The Death of Vivek Oji

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The Death of Vivek Oji
The Death of Vivek Oji.jpg
The Death of Vivek Oji
AuthorAkwaeke Emezi
CountryNigeriaNigeria
LanguageEnglish
GenreContemporary Fiction
PublisherRiverhead Books
Publication date
2020
Media typePrint, E-book
Pages248
ISBN9780525541608
Preceded byPet 
Followed byDear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir 

The Death of Vivek Oji is a 2020 novel by Nigerian author Akwaeke Emezi.[1] Published by Riverhead books, it narrates the life of Vivek Oji until his death.[2]

Plot[]

Born on the day of their grandmother, Ahunna's, death, Vivek becomes her incarnation, solidified by the starfish-shaped scar on Vivek's body that resembles Kavita's, Vivek's mother. 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.

Themes[]

Self identity[]

The novel deals with self identity which the eponymous character Vivek faces as they come to terms with their true identity and believes they should be free to be who they are and what they wants without disturbances from others.[3][4]

Homosexuality[]

The novel explore the views of homosexuality in Nigeria as it is a criminal offence and the stigma attached to it. It also talks about closeted gay people who are afraid of coming out and are yet to come in terms with their sexuality.[4]

Reception[]

The book received several positive reception with several media outlet praising Emezi's creativity.[5][6] It was an instant New York Times bestseller.[4] In a positive review the Los Angeles Times called it "a relatively slim book that contains as wide a range of experience as any saga". A starred review by the Kirkus called it "Vividly written and deeply affecting".[7]

References[]

  1. ^ "The Death of Vivek Oji". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  2. ^ Collins, Sara (2020-09-03). "The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi review – a painfully invisible existence". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  3. ^ Grady, Constance (2021-04-16). "How The Death of Vivek Oji inverts the murder mystery". Vox. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  4. ^ a b c Egan, Elisabeth (2020-07-28). "His Family Misses Him. But Did They Ever Really Know Him?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  5. ^ "Excerpt: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi". Brittle Paper. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ "4 Takeaways from Akwaeke Emezi's 'The Death of Vivek Oji'". The NATIVE. 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  7. ^ "The Death of Vivek oji". Kirkus Reviews.

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