Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

156 reviews

jmiles758's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

vanesst's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Infidelity, Transphobia, Grief, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

brynalexa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I went into this book blind but pretty sure I’d love it. Love is the wrong word but it was very easy to get through  (wonderful formatting) and extremely well written. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcohol

randeerebecca's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Grief, Outing, and Dysphoria

ingridaleida's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Rape

cmklaft's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

i don't agree or like how incest was romanticized, this wasn'  necessary. Viveks black outs are never really explained,  i have made assumptions this is due to maybe his reincarnation and being his true self eliminates them,  but they just entirely disappear from the plot. Additionally,  Ebenezer's added story was unnecessary. 

Despite all my complaints,  I did enjoy the story and felt it was well written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

donyea's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

While this was a well written book in terms of imagery and foreshadowing.  I also thought the progression of understanding Vivek’s identity and his transition was well done.  I loved the commentary on spiritual psychosis. HOWEVER….

there was really no need for the cousin incest to be described to that degree and portrayed as “true love”.  Upon reflection, Osita was repressed and he had an innocent crush on Vivek as a young child, growing up jealous of Vivek’s openness and identity—so his repression and reluctance to live his life freely as a gay man in Nigeria led him to turn to the only other queer male he knew and had a emotional relationship leading him to change the relationship to a physical one made sense.  However, that does not mean we have to pretend like incest is true love lol or have to describe the physicality to such a degree. Additionally, there were a couple plot holes like Vivek’s spells. Lastly, I actually hated the ending. I was hoping that, as the book went between pre- and post-death, Osita would not be in any way connected to Vivek’s death. To me that would have been too predictable. To make matters worse, Nnemdi died in the most ridiculous way possible.

In my opinion there were many unnecessary plot lines that actually had no effect on the plot.  So much went on in that book.  Like too much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

this shit absolutely broke my heart, emezi has such a gorgeous way with words. the way they immerse you into these worlds and make you sit in these feelings of discomfort is absolutely unmatched. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

lizziaha's review against another edition

challenging sad

5.0

AKWAEKE EMEZI YOUVE DONE IT AGAIN!! You ever read a sentence and it’s so good you want to eat it?? 
This book deals with some very complex issues and honestly i felt deeply uncomfortable about some of it. But I think that’s part of what made the book so good. It lets you form your own conclusions alongside the characters. It forces you to wade into the nuance and muddy your own moral compass. 
It’s really impossible to describe this reading experience but i want a physical copy in my hands NOW. A reread is imminent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Transphobia, and Grief

Moderate: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria

Minor: Rape

aiirglow's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit