'An Ode to Living With, and Despite, Pain and Mortality'. Emezi will serve as the executive producer. Jordan’s Outlier Society will develop it alongside Elizabeth Raposo. It was purchased in a high six figure deal which Deadline called the biggest book deal of the year so far. In April 2021, Deadline Hollywood announced that Amazon Studios won the right to adapt You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty into a feature film. A review from PopSugar called the novel 'A riveting and emotional exploration of grief and taking a second chance on love.' Publishers Weekly noted that it '.is sure to tug at readers’ heartstrings.' Adaptation The New York Times Book Review praised the novel calling it 'n unabashed ode to living with, and despite, pain and mortality…and it could appeal especially to people who, living through an isolating pandemic that has accelerated loss, hunger for more joie de vivre. Writing for Vogue, Emma Specter praised the writing stating that 'Emezi can write a love story like no other'.

It was the most anticipated book of 2022 by multiple media outlets including Vogue, Thrillist, Essence, The Washington Post and Vulture. The book received generally positive critical acclaim and reception. Feyi's art in the novel is also based on Emezi's experience as a visual artist. They deviated from the normal heterosexual romance trope and explore made it a queer romance with the main characters Feyi and Alim being bisexual and Joy, who is a lesbian.

Also, Emezi wrote the novel to have a queer gaze and also feature a supportive queer friendship. While writing the novel, they did not want it to fall under the regular trope of romance novels and instead made it an illicit love triangle. Emezi pulled the title of the book from the song lyrics after trying different alternatives name for the novel which they felt didn't fit. The novel is Emezi's first romance novel and they stated that the novel was partly inspired by the Florence + the Machine song 'Hunger'. It is Emezi's first romance novel, third adult novel and it follows Feyi Adekola, a Nigerian American visual artist as she heals from the trauma of widowhood and finds new love. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a 2022 romance novel by Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi.

Pet by akwaeke emezi