You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty: A Novel
Written by Akwaeke Emezi
Narrated by Bahni Turpin
4/5
()
About this audiobook
“A love story like no other, and this one…will have you gripped from page one.” —Vogue
“An unabashed ode to living with, and despite, pain and mortality.” —The New York Times Book Review
A New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and “one of our greatest living writers” (Shondaland) reimagines the love story in this “riveting and emotional exploration of grief and taking a second chance on love” (PopSugar).
Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.
It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.
She’s even started dating the perfect guy, but their new relationship might be sabotaged before it has a chance by the overwhelming desire Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person who is most definitely off-limits—his father. Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?
“With tenderhearted characters and an immaculate balance of realistic dialogue and lyrical prose” (BuzzFeed), Akwake Emezi’s vivid and passionate writing takes us deep into a world of possibility and healing. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a “a love letter to the brave choices we make in the name of love, the costs we pay for it, and the glory of the reward at the end” (Marie Claire).
Editor's Note
Lively book club conversation…
The last thing Feyi expected after losing the love of her life five years ago was a flirtatious encounter with a stranger who understands her grief. And then falling in love with the stranger’s father? Definitely not in her plans, either. Emezi’s exploration of love, loss, and moving on is as beautifully written as it is divisive, and sure to provide some lively book club conversation.
Akwaeke Emezi
Akwaeke Emezi (they/them) is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Death of Vivek Oji, which was a finalist for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the PEN/Jean Stein Award; Pet, a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, a Walter Honor Book, and a Stonewall Honor Book; Freshwater, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and shortlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award, the New Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize; Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir, which won the 2022 ALA Stonewall Prize for Best Nonfiction Book; and most recently, Content Warning: Everything, their debut poetry collection, and Bitter, their second young adult novel. Selected as a 5 Under 35 honoree by the National Book Foundation and featured on a Time cover as a Next Generation Leader, they are based in liminal spaces.
Related to You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
Related audiobooks
Honey and Spice: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Rotation: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Olga Dies Dreaming: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love Radio Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Queenie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Last Summer on State Street: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Someday, Maybe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Final Revival of Opal & Nev Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Are Not Like Them: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wahala: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: An Oprah’s Book Club Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Girls Must Die Exhausted: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Other Black Girl: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stories from The Tenants Downstairs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The School for Good Mothers: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Cry for Me: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Honey Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5People Person Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Girls Must Be Magic: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vladimir: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Women Could Fly: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Notes on an Execution: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freshwater Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How High We Go in the Dark: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Are All So Good at Smiling Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Contemporary Romance For You
It Starts with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Icebreaker: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wildfire: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lost Bookshop Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Regretting You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Ends with Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Idea of You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neon Gods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe in Another Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One True Loves: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ugly Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twisted Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reminders of Him: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Slammed: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ex Hex: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wreck the Halls: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confess Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Expiration Dates: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5November 9: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All Your Perfects: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Happened One Summer: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret of Poppyridge Cove Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murderer's Maid: A Lizzie Borden Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Things We Leave Unfinished Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After I Do: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sweetest Oblivion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magic Hour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Forever, Interrupted: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Kill Men and Get Away With It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty
792 ratings52 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a beautifully written and narrated book that explores themes of love, grief, and growth. While some reviewers found the story to be messy and the characters annoying, others appreciated the rawness and unpredictability. The audiobook, narrated by Bahni Turpin, was highly praised for bringing the characters to life. Overall, readers enjoyed the book and found it thought-provoking and captivating, with stunning writing and a wonderful story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm in awe at Akwaeke Emezi's skill at writing in different genres with unique characters that come to life. This is definitely a romance novel, beach read vibe, and occasionally you're annoyed with the characters (but aren't we always annoyed with characters in romance novels?) It's queer, racialized, exploring grief, but at its core a romance novel with that forbidden desire and some excellent lustful scenes.
Audiobook was narrated by Bahni Turpin who is exceptional as always.2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grief has a funny way of making us believe the choices we’ve made were right. Hindsight is 20/20 and I believe Feyi will see just how wrong she was.
