The Death of Vivek Oji

A Novel

By: Akwaeke Emezi

Narrated by: Yetide Badaki, Chukwudi Iwuji

A Good Morning America Buzz Pick

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Electrifying." — O: The Oprah Magazine

Named a Best Book of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, USA TODAY, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shondaland, Teen Vogue, Vulture, Lit Hub, Bustle, Electric Literature, and BookPage

What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?

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.

Stunning text and oratory performance

The readers are amazing - carrying us through the text with so much commitment to the characters and storyline. The writing is absolutely beautiful and crisp and strong. Will read and listen again.

utterly beautiful

This book completely destroyed me. in the best way. So crushingly sad but incredibly beautiful. I don't think I'll be the same.

Transcendent

This story reached right into my soul and broke me entirely. The writing, the reading, the tenderness, the truth - it is all so exquisite. There is so much love and anticipation, and every word rings sincere even among all the secrets. I recommend this book to everyone who dares to love and be authentically themselves.

Difficult and Necessary

This was a difficult but very necessary book to listen to. So much beauty amidst so much pain. My heart was breaking for the characters who felt so tangible. This book is not for everyone but to those who decide to listen, listen with an open mind & heart. Compassion will overtake you by the end

Beautiful

"He didn't belong to you...You keep talking as if he belonged to you, just because you were his mother, but he didn't.
He didn't belong to anybody but himself."

This book is unbelievably beautiful, heartbreaking, poetic, all the things. You know that Vivek dies, it's the first chapter. What you don't know is his story. How his life was somehow hidden away, his identity unable to be set free, until it was. And it makes you wonder, if the short life he lived freely was the best of the lives he'd been granted.

Ugh, just beautiful. What a beautiful beautiful story.