sure, the relationship doesn’t have chemistry or a chance to develop over time; sure, Feyi and Alim can’t be bothered to communicate with Nasir or his sister; only one thing matters, according to You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty—he’s hot.

Yikes!

(To be clear: yes, people make poor decisions in real life, and I expect them to make poor decisions in fiction too. But the issue isn’t the decisions—it’s the tacit endorsement of those decisions by the text, and it’s how uninteresting the characters making those decisions are.)

But it’s not just Alim: everyone in this book is beautiful. While I appreciated the affirmations of Black beauty, the apparent nonexistence of non-beautiful people in this world detaches it from reality (it reminded me of HBO’s Insecure in this particular respect, but Insecure has something else going for it, which is that it’s good). The depictions of Feyi’s experiences with the art world also struck me as deeply dishonest—everything she makes is brilliant, and everyone she meets wants to give her outrageous amounts of money for more of her brilliant art. Even if we accept that Feyi is extraordinarily lucky, I don’t think there’s anything interesting about a character who never struggles, has everything handed to them, and shows no self-awareness of that luck.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty has one saving grace, which is the quality of the writing. I never had an actively bad time reading it. But the more I think about it, the more it sours and curdles in my brain. Fiction is fueled by conflict and Emezi’s latest is running on fumes, and the characters are not compelling enough to outweigh the damaging and dangerous messages perpetuated here (trauma does not excuse hurting other people!). I recommend Emezi’s previous work, but I can’t comfortably do so with You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

This book is nothing like Emezi's prior works. I knew that going in. I knew it was a romance. And was it? Well... mostly? But whatever it's genre labeling, whatever the expectations, this is just great. It was a lot more heartfelt than I was expecting, and deals with trauma and family drama and finding oneself after tragedy with gorgeous prose. I don't think I would have made the same choices as the heroine, but I could understand her motivations. And I liked that even though her choice (with her new lover) is far from the typical, it makes sense... mostly... and there are no easy answers.

I actually liked the meditations on art, and self-representation, the best of all of this. Whether it's cooking or visual arts, these are characters who represent the world with their hands. Just as Emezi represents the world with their words. I really loved the prose, and it's sparse elegance matched Feyi.

I really enjoyed this. Not just because of the gorgeous cover and great title (which I adored), but I loved the vibrant writing and language. It’s a sexy, sultry, messy love story, not for those who find insta-love annoying (I’m not one of them!) The complicated, intense attraction and connection through personal loss and creativity made sense to me. And I really rooted for Feyi. I connected with all her messiness, her insecurities and self doubt, her walls she put up one minute, only to take impulsive risks the next. Great summery read.

Enjoyed this book and the writing was incredible but something about the romance didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for a chance to read this in exchange for a honest review.

I absolutely loved this book, it was so well written. The insight to the characters' thoughts and emotions were beautiful and attention grabbing. You felt almost intimate with the way the writing made you so close to the characters. The storytelling was gorgeous. I also liked how Emezi handled loss and grief. She really spoke to the audience with a familiarity and relatability that everyone has experienced at some point. I would definitely read more of her work and will recommend this to everyone.

3.5 rounded up.

I’m not a big romance girlie and especially not spicy romances so this wasn’t just something I was set up to love but I wanted to give it a shot.

I did really enjoy the exploration of grief and the detailed food descriptions.

Thanks, NetGalley and Artia Books, for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of "You Made a Fool of Your Beauty" by Akwaeke Emezi. Unfortunately, this book was not for me as it was very challenging to get past the language and inappropriate sexual hookups/relationships.

