A review by sahanasri
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

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

3.5

I have some very mixed feelings on this book (a read for novel nights book club). I really loved the writing style, which immediately drew me in for how delicately descriptive it is. I felt like I could really see the characters and setting, which both felt fleshed out and unique to me. However where it started to lose me was definitely the characters to an extent and also the plot (lol).
idk man really not a fan of reading incest …….. also didn’t see that aspect as super essential to the plot??? idk maybe i missed something (edit: upon further reflection at book club could see how multiple characters had messy relationships with sex and see how that influenced what happened here, so judgement slightly removed)
I didn’t really feel too attached to any of the characters except Kavita, who feels pretty understandable at least. The queer aspects of the story were really interesting but felt like they were fully explored a bit too late? or at least held off just to keep the story more of a mystery? I wasn’t a huge fan even though I can appreciate the nuance of the characters identities. I think I didn’t feel attached enough to Vivek to be able to mourn him much as a person (although I felt for him much more at the end of the book), which really hurt the beginning and middle of the book for me. Overall an interesting read… will be interested to hear some other takes.
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