Saturday, October 3, 2020

Book Review - The Death of Vivek Oji; Akwaeke Emezi


The Death of Vivek Oji; Akwaeke Emezi
Penguin Audio - 2020

Just who was Vivek Oji and, how and why did he die?  From the title and as the novel begins, we know he is dead. His mother finds his nearly naked, bloodied body on her doorstep.  Did his death have anything to do with the riots that were happening in their Nigerian town?  His family needs answers about the death of their only son who was born on the day that his grandmother died.

What a beautiful story, it pulled me in right away. The writing is vivid and powerful and, it's a story that has an air of mystery to it as well.  Each of the characters tells a piece of the Vivek story so that the reader gets to know the deceased a little better.  I loved learning about his family and I was impressed how well his character came to life with each new chapter.  Unfortunately, there is nothing else I can say about Vivek and this book without spoiling the story for you. 

DO NOT read the reviews out there - too much of the story is exposed in those reviews. This is a fairly short novel, a story that is beautiful and yes a bit sad, it will make many parents ask themselves, " how well do I really know my children?"    This novel is so worth reading and one that is sure to make make top 10 list for 2020; I loved it.  The audio version is read by Yetide Badaki and Chukwudi Iwuji; both did a fabulous job.

RATING - 5/5 stars

12 comments:

  1. 5/5. Enough said. I'll skip the reviews and look for the book.

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  2. You've sure found some good ones lately!

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  3. Wow great review! I'll have to get to it before the end of this year. It sounds very good

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  4. So looking forward to reading/listening to this one!!

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  5. I'm so glad you read and enjoyed this wonderful book. I hope it finds the wide audience that it deserves.

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  6. This sounds really good. There seems to be an awful lot of good fiction coming out of Nigeria these days...interesting country, so that's good to see. Thanks for the heads-up about avoiding the reviews.

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  7. I am so glad you liked this one! I agree, reviews are giving away too much. the reader needs to have it all unfold for themselves.

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  8. Such enthusiasm, thanks for sharing your thoughts

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  9. This sounds riveting, Diane. Thank you for being careful about what you include in your review. I may well listen to or read this one!

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  10. You are the second of my blogger friends to review this one. I will be reading it!

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