When it comes to identity, specifically queer identity and gender identity, can a cis-heteronormative person truly comprehend the layers of complexity that build this person’s identity, reality, and innermost thoughts? This feels like the question being explored in The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi. With its intentional narrative and writing style, Emezi creates an emotionally impactful story where, despite knowing the heartbreaking conclusion, you still find yourself holding hope for a different outcome.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi Summary
This novel tells the story of Vivek Oji from his birth to his untimely death. We receive a picture of who he was through the eyes of those who loved him the most. His overprotective and fretful mother, his distant but loving father, his cousin Osita with his complicated feelings of love and adoration, and the young women who are daughters of the Nigerwives who befriended Vivek when he felt utterly alone and despondent.
We see how, through these bonds and relationships, Vivek comes of age and how, following his shocking death, we see just how tragic his life was, and the depth of the secrets he hid were perhaps not as catastrophic as the realities that led him to choose a life of obscurity from those closest to him.
Book Stats
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Author Background: Akwaeke Emezi(they/them) is a gifted Nigerian novelist whose works share a central theme of exploring the realities of Queer people, inviting their readers to think critically about the complexities of sexuality and gender to garner allyship, respect, and acceptance. Their most notable works are: Freshwater, Pet, The Death of Vivek Oji, and Dear Senturan: A Black Spirit Memoir.
The Death of Vivek Oji Themes: identity, gender nonconformity, the consequences of familial and societal rejection
Content warnings: homophobia, transphobia, incest, sexual assault, violence, death, suicidal ideation, domestic abuse, grief, mental health and dysphoria, and infidelity.
Why I Picked It Up
Upon finishing You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty, I swiftly became interested in exploring more of Akwaeke Emezi’s books. After multiple recommendations that I should read The Death of Vivek Oji next, I eagerly made this my next read and was not disappointed.
My Reading Experience
Overall, this novel was a thought-provoking reading experience that challenged my perspective regarding identity, specifically for Queer and Transgender people struggling to create a safe space to live and exist in their truth. I’ll admit, as a heteronormative cis-woman, these aren’t identity struggles I have lived experience with. So, I appreciate how Emezi doesn’t shy away from these conversations and cuts to the quick of how these lived experiences impact a person holistically, especially in environments where queerness and gender fluidity are met with violence and hatred. But let me add some context to why this was such an emotional and mind-blowing read.
Craft & Style
Emezi’s prose is hauntingly beautiful and thought-provoking. She invites you into the intimate realities of the emotional upheaval of identity, especially as it pertains to gender and sexuality. Another finely developed element of this novel is how these characters are all imperfect and flawed in their decisions and actions, but achingly human in their grief and loss.
Emotional Impact
There was this consistent hum of sorrow, loss, and dread laced within the prose of this novel. It’s there plain as day in the premise. You know this is only going to end in tragedy. Yet, you’re compelled to unravel the mystery of Vivek’s brutal demise. Emezi is masterful at manipulating your emotions while keeping you in a bubble of suspense.
The structure where we see the key people of Vivek’s life share their grief and the backstory of who he is, with the little excerpts from Vivek, lends air to a lonely, empty feeling, a disillusioned and disconnected reality. Flowing with the themes of identity and the reality that oftentimes, loved ones and those closest to us may not understand or comprehend who their loved one is holistically. And, this reality really hit home for me.
Representation
When it comes to queer identity in fiction, Emezi is a brilliant voice highlighting the realities of this marginalized group within Nigerian society and culture, but also collectively. Understanding a little bit about the author’s own journey with gender fluidity and sexuality, you can see how this lends credibility and authority to the content she explores and writes in this novel.
Notable Strengths
This novel shines because Emezi does not shy away from the awkward and imperfect reality of the characters’ world and the limitations they face due to societal pressures, time, and the questionable actions and decisions they make as a result of these factors.
Emezi balanced staying true to the story, even in its ugly, harsh realities, while also manipulating your emotions, drawing out empathy, fear, anger, disgust, hope, and heartbreak. Leading to a powerful story with a clear statement.
Potential Hurdles
While for me this was a superb masterpiece, it doesn’t erase the fact that this novel and story may be a bit of a challenge for many readers. For starters, the structure may feel a bit disjointed for some, as there is really no consistent timeline as we go back and forth between the past and present, creating a comprehension challenge for some readers.
Also, there is a taboo relationship featured in this story that will definitely raise eyebrows and turn off readers. While I felt the relationship was a metaphor, others may not be able to get past it to understand what this relationship represents.
Deeper Reflections
If you decide to pick up this book, I invite you to analyze the relationships of Vivek Oji. Question yourself about what each of these relationships represents when it comes to allyship, unconditional love, and acceptance of queer and trans people, and how that should look, how our actions as allies and loved ones, while coming from a protective place of love, can actually harm, stifle, and hurt them. To reflect on the possibility of intersectionality between gender, sexuality, and spirituality.
Who I’d Recommend This To?
This is a novel for those who are struggling with establishing their identity as a queer or trans person in the midst of homophobia or transphobia within family or community, creating a hostile and dangerous situation in which to feel comfortable coming out.
This is also a book for allies and families to help them navigate the emotional, mental, and other challenges that can arise during a friend or family member coming out and discovering their sexuality or gender.
Rating and Final Take
This was such a moving novel that really challenged my perspective around identity in the light of queerness, gender, and spirituality. I enjoyed the found family aspect and how, though Vivek lived a life that was shrouded in sadness, confusion, and not feeling quite settled. There was a space and time, no matter how short or brief, where he got to experience and feel unconditional love and acceptance.
