The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Set in a Nigerian town, this book opens with a mother finding her son’s body on her front porch. This was no natural death and who took the time to wrap him in a cloth and place him in front of her house? Through flashbacks of Vivek’s life, we learn more about this intriguing, lovable boy and his friends, who seem to know more than they admit about his demise.

Akwaeke Emezi’s beautiful writing will transport you to Africa and have you feeling a myriad of emotions. The Death of Vivek Oji (2020) is a moving story about coming-of-age, otherness, sexual identity and acceptance.

Read this if you enjoyed The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. or Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala.