The Death of Vivek Oji

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this book and deciding whether I enjoyed it or not. It handles intense, emotional topics and was well-written, but felt longer than it had to be. I initially picked up a print copy but struggled to get into the story, so I opted to listen to the audiobook instead.

The death of Vivek occurs right at the beginning of the story and then goes back in time so the reader can witness their struggles, experiences and relationships that brought Vivek to that fateful day. Set in Nigeria in the 1990's the book covers several relevant and emotional topics - grief, identity, the complications of religion and social mores and the importance of connection between the individual, family, and community.

The writing is strong, and the narrators did a great job. There is tragedy and important issues of acceptance, but I struggled to connect with the story. I wanted more input from Vivek, but we only see them through the eyes of the people around them and the addition of several superfluous characters made the story feel convoluted at times - particularly those who make only brief appearances. But the ending, as the book comes back around to Vivek's death, will surprise readers with an unexpected and emotional twist.

This book has beautiful writing, great representation and discusses important subjects of grief, repression, identity, and the power of acceptance. But it has more of a Literary Fiction feel (not a favourite genre of mine) and felt like it was trying to do too much in a short number of pages. It will generate amazing book club discussion, but I still can't decide if I enjoyed this book. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Akwaeke Emezi

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: eAudiobook from public library

Narrators: Yetide Badaki, Chukwudi Iwuji

Run Time: 7 hours, 43 minutes

Publisher: Penguin Audio

First Published: August 4, 2020

Opening Line: If this story was a stack of photographs - the old 

kind, rounded at the corners and kept in albums under 

the glass and lace doilies of center tables in parlors 

across the country -- it would start with Vivek's father, Chika.

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.