This book was beautifully written, and heartbreaking. I had trouble at times keeping track of who the narrator was and all of the characters, but I think that was because I listened to this on audio book. It got better the longer I listened and got into the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would recommend to read a physical coy instead of listening just because there are so many characters. The audio narrators were fantastic.

“This is how Vivek 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.”

Incredible writing and beautiful imagenery. Vivek is an interesting character and I wish more passages were told from his perspective. On the other hand, I can see why Emezi would choose not to reveal all of his mind.
I emphatized most with Viveks mother, Kavita, and I felt nearly as desperate as she did to find out what happened to the child she never really knew (or refused to know).

“We can’t keep insisting he was who we thought he was, when he wanted to be someone else and he died being that person, Chicka. We failed, don’t you see?”

This book was heartbreakingly beautiful.
This book was given to me in exchange for a review. all opinions are mine.

The book is about Vivek, he came into this world at the same time his grandma left and the mystery of how he died is what the readers will unravel.
I liked how everything was connected, from the roadside mechanic to the parents. It tells of familial bonds, religious fanaticism , love , betrayal and friends that become family. It a book that would stay in your mind after reading it.
The writing is beautiful, it weaves Viveks past and the present ( what happens after his death) together in an almost otherworldly manner, because Vivek also has his POV in the present. I like this and although i said this was a heartbreaking book it also gives you hope that death is just the beginning and its nothing to fear.
I highly recommend this.

I picked this book up on a rainy Sunday intending to read a chapter before beginning my day and ended up staying curled up on the sofa until I finished it..

The Death of Vivek Oji is equal parts beautiful and devastating. Emezi seamlessly weaves in Nigerian politics and Igbo culture in to a story that centres on the life (and death) of Vivek Oji. This added a wonderful depth to the book and gave it a feeling of authenticity that was a true delight to read.

I will be thinking about this book for some time to come and cannot wait to see what Emezi writes next.

5/5

Despite the title, the book is as much about life as it is about death, which is clear from the start when we learn of how Vivek’s parents meet - long before Vivek is even in the picture.

Most of the story is told from the perspective of Vivek’s cousin Osita with some input from Vivek. The timeline changes between the past and present in an almost disorderly fashion.

Emezi makes the late 1990s Southeastern Nigeria setting come alive. I loved the references to the Igbo culture, as well as Nigerian politics during this period as it helped to situate and contextualise this. I think it tried too hard at times but it comes across largely authentic overall. Their prose is beautiful and it is easily readable, the story is emotionally affecting, which makes it easy to overlook minor flaws.

I liked that it’s almost a young adult story, a coming of age story and a love story - the best type of love, self-love. Learning to love yourself is a hard task, made more perilous by a homophobic and transphobic society afraid of anything different to the norm.

There’s also a mystical element to the book which is not always subtle but still makes thought-provoking points for readers. Death and how it came to be is set up as a mystery here. It’s a strange phenomenon that when someone dies, people’s first question is how did it happen like only once they possess this knowledge will they then be able to grieve and accept this loss. This book explores grief and the experiences of loved ones left behind.

A close community of mixed-race families in Nigeria is not something I have come across often or considered in detail, so it was interesting to see that depicted in this book. While it is easy to see how much love everyone had for Vivek, I still wish we had heard more from Vivek who is by far the most compelling character. Some characters and storylines, though interesting obstructed the plot and weighed it down. Part of the issue is that we don’t stay with them or Their ideas long enough. However, I think of the story as snapshots of life because right off the bat we are told;

"If this story was a stack of photographs—the old kind, rounded at the corners and kept in albums under the glass and lace doilies of centre tables in parlours across the country—it would start with Vivek’s father, Chika”.

Before reading this, I saw reviews which expressed distaste for an incestuous relationship described in the book. However, reading this beautifully depicted relationship, I have to admit that I don’t have any strong or negative feelings towards it. Art explores and pushes the envelope, even if taken this is taken literally it is simply another tool used to evoke strong emotions.

This would make a great book club pick as there are many elements to ponder on, from issues that the author raise and does not address, to the difference in how lesbian relationships are depicted in the book in comparison to the other queer relationships.

The finish is dramatic but emotionally effective and some scenes will stay with you for a while.

Thanks to Netgalley for my e-ARC.

How did Vivek Oji die? To answer this question, we have to learn how Vivek lived.

I don’t think my review can do this book justice - this is a heartbreaking, finely woven story that draws you in from the beginning. Emezi does a beautiful job revealing the story of Vivek Oji through multiple perspectives, layer by layer, until the entire picture is revealed at the end. The plot is paced beautifully, moving to an unexpected but satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoy family sagas, African literature, or character-driven books, I’d definitely recommend reading this book. It definitely deserves the rave reviews it has been getting, and Vivek’s story is not one I’ll soon forget.

Thank you to Faber & Faber for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a captivating, tender and heartbreaking story - beautiful.
If you didn’t already guess from the title, Vivek Oji is dead; left naked wrapped in colourful fabric at his parents doorstep. What follows is his mother’s journey to discover why this happened to her son, and the realisation that she never really knew him at all. The story is mostly narrated by Vivek’s mother, Kavita, and his beloved cousin, Osita, who is struggling with his own identity and sexuality. However, there is a strong supporting cast of characters, many of them Vivek’s friends who are all coming of age and discovering their own identity and boundaries, as well as his intensely religious aunt Mary who judges Vivek’s behaviour whilst remaining completely unaware of her own son’s desires.
This novel was an emotional rollercoaster - to know that Vivek dies at the beginning of course makes it harder as we get to know him and how oppressed he feels by his family’s expectations. There is no happy ending to be had here (although an unexpected ending perhaps), so there is an overall feeling of sadness and resignation whilst reading. However, there is also a lot of passion, love and friendship and the writing is absolutely beautiful - almost poetic. This book made me feel uncomfortable in places, but also felt like a powerful and necessary read.

I have been excited about this book all year, and it did not at all disappoint. Akwaeke Emezi is one of the best writers I've ever encountered, and their first 2 books--Freshwater and PET--are so spectacular and different from each other that any future Emezi books are auto-reads for me. The Death of Vivek Oji is very different from Emezi's first two novels, though I would say it has some similarities to Freshwater in its polyphonic narration. This book is both heartbreaking--the title character's death begins the novel and is in the title after all--and shockingly uplifting at times...it was breathtaking. (Content warning for homophobia, transphobia, and consensual incest.)

This is an exquisitely written, heartbreaking story about family and friendship.  I loved the way different parts of the story were likened to a pile of old photographs but, goodness me, the story is so sad.  A beautiful book, hard to read at times, but certainly worth a reader's time.

Vivek Oji is dead, his body left on the doorstep of his parents' house. Slowly the truth of what happened is revealed as we learn what Vivek meant to everyone around him, and who he really was. The way Emezi made me care so deeply about these characters was just incredible, so that when the whole truth of Vivek's death was revealed I felt so personally affected by it. This book is about so many things all at once: colonialism and its legacies, family and parenthood, toxic masculinity, queer identities, otherness; but mostly it's about grief and love. I loved the blurring of boundaries, between life and death, gender identities, different kinds of love. The writing is so simple yet beautifully emotive. And I cried. My one negative comment is just that because the narrative hops around the timeline quite a lot I found it a bit difficult sometimes to figure out where we were. But I don't care, because I loved it. That's all.

The Death of Vivek Oji is set in southeastern Nigeria and begins with the introduction of the main characters as if looking through a photo album. Then we learn how Vivek Oji's body was found on the veranda of his parent's house, dead and still bleeding with the back of his skull bashed in. The story switches points of view between Vivek, his cousin Osita, and narrative parts that belong to all of the main characters, Vivek's friends and family. You grow up with Vivek and Osita, learning that Vivek has a chronic illness. As the story progresses, we learn that Vivek is transgender and begins to go out around town as herself, in spite of the danger of being in a place in which LGBTQ+ people have no legal protection. Because you know the end of of the story, but without all of the details, this book cultivates a sense of unease while you read it, because you are afraid for Vivek and what happens next. This book is absolutely stunning, you are wholly immersed in the story and the setting, and you feel deeply with the characters Akwaeke Emezi has brought into being.

