The Death of Vivek Oji

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Description
A dramatic and deeply moving novel of three generations coping with secrets, violence, and grief, against a backdrop of political and social unrest.

They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died.

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.

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Awards

Stonewall Book Award Nominee for Literature (2021), 

Orwell Prize Nominee for Political Fiction for Longlist (2021), 

Audie Award for Literary Fiction & Classics (2021), 

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction (2020), 

Dylan Thomas Prize Nominee for Shortlist (2021), 

Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2020), 

PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Nominee for Shortlist (2021), 

Nommo Award for Best Novel (2021), 

Aspen Words Literary Prize Nominee for Longlist (2021), 

Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2022), 

The Publishing Triangle Award Nominee for Trans and Gender-Variant Literature (2021)

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Review 

A truly staggering and monumental read. Emezi’s prose invaded every cell of my being, leaving this book fully imprinted on my soul. 

This remarkable novel starts out innocuously and somewhere along the journey weaves itself so deeply into your atoms. Emezi provides a masterclass in viscerally dismantling the macabre and marrying it to grief in a way that sticks to your marrow. They take gender and identity and spread these struggles across every character in the most authentic way possible.

The characters were so vivid that I almost forgot I was reading a book. Each chapter’s perspective felt like I was conversing with the POV character instead of viewing them from a distance. The shifts from person to person were so fluid they kept every bit of tension cranked to maximum. I felt just like Kavita—desperately wanting to know more.

I could not put this down once I started; to say that I devoured this novel would be an understatement. This should, unequivocally, be required reading. 

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