Akwaeke Emezi is a force. If you haven’t read their work, you’re missing out on one of the most polarizing and electric voices in contemporary literature. When they released You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, the literary world didn't just take notice—it split right down the middle.
Some people hated it. They couldn't get past the "messiness" of the protagonist. Others? They saw it for what it was: a raw, sweaty, uncomfortable, and gorgeous exploration of how grief and desire can live in the same house without burning it down. Or maybe by burning it all down.
The Messy Reality of Feyi Adekola
Most romance novels follow a predictable beat. Boy meets girl, there’s a misunderstanding, they fix it, and everyone lives happily ever after. Emezi doesn't do "predictable." They do "human."
Feyi Adekola, the protagonist of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, is a young artist living in Brooklyn. Five years prior to the start of the book, she lost the love of her life in a horrific car accident. She is a survivor. But survival isn't a straight line. It’s a jagged, ugly thing.
Feyi isn't "healed." Honestly, who ever is? She is just starting to want things again. Not love, necessarily, but skin. Heat. A reason to feel like a body instead of a ghost.
When she starts dating a guy named Nasir, it feels safe. Nasir is "the nice guy." He’s supportive, he’s kind, and he brings her back into the world of the living. But then Feyi goes to a tropical island to stay at Nasir's family estate, and she meets his father, Alim.
And that is where the book stops being a standard beach read and turns into something much more complicated.
Why the "Father" Plot Point Works (And Why It Infuriates People)
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Feyi falls for her boyfriend's father.
On paper, it sounds like a trashy daytime soap opera. If you go on Goodreads, you will see hundreds of one-star reviews from readers who were absolutely disgusted by this choice. They call Feyi "unlikeable." They call the relationship "betrayal."
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But here is the thing: Emezi isn't writing a morality play. They are writing about the inconvenient nature of chemistry. Alim is a celebrity chef who has also experienced profound loss. He understands the specific vibration of Feyi’s grief in a way Nasir never could.
When Feyi and Alim connect, it isn't just about the physical—though Emezi writes those scenes with a lushness that makes the pages feel humid. It’s about two people who have been through the fire finding the only other person who knows what the smoke smells like.
The Aesthetics of Survival
The title itself, You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, is a lyric from the Florence + The Machine song "Hunger." It perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the novel. Beauty, in this context, isn't just about Feyi being pretty. It’s about the audacity of continuing to exist, to create art, and to crave pleasure after death has tried to claim you.
Feyi is an artist. Her work is visceral. She uses her body, her history, and her pain to create things that demand to be looked at. This is a recurring theme in Emezi's work—the idea that the physical form is both a prison and a playground.
Breaking the Rules of the Romance Genre
For a long time, the romance genre was governed by "The Rules." You had to have a "Likable Heroine." You had to avoid "Cheating" or "Moral Ambiguity."
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty throws those rules into a blender.
- The Protagonist’s Agency: Feyi doesn't care if you like her. She isn't trying to be a "good girl." She is trying to be alive. That distinction is massive.
- The Nature of Grief: The book argues that grief doesn't make you a saint. It can make you selfish. It can make you reckless.
- Black Joy and Luxury: Emezi places these Black characters in a setting of immense wealth and beauty. It’s a "sun-drenched" narrative that moves away from the trauma-porn often expected of Black authors.
There is a specific kind of freedom in seeing a Black woman make "bad" choices and still be the hero of her own story. She isn't punished by the narrative. She isn't cast out. She is allowed to find a version of happiness that looks nothing like what society expects.
The Florence + The Machine Connection
You can't really understand the soul of this book without listening to "Hunger." The song talks about a "vacancy" and a "hunger" that can never be satisfied.
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"We all have a hunger."
Feyi’s hunger is what drives the plot. It’s what makes her leave the safety of Nasir for the danger of Alim. It’s what makes her paint. It’s what makes her stay in New York when she could go anywhere.
Emezi has often spoken about how music influences their writing process. The rhythm of the prose in You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty has a percussive, almost breathless quality. It feels like a long, hot summer night where you know you're doing something you'll regret in the morning, but you can't stop.
Expert Take: The Literary Significance of Emezi’s Shift
Akwaeke Emezi first blew up with Freshwater, a deeply metaphysical, semi-autobiographical novel about an ogbanje. It was dense, spiritual, and challenging.
Moving from Freshwater and The Death of Vivek Oji to a "romance" novel like You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty was a bold career move. Some critics saw it as "going mainstream."
But if you look closer, the same themes are there. Emezi is obsessed with the boundaries of the self. They are obsessed with how we inhabit our bodies. Whether it’s through the lens of West African spirituality or a spicy romance on a private island, the core question remains: How do we survive ourselves?
The book also challenges the publishing industry's categorization. Is it literary fiction? Is it a romance? Is it a "beach read"? It’s all of them and none of them. This "genre-blurring" is exactly what is keeping the publishing industry alive right now.
What Readers Get Wrong About the Ending
Without spoiling the specific beats, many people found the ending of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty to be "unearned."
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They wanted more penance. They wanted Feyi to apologize more.
But that misses the entire point of the journey. The "beauty" that "makes a fool of death" is the refusal to live a diminished life. To apologize for her desire would be to let death win. Feyi chooses the messy, complicated, "wrong" path because it is the only one that feels like living.
The backlash to the book actually proves why it’s necessary. We are still deeply uncomfortable with women—especially Black women—prioritizing their own pleasure over the feelings of the "nice guys" around them.
Actionable Insights for Readers and Writers
If you're looking to dive into this book or write something with a similar "messy" energy, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Read it for the atmosphere, not the morality. If you go in looking for a "good" person to root for, you’re going to be frustrated. Read it for the sensory details—the smell of the ocean, the taste of Alim's cooking, the feel of the paint on Feyi's hands.
- Acknowledge the complexity of grief. If you are a writer, take note of how Emezi doesn't make Feyi’s grief her only personality trait. It’s a background hum, not the whole song.
- Listen to the playlist. Emezi actually has a public playlist for the book. Listening to it while reading changes the experience. It turns the book into a multi-sensory event.
- Don't be afraid of the "unlikeable" character. The most interesting people in the world are often the ones who make the most mistakes. Lean into that.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a polarizing masterpiece. It’s a book that demands you have an opinion on it. Whether you love Feyi or think she’s a disaster, you can’t deny that the story stays with you. It’s a reminder that even in the shadow of loss, there is a vibrant, terrifying, and beautiful world waiting to be felt.
To truly appreciate the depth of Emezi's work, compare this novel to their earlier, more experimental fiction. You'll see a writer who isn't afraid to evolve, to take risks, and to offend the "proper" sensibilities of the traditional literary world. That's how you build a legacy that outlasts the trends.
Check your local independent bookstore for a copy, or better yet, find the audiobook narrated by Bahni Turpin. Her performance brings a layer of soul to Feyi's voice that makes the emotional stakes feel even more immediate. Don't just read it to finish it; read it to feel the heat.