The opening line of the synopsis pulled me right in- What is it like to lose a child you didn't really know? A story of a family's love and dysfunction; the character development is outstanding. It is very easy to become invested in the story. A great read for anyone that like appreciates suspense, drama, and social narrative. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this moving novel.

I just finished reading The Death Of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi and I am shook. It was my first time reading Emezi's work and it was a wonderful experience. This is the story of Vivek Oji and his life. The author has beautifully woven smiles and tears in an intricate pattern to create this book. Their writing is impeccable and makes the reader long for more. Vivek Oji is born to Chika and Kavita on the day Chika lost his mother. Vivek is a free spirit but is burdened by the secrets he should keep. He loves Osita and Osita loves him. He loves his parents but he can't tell them everything. After Vivek dies, Kavita is struggling to find out what happened to her son. In her heart she knows Vivek's friends know something they aren't telling her but she will not rest until she finds out the truth of her son's demise.

It's the story of friendship & companionship. It's the story of finding one's true identity and living it. It's sweet at times but painful too. The book draws a vivid picture of life & culture in Nigeria and gives an intimate account of everyday lives of people living there. The language is really beautiful & Igbo words are scattered here & there which makes the readers feel that they are right there with Vivek, seeing everything as it happens.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for providing the Advanced Reader's Copy.

'The Death of Vivek Oji' is not an easy read. It's not a long book either, but it took me longer than I expected to get through it because it's a heavy read. There's a lot more that could have been developed and wasn't - and I'm oddly relieved in some ways that it wasn't.

Vivek's mother finds him dead and wrapped in a length of fabric outside her house and we spend the rest of the book finding out how he got there. It's a book about shame - the parents who don't understand their boy, the aunt who wants to beat the devil out of him, the cousin who is deeply ashamed of his relationship with Vivek. The only character who isn't ashamed of Vivek is Vivek himself and he's the most honest and transparent person in the book.

I was impressed by the bravery of the writing but there's no way I could really say I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in return for an honest review.

The Death of Vivek Oji is a powerful gut-punch of a literary novel and a story that asks the question: 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 colourful 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.

This is an emotionally-resonant, contemporary coming-of-age novel, and although it's only a mere 184 pages in length, it leaves an indelible imprint on your heart and the characters are surprisingly well developed. I found I warmed to them rapidly and felt the intricacies of each of their lives were explained beautifully. There were times I was very moved and times I felt the anger rising up through my body and taking over both my heart and mind; it really is that impactful. It's a rich and sophisticated depiction of middle-class Nigerian life as the characters deal with a tragedy and the multiple viewpoints allow you to feel wholly immersed in the story. Learning more about the Igbo ethnicity was fascinating and the achingly beautiful prose was like experiencing an artist painting a portrait as it was impossible not to be moved and haunted by this tale. It explores in-depth the impact of a death on the deceased's family, friends and community and allowing us to experience Vivek’s life through others’ eyes illustrates the differences in perception and feeling humans often have.

A beguiling, sad and profound read that touches on grief, love, loss, individualism v collectivism, sexuality, self-discovery, identity, acceptance of oneself and acceptance of oneself by others. A memorable and notable addition to African LGBTQ+ lit. Many thanks to Faber & Faber for an ARC.

A tragic and beautiful story of a hidden self and forbidden love.

The dead body of Vivek Oji is left bloodied and stripped bare on his parents doorstep. His grief stricken mother seeks answers and is angered that his friends are clearly hiding things about his final days.

Vivek was lost long before his death and it was clear that he was depressed. Growing his hair long, he brought shame and confusion to his family by defying the norms set for men in the community. He was suffering from blackouts and fugue states and lacked purpose and a sense of self. When he befriends several girls in his neighborhood, he begins to flourish in a new, hidden life, even beginning a forbidden love affair.

In his death, his friends must decide what truths to keep hidden and which ones to bring to the light. His family must decide if they can love the child they lost, rather than the son they envisioned.

This was a heart wrenching story. The writing was exquisite and the details were rich. The nonlinear timeline added a depth to the story that allowed the reader to fill in gaps and create more complex characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel.

Despite the title, this isn’t a book so much about how Vivek died as about how Vivek lived. The story is unlike any other out there. It’s rare that I say a book is beautifully written, but this one truly is. The characters were all interesting & although I enjoyed the multiple perspectives, I wish Emezi hadn’t kept switching between first-person & third-person. Just using first-person from different perspectives would’ve told the story just as well. I also feel like finding out that Vivek’s death was a simple accident was a letdown. There was also a completely extraneous chapter about characters that were never seen before or after that disrupted the flow of the story. Despite these issues this was an enjoyable read that I didn’t want to put down.

Kavita is sure the death of her only son Vivek is a murder. Why else would he have turned up on her doorstep, dead from blunt force trauma to the back of the head, in the middle of the night, naked? She's even more certain of this fact when she can't find the little Ganesha figurine that he always wore around his neck, a protection pendant gifted by a family friend when he was a baby. So Kavita spends the days and weeks after his death questioning everyone who knew him, searching for answers. After all, the death of a child is a most unnatural thing, and she needs to know why.

What readers learn along the way is that there are hidden secrets leading down a road his parents did not expect. His friends are closer to him than Kavita could ever realize without being let in on the picture. This style of family/friend drama, with secrets being hidden until they have to come to light is my kind of book.

I felt a full course of emotions through reading this book. When you can connect to emotions deeply, no matter how different a person's story is than your own, you can empathize. Emezi's book gives readers that emotional voyage to connect to each of the characters within these pages.Trans representation in the most beautiful and honoring way. Pain from friends' traditional views not allowing them to understand a person's gender, and reconciliation when those friends realize it shouldn't matter, realize that it should be valued and honored. Joy from choosing to live one's truth, and finding ways to appreciate one's own beauty. Joy at finding companionship, and people willing to keep your secrets. Grief from loosing a child when that child had just reached adulthood. Confusion about how to reveal a dead friend's truth. Grief from loosing a romantic partner, a friend, a companion.

This is a powerful read. Each of the people in Vivek's life confronts themselves to discover if they truly helped Vivek live the best life possible. Elements of the culture they live in or their personal lives kept them distracted, kept them from loving and supporting Vivek through the dizzying blackouts Vivek experienced and Vivek's journey to gender expression. This is a story of grief and loss, but it is also a celebration of a life.

I finished this story a day ago but it's taken a full 24 hours to process how moving a reading experience this was. The writing in "The Death of Vivek Oji" is incredibly lyrical and beautiful, in spite of (trigger warning) some very graphic sexual assault scenes in the early part of the story. The "dust jacket" synopsis -- that a Nigerian couple discover their beloved but troubled son delivered dead on their doorstep during a time of riots, with no way of knowing he died or even who he really was while alive -was effective. It did its purpose to hook readers while revealing close to nothing about the story. I loved this, as I was able to revel with unadulterated surprise in the turns of the story. Although - harking back to my earlier mention that there are some graphic violent and sexual scenes in the book - I also did a lot of my reading with one hand covering my mouth in shock.

Without delivering spoilers, the novel is at heart about the internecine relationships in a multi-generational family, whose two brothers and their wives each bear an only son. The relationship between the cousins, Osita and book namesake Vivek, is at the heart of the novel. They become as close as can be, spending their childhood together and lounging in the "boys quarters" of Vivek's home, with the more socially aware, strong, handsome and capable Osita often taking care of the scrawnier, awkward Vivek in childhood, protecting him and the secret of what he is becoming, from Vivek's own parents. Later female friends join their circle and also become embroiled in covering up secrets, both for the two cousins and also of their own. Vivek's mother and father, never recovered from the loss of Vivek's beloved paternal grandmother decades ago, fall deeper into a chasm of grief over their only son.

The revelation of the cause of death is withheld until the final chapters, and the reader has spent most of the book learning who Vivek was and wondering what could have led to such a tragic outcome. I could not turn the pages fast enough and when I discovered the cause, my reaction was "but of course this is how it had to happen".

This is a wonderful story from a fresh new voice that taught this reader a lot about gender identify in relationships and Nigerian culture, whilst delivering a page turner.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Faber and Faber Ltd publishing, and Akwaeke Emezi for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was well written I just didn't like or enjoy it. I just didn't feel moved by it. I felt we were told about the love and not really shown it. It just felt a bit stale to me. Also, I was disturbed by the relationship between cousins.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.