Though this beautifully written, intricately structured novel opens with a tragic death, it is very much a celebration of life. It is a rich and vibrant character study, a narrative exhumation of a wonderful protagonist, the titular Vivek Oji, a troubled soul who struggles to fit into Nigeria’s rigid social constraints.

Emezi’s prose is poignant and spellbinding, tantalisingly revealing hidden truths and repressed secrets in a lyrical, profound way. I consumed the whole audiobook in just a day and I’m looking forward to reading it traditionally at some point, to savour over the masterful crafting, at both sentence and text level. I had no idea what the book was about going in, and I’m glad. For want of a better metaphor, Emezi’s narrative peels back like an onion (but much less odoriferously), and the reveals are ultimately as rewarding as they are devastating.

This chronicle of a death foretold certainly packs a heavy punch. Tackling themes of prejudice, guilt, grief and queerness in under 250 pages, Emezi’s narrative will haunt and reverberate for many readers, long after the final page.

This book deserves a more thoughtful review but it’s late and I’m all reviewed out this weekend.