“They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died." 

Oh, this book. Emezi is a genius. To say this is the story of Vivek's death is oversimplifying it. So it saying it's the story of Vivek discovering his true self. Or that it's a story of the pain and trauma that repressing yourself brings on you and your community. It's all these things and more, laid out with gorgeous prose that is both straightforward and continuously looping back on itself. 

Somehow, knowing that Vivek would die made the book all the more painful and beautiful. So does knowing that even his closest relatives and friends did not always see the full picture (ha) of who Vivek was until it was too late. I cried at the end. I'm trying not to cry now writing this. Please read this book if you can manage it. It's incredible and important. 

Content warnings: homophobia, transphobia, incest.