These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
thenextgoodbook.com
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
245 pages
What’s it about?
This story takes place in Nigeria. Ahunna and Chika hear a noise on their porch one afternoon and assume someone has come to visit. When they open the door they find their son Vivek's body. He is dead and has been wrapped in a colorful fabric and left on the front porch. The family struggles to come to terms with Vivek's life, as well as his death.
What did it make me think about?
Akwaeke Emezi has a gift. Her plot keeps you interested, but it is her well-drawn characters that make her a special writer.
Should I read it?
This was one of my favorite books so far this year. I knew nothing about the plot ahead of time- and I think that was why I enjoyed this story so much. The characters are vivid and interesting and the plot keeps you reading. Book clubs everywhere will be choosing this next year. This is a good one!
Quote-
"I am not what anyone thinks I am. I never was. I didn't have the mouth to put into words, to say what was wrong, to change the things I felt I needed to change. And every day it was difficult, walking around and knowing that people saw me one way, knowing that they were wrong, so completely wrong, that the real me was invisible to them. It didn't even exist to them.
So: If nobody sees you, are you still there?"
If you liked this try-
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshin Hamid
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheer Mirza
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Hum If You Don't Know The Words by Bianca Marais
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
245 pages
What’s it about?
This story takes place in Nigeria. Ahunna and Chika hear a noise on their porch one afternoon and assume someone has come to visit. When they open the door they find their son Vivek's body. He is dead and has been wrapped in a colorful fabric and left on the front porch. The family struggles to come to terms with Vivek's life, as well as his death.
What did it make me think about?
Akwaeke Emezi has a gift. Her plot keeps you interested, but it is her well-drawn characters that make her a special writer.
Should I read it?
This was one of my favorite books so far this year. I knew nothing about the plot ahead of time- and I think that was why I enjoyed this story so much. The characters are vivid and interesting and the plot keeps you reading. Book clubs everywhere will be choosing this next year. This is a good one!
Quote-
"I am not what anyone thinks I am. I never was. I didn't have the mouth to put into words, to say what was wrong, to change the things I felt I needed to change. And every day it was difficult, walking around and knowing that people saw me one way, knowing that they were wrong, so completely wrong, that the real me was invisible to them. It didn't even exist to them.
So: If nobody sees you, are you still there?"
If you liked this try-
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshin Hamid
A Place For Us by Fatima Farheer Mirza
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Hum If You Don't Know The Words by Bianca Marais
This is one of those books that you have to just go in blindly. It is a hard read but I loved it nonetheless ❤️
It didn’t take long to realize that this book was going to pummel my emotions into pulp — the title alone is a warning. And yet, even knowing what was coming, I wasn’t prepared for the tenderness, the ache, the sheer truth of it all.
But what lingers most is not the pain, though there’s plenty of it. What truly stands out, what refuses to be silenced, is the longing. The wild, radiant, unapologetic desire for freedom — to be seen, to be loved, to exist in a skin that feels true. That’s the heartbeat of this book. Not just suffering, but the insistence on living authentically, no matter the cost.
Every page is written with such aching empathy and a deep, intuitive understanding of what it means to live a life that doesn’t quite fit into the world’s narrow boxes. Vivek’s story is not just one of death, but of becoming - of “wearing a skin that was true”. That always mattered in the end.
This book is not just about the tragedy, but also about the beauty, the quiet rebellion, and the sacred right to live a life that is our own. And it’s an invitation — to read, to feel, to understand. I hope more of us take it.
The reality of society today on gender differences especially towards gay/queer people and the pain/trauma it leaves or brings to individuals and families
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.