At the start of this year, I set myself some bookish resolutions and reading goals. One of these is to declutter my TBR and focus some more on the backlist titles. Unexpectedly, I do quite a good job with this. One of the books that has been on my TBR for a while now is The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi. I acquired this book in 2023 and have been meaning to read it ever since. However, I kept postponing it, right until recently.

About the book

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
Published by Riverhead Books on August 4, 2020
Pages: 245
ISBN: 9780525541608
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, General fiction, Literary fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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 colorful 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. 
Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations–a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.

My review

Before reading

I have been seeing lots of talk about this book back in the day, hence why I got curious and why I added it to my TBR. However, I’m not doing too well on books that are highly praised, I’m too afraid to be disappointed once again. That’s quite common for me lately, being disappointed by books many people seem to love. On the other hand, I enjoy to branch out and diversify my reading. This book is certainly diverse, as it’s a LGBTQIA+ story set in Nigeria by an author from Nigerian descent.

Characters

This story is about Vivek, a young man who is found dead on the doorstep of his family home. Everyone mourns him, because no one saw this coming. The circumstances were rather suspicious, and his mother understandably has questions. What happened to her son? As Vivek can no longer tell the story himself, Emezi lets you rely on other narrators, people close to him. Cousin Osita, mother Kavita, and a few of his closest friends all get their own point of view. Gradually, you get the full picture of Vivek and the circumstances surrounding his death. He seems to have everything going for him, but deep down, Vivek is deeply unhappy. He struggles with himself and his sexuality, because being gay – and especially openly – is tough in Nigeria. His feelings are most evident in the few chapters told from his point of view. His friends are fiercely loyal to Vivek, much to his mother’s despair. They gradually learn to cope with the loss of their loved one and in time, they are able to face the truth about this tragedy.

Writing

Emezi’s writing style is pleasant. The chapters are short, and the time jumps allow for a good overview of the story. One thing that takes some getting used to is the use of different narratives. Most of the story is told from a first person singular narrative, which effectively expresses the characters’ thoughts. However, Kavita gets a third-person singular narrative, which creates more of a distant feeling. Once you get the hang of it, it is easy to adjust to and won’t be confusing anymore.

Plot

The grief and sorrow surrounding Vivek’s death leap off the pages. The plot of this novel evolves around the mystery surrounding this tragedy. As the story progresses, deeper layers reveal themselves. Themes such as family dynamics, being and finding yourself and meeting society’s expectations play an important role. With this, the author offers a compelling glimpse into a different culture, particularly in the area of mental health. This is important for all the characters, and Emezi aims to demonstrate with this story that traditions and superstitions are often so deeply ingrained that there is little to no room for change. The younger generation suffers from this, and Vivek’s story clearly illustrates this. This makes for a compelling book that will keep you reading.

Final thoughts

Are you looking for either a lighthearted and positive story or are you seeking a murder mystery? Then Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji is not for you. His death is indeed mysterious, as no one knows how it happened. Slowly but surely, the mystery is unraveled, but this can’t be done without exposing other painful issues. The author weaves important yet powerful themes into the story, creating a reflection of how people in other cultures look at mental health. This is gaining increasing attention, but the insight into other cultures in this area is sometimes still lacking. Because this novel has many deeper layers and makes you want to find out what happened to Vivek, it intrigues from the very first page. It’s hard to put down, and I can only applaud this cocktail of ingredients.