This study guide’s use of fluid pronouns for Vivek attempts to preserve the novel’s nuance and ambiguity. Note: There’s a tremendous amount of mystery in the text regarding certain characters’ specific sexual orientations or gender identities it isn’t clear, for instance, whether Vivek is gender fluid or a trans woman who only rarely has the opportunity to present as herself. 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.The author, like the titular character, is Nigerian Igbo and Tamil and grew up in Nigeria in the 90s amidst political unrest. 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. But Vivek’s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life.
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. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious.
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 does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew? 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
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