Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

80 reviews

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Death of Vivek Oji feels like an extended meditation on queerness and transness.  In a country like Nigeria, where these identities are criminalized, it’s especially true for trans people that only they know what is best for them, though this will not stop well-meaning friends and family.  Emezi’s heartbreaking parable invites readers to imagine a world in which a trans person living freely is not “dancing with death.”  A world in which trans people are recognized as otherworldly gifts.  Born on the anniversary of his grandmother’s death, Vivek Oji was destined to be different

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

angiepoggi's review

emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

The Death of Vivek Oji not only depicts mourning in a beautyful manner, but also brings us, the readers, into that mourning as well.

Vivek's death is not only about the act of not ever being able to breath anymore, it's about the death of who his family thought he was, and, as well as his birth that was accompanied by grief, about her rebirth.

It's such a carefully woven story that never let's go of the nuances of every decision and thought of It's characters, who, if you told me were real, I would've believed without sparing a doubt. 

Even thought there were some relationships that I have conflicted feelings about and believe could've been brought here in a different way, I'll still cary this story for life and think about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape

almirareads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book was…woah. It freaking shook me. Akwaeke is growing to be one of my favorite authors, and this book is partially why. It’s most definitely a lot, but this journey of Vivek coming into themself is haunting, yet beautiful. Finding out how Vivek dies is so heartbreaking. The best word to describe this book is definitely heartbreaking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Transphobia, and Blood

Minor: Animal death

sha's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood

allapaz's review against another edition

4.25

owwwwww

akwaeke emezi is a FORCE to be reckoned with. some of the most beautiful, tender, transportive prose I've ever read, what an exploration of identity and gender and expression and secrets and violence, ugh

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death

emilybacher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, and Transphobia

Moderate: Animal death and Deadnaming

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

 Akwaeke Emezi is a masterful storyteller and writer. Every book they write is a gift to experience, and this one is no different. The last 20% of the story, in particular, made me sob. The entire novel has such a a deeply lyrical and emotional story about the way we relate to others and how well we know the peiple we live. I think we can all see ourselves in the characters with their emotional depths. Akwaeke is so talented at describing grief and making that raw, difficult emotion something they can communicate through their stories. It is such a talent.

The book is heavy in many ways, so please be mindful of the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

For context on the incest tag:

The incest takes place consensually between cousins.

tinyjude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

I liked the writing style and the ending felt powerful and fulfilling despite it's tragedy after wondering so bad what happened to Vivek.

I wish that instead of seeing Vivek/Nnembi from everyone's points of view, we got more from her inner world and how she felt in those final months. Especially with all the gender fluidity and sexual identity that could have  been explored through her lens. My biggest complain is the incest like WHAT THE FUCK? they could have been childhood friends and that would have made this so much more enjoyable, but making them cousins... I hated every second of it. Also, why is everyone fucking everyone without their partners' knowing? WHY ARE YOU CHEATING AND SAYING YOU LOVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND???? I DONT GET IT.
After so much transphobic comments from his parents, I am glad that his mom accepted him, even though it was too late and her reactions at first hurt so much to read.
The grandma was my favourite character. She rules even after death, she would have loved Vivek/Nnembi so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Dysphoria

angievansprang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I absolutely loved this. A gut-wrenching ode to queerness and love, this book and these characters will be with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Dysphoria

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Blood, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail