The Death of Vivek Oji

March 16, 2020
Emezi returns to adult fiction (after YA novel Pet) with a brisk tale that whirs around the mysterious death of a young Nigerian man, Vivek Oji. As a child in the 1990s, Vivek secretly identifies as a girl, the psychological strain of which causes Vivek to slip into blackouts. Only his close male cousin, Osita, recognizes the seriousness of these fugue states. (Vivek’s parents dismiss them as “quiet spells.”) As a teenager, Vivek grows his hair long in defiance of gender expectations, and Emezi affectingly explores the harm of threats to Vivek’s gender expression from other boys and men, who sling insults and glass bottles at him on the street. As Vivek finds solace in his female friends and Osita, he discovers he is not the only one with secrets. After his death, the heartbreaking details of which are gradually revealed, the other characters learn more about his secret life
. While Emezi leans on clichés (“hit me in the chest like a lorry”) and two-dimensional supporting characters, they offer sharp observations about the cost of transphobia and homophobia, and about the limits of honesty in their characters’ lives. Despite a few bumps, this is a worthy effort. Agent: Jacqueline Ko, Wylie Agency. (Aug.)Correction: An earlier version of this review did not use the author's preferred gender pronouns.

Nigerian-American author Akwaeke Emezi's lyrical and heartbreaking third novel is brought to life by the extraordinarily gifted pairing of narrators Yetide Badaki and Chukwudi Iwuji. This story of grief, family, transgender identity, and societal expectations is set in the turbulent political landscape of the late-1990s Nigeria. Iwuji depicts Vivek and his cousin and close friend, Osita. As the circumstances of Vivek's death are slowly revealed, Iwuji superbly expresses Vivek's and Osita's desires, hesitations, and anguish. With her warm timbre, expressive phrasing, and delicate accents, Badaki is equally mesmerizing painting vibrant and authentic portraits of Vivek's relations and friends--including his determined, grief-stricken mother, Kavita, and his fervently religious Aunt Mary. An impressive production of an unforgettable audiobook. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Starred review from October 1, 2020

For Kavita, an immigrant from India, assimilation into Nigerian culture promises acceptance and companionship. With the Nigerwives--fellow transplants married to Nigerians--she practices recipes and accedes to social norms, accepting husband Chika's plan to "toughen up" sensitive son Vivek with military school. Afterward, Kavita deflects concerns about Vivek's abrupt return from university, detachment, weight loss, late-night wanderings, and flagrantly unusual hairstyle. On the day political unrest instigates rioters to burn the marketplace, Kavita discovers Vivek's body, stripped of clothing, wrapped in smoke-tinged fabric, and left on her veranda. While Kavita relentlessly probes the mystery of Vivek's death, Vivek's cousin and childhood friends, with whom Vivek sought refuge from the identity he could not assimilate, harbor answers about his life. Artfully structured with multiple viewpoints and flashbacks, Emezi's (Freshwater) heartrending, redemptive story garners outstanding narration by Yetide Badaki and Chukwudi Iwuji, who convey a vivid sense of place and add dimension to even minor characters. Both narrators express emotions compellingly--depths of grief and remorse, quieter moments of devastating epiphany, and the nuanced sparring and sharing among Vivek and his contemporaries, whose revelations allow Vivek to finally be seen and heard. VERDICT Literary fiction fans will be transported by this production. Enthusiastically recommended. --Linda Sappenfield, Round Rock P.L., TX

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