THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI by Akwaeke Emezi

THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI by Akwaeke Emezi ***** - I can’t put into words how much I loved this novel. Thank you to Book of the Month for recommending this one for my August read! After finishing this heart-wrenching novel, I went on a walk with my boyfriend and ended up talking his ear off about it the whole time. If you like contemporary fiction based in another country, LGBTQ stories, and immigrant experiences, this book is right up your alley.

What I liked: the writing in this novel was impeccable. Beautifully written poetic prose that perfectly emulated the feelings of the characters, so much so that I felt the feelings myself as I was reading it. The characters themselves were beautifully developed, the friendships felt so real, and the relationship between mother and son was so compelling. Writing about LGBTQ issues is hard to do, but the author did it beautifully and brought up some really interesting questions about trans lives and family acceptance. The plot was extremely interesting and kept me reading day and night, and since it’s a short book I had to really force myself to take my time with it. With a little air of mystery, family saga, and even some immigrant experience (the mothers in this novel were from different countries), this was a five star read all the way.