"The Death of Vivek Oji" by Akwaeke Emezi

SYNOPSIS (from goodreads)
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.

REVIEW
The book is beautifully written and it was really refreshing to see such unique perspectives. At its core the story is about grief and the heartbreaking effects it has on those dealing with a tragedy.

I will say the constant change of POV and the back and forth between timelines prevented me from getting attached to any of the characters. There were too many people trying to force their feelings on the reader. 

I wanted to know more about Vivek. They were the most fascinating person in the story and they still remain kind of a mystery because you are forced to make judgements about Vivek through those that knew them. Those opinions are warped based on that character’s personal beliefs and relationship to Vivek. The moments where Vivek was in charge of their own story were few and far between.

⭐️⭐️⭐️