I loved this book so much. It’s different and a bit unconventional, but such a beautiful story in a beautiful setting! I really enjoyed it and am so glad I went into it now knowing much about it. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I don’t know that I have much more to say other than, this book is beautiful. It’s beautiful when it’s messy, it’s beautiful when it’s sweet, it’s beautiful when it hurts. I just absolutely adored every second of it.

torn on how I feel about this ((kind of(?) spoilers ahead))

I think the author's writing and sense of narrative voice was beautiful and I can tell why they are so recognized for their previous work because it's just stunning. however, I am at a crossroads. the English major/critical analysis part of me really respects what the story was trying to do here, to portray loss and grief alongside hope and personal change, and to create a sensual and romantic love story that is purely unconventional at its core. I really liked seeing how feyi grew emotionally throughout this and seeing how, although still bound to her sadness, there was that desire for life and passion that was found in alim. however, the emotional part of me, or at least my physical gut response is this sense of discomfort and 'ickiness' so to speak about their relationship. a part of me thinks that was the point because both of them found themselves drawn to one another based on their shared experiences with trauma and loss and their responses to it going forward, and feeling that they are the only ones who can understand one another in those ways. but in the same breath, I think the conventional part of me that has been taught that this type of relationship is odd or taboo is making a large impact on how I viewed the romance/relationship in this. i know this isn't necessarily a romance novel just because it has romance in it but being it is a large part of feyi's personal journey, I'm finding it hard to separate these elements in my mind to make me feel comfortable about the whole thing. but maybe that's the point?? I don't know. I definitely enjoyed this reading experience but i also don't know that i truly liked this book.

Feyi has dealt with the grief of losing her husband, at such a young age, for the past five years. The book opens with her meeting Milan, having a steamy, sexy time, and moving on to this friend, Nasir. As her "friendship" begins to bloom with Nasir, he makes connections for her work to be included in an exhibit on his home island (never formally named). Then, there's Joy, Feyi's friend, and confidante who helps her navigate how quickly her (Feyi's) love life becomes.

However, Feyi annoyed me. I recognize questioning her new, blooming relationship, but her behavior was irrational. (Maybe that's the point... grief can make you irrational.) She questioned everything and found strength in the moments that I expected her to cower. Joy, also, does not always serve as a voice of reason (even though she believes herself to be). Overall, I enjoyed the storylines. I cannot say that this story was predictable.

Let me start by saying this is not the typical romance novel. This book is about overcoming tragedy, dealing with grief, and reawakening to oneself.

If you go into this one thinking it is a romance, you’ll miss the Forrest for the trees.

This book is a journey about one woman overcoming tragedy in her life, and does she do it in a clean and tidy way? No, but it is a worthwhile read about overcoming and healing,

The plot was so fun and messy! I don't usually read books from the "romance" genre so, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I do recommend this one if you're looking for a quick read.

Feyi is learning how to live and love again. After the untimely death of her husband, she has spent 5 years avoiding life, but it is time for her to get back in the swing of things. When her roommate takes her to a rooftop party she lets herself live again and ends up back in the swing of dating. When she finds herself in what appears to be a dream scenario, flying off to a tropical island, having the dream chance to showcase her art, and a budding relationship, everything seems to be going well. Until she arrives on the island to meet the one person who is completely off-limits. This story has good intentions, but it just didn't fit well with me. I wasn't a fan of the overuse of explicit language and sex scenes. I understand that was part of the story, but it just wasn't my thing. 3 stars. Thank you , NetGalley for the eARC.

This book wasn’t for me. While I could empathize with Feyi being a widow and hesitant to jump back into dating, the constant reminder of her beauty and every guy she encountered was a bit over done. I couldn’t connect to the characters or their plight.

Really enjoyed this one -a story that'd be hard to forget. Different than your average romance - not predicable or cheesy, and heavy themes around grief/losing a partner. Not too steamy, but some!

I loved this book, and way the author took her time describing Feyi’s life experience, her loss, and growth, and ultimate willingness to let in the love of a wonderful man. This book was very different from her first book, The Death of Vivek Oji, and yet very similar, in the way Ms. Emezi writes, and takes her time to delve into her characters lives and feelings, and allows the readers to get to know them deeply. I wrote my r3view in Goodreads, and Instagram, and tried to put the review up on Facebook, which didn’t take. I am so glad for the opportunity to read this book, for my honest review.

5 stars! Thank you Netgalley for the arc. Akwaeke Emezi is an all time favorite author and this one did not disappoint. This was definitely hard hitting contemporary with a side of romance. I cried and laughed out loud. Excellent.