Thursday, July 21, 2022

New Review : You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty : Akwaeke Emezi





5 out of 5 books

A tragic accident. Deep sorrow and grief. The need to feel alive again. These are the experiences of Feyi Adekola.  After five years, it is time for Feyi to move past the tragic accident that took the life of her husband.  A Nigerian artist, Feyi puts her emotions and sorrow into her artwork which manifests in subtle details that many who are experiencing the same grief will recognize and appreciate. At the assistance of her best friend, Joy, she starts to attend social events and date again. She meets Nasir Blake, and they develop a great relationship although they agree to take things slow.  Nasir invites Feyi to vacation with him on the island where he grew up. 
Upon arrival to the tropical paradise, Feyi is surprised to discover Nasir’s father is a renown celebrity chef. She’s even more surprised by her strong attraction to the very eclectic, Alim Blake.  Alim is a free spirit who is very comfortable in his fluidity which has been a problem for Nasir and his sister.  With his many celebrity connections, Alim secures Feyi an opportunity to show her art in exhibit featuring art of the Black Diaspora.  This extends her time there and the hours Feyi and Alim spends in the house alone draws them together as kindred spirits in their grief and survivor’s remorse.  The feelings of grief give way to a deep yet forbidden love.  After all, Nasir brought Feyi to this tropical paradise with hopes of having a future with him, not for her to fall for his father. 
YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY is beautiful story. I don’t know what my expectation was going into the book but the feels this book gave made for a very pleasant reading experience.  I love the dynamics of Feyi and Joy’s friendship, the freshness of embarking on a new relationship with Nasir. However, it was the depth of emotions that Alim and Feyi shared, all which were not pleasant happy feelings that set this book apart.  This is an excellent read by an author that is new to me, yet I plan to seek out more of her work. 

Reviewed by Paula Allen


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