Alim is even worse IMO, because Nasir was his son. This wasn’t love, this was trauma and grief grabbing hold of two people. They bond was formed through their grief and it led them to make some pretty shitty decisions. My heart goes out to Nasir but overall complex characters, entertaining storyline and a train wreck bound to happen!
I’d recommend!2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just. Yes. A book that gifts you with a greater appreciation for reading and for the folks that commit to writing as their craft <3
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a beautifully written and narrated book. While love and romance is the focus, it’s more deeply about grief, growth and learning to trust after loss.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Akwaeke is an amazing storyteller! The audiobook was amazing, couldn’t put it down.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was an absolutely amazing book! I really enjoyed it. I hope there is a part 2!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It fell really flat for me towards the end. Started very strong though, didn't give me my typical romance vibes.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I didn’t get the great live these two people supposedly had for each other. It just seemed like they were both grieving. I thought that they were selfish and that the female character was very immature. I cared for neither character and pray that I do not encounter anyone like either of them. Horrible book sad. Pointless.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing novel highlighting themes of friendship grief and connection. 10/10
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I just happened to try this book and I was not disappointed! This contemporary story makes for a good summer read as it draws you into an unorthodox love story. It is well written and the author delves into the challenges of finding love after the death of a spouse. I felt all the emotions.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5New Love prevails even after death. Such a beautiful and heartfelt story about the interwining of loss, art, food and love. Thank you.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved this book. The character development was great. The characters themselves were so relatable and authentic. This tragic love story stole my heart!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Although I'd been put off by reviews saying this book was about 2 people who'd lost their spouses , I'm very glad I read it. It's funny, fresh, subversive, and very different from what I'd expected. The story begins in Brooklyn, where a young Nigerian American artist begins to reenter life by connecting to a man at a party. Ultimately, she ends up meeting someone else who helps her be invited to a juried art show in the Caribbean, where she finds complex family and diverse gender dynamics, an art world she'd never expected to be part of, and a successful older man who's also struggled with the death of a spouse. The story is riveting, and the writing is both luminescent and subversive, covering not just a reawakening but the people of the African diaspora, queer identities, friendship, and family relationships. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved the drama, I could not stop listening because I wanted to know what happened next.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed this story. It is a beautiful love story, but she did not miss on the messiness! I loved the character Joy she was a goodt bff!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The way the main character as a woman put herself first. She let go off how the world says you’re supposed to fall in love, beloved, and with whom, and chose herself.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5this waaaas, ultimately a me-problem read. there was a lot of drama that i just think was avoidable and too much. the narrator was incredible!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a messy, thought provoking, and semi-relatable storyline!!! LOVE IT!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book was sweet and short ! I loved and
would recommend! - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I found the words stunning, almost poetic. The narration was great. I loved the messiness of the story. Overall enjoyed it!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book is extremely messy. If you like that sort of messy than this book is definitely for you. However my reason for the low rating is due to the lack of accountability on the leads side. The lead uses her trauma as an excuse to hurt those around her - whether she realises it or not. It’s was a tad cringe.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely loved it. The narrator made it seem so real.!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Loved the audiobook but the lusting after her current situationship’s dad trope just ain’t for me. The authors writing style is amazing though—just wish the plot were a tad different ◡̈
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book is great but around chapter 20 etc the audio started skipping .Which made you miss parts of the actual book which is extremely aggravating.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The plot and protagonist in this book is frustrating. I was curious about the ending and but had to speed listen to it because the characters in general just were annoying. Interesting premise but it was not executed well.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Messy as it is, I really loved this story. To me, it painted a perfect picture of how inconsequential everything else can feel when you are grieving, how long and all-consuming loving someone you’ve lost is, and how redemptive feeling less alone can be. Bahni Turpin was THE perfect narrator, so talented. My only complaint would be that the s3x is a bit contrived and silly, at times, but overall an amazing book!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was the best romance novel I’ve ever read. It was so beautiful, I wished it was real.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Glorious example of literary writing meeting romance storytelling. More please! It made fool out of my insistent belief that I dislike the latter.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hmm.. I liked it but I need to sit with it for a min to absorb what I just read. I’m shocked and intrigued at the same time.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was an interesting and messy romance. I think I really liked how raw it was but the pace was a little too slow for me. I give this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4