Akata Witch

The final standoff was surprisingly short - but somehow I feel that that wasn't the main point of the book anyway. ;-) [prtf]

"Girls belong on the damn sidelines." - "Do you know what century it is?" she asked. This book was amazing! I had such a fun time and reading this really motivated me to read more middle grade books. There is just something so wholesome and calming about those kind of stories. "Akata Witch" tells the story of 12 year old Sunny, an American born Nigerian girl who happens to be an Albino. It tells us how she came to know of her magical abilities, being initiated as a Leopard Person and how she and her friends manage to save the day!I would say that in the most general view this is a typical middle grade fantasy story - a group of friends, magical abilities, saving the day. But the way this story was constructed was just amazing. There was so much more representation than when I was 12 years old reading all I could get my hands on. The book dealt with gender issues (see quote on the top), race issues and questions of belonging. I would say that this is a wonderful book that is read for fun but will teach the reader important lessons. I personally learned a lot about Nigerian culture, language and identities. I especially loved how this book implemented a multitude of languages, religions, ethnic tribes, etc. in such a natural way - just showing that all of those things belong to our world, our reality. I can definitely see this becoming the "new" harry potter for the current generation. Much more diversity, much more life lessons and a chance for more people to identify with more characters. Especially the characters were amazing. We have two boys, two girls and all four are special in their own ways, they all have different abilities, strengths and weaknesses. They stick together through it all but are able to tell each other when something is done wrong or someone is behaving foolish. They help each other grow! They appreciate their friends for who they are. Just. Amazing. I was so happy to read of boys showing feelings, girls being strong, both being intelligent and brave, girls loving football/soccer and boys supporting their right to enjoy it. This felt so empowering, even to my 22 year old self. I loved reading of disabilities like dyslexia and ADD. I loved the exploration of identity especially in Sunny - her being born in America to Nigerian parents, then moving back to Nigeria and having to answer again and again "and what are you then?". There is one more topic I want to point out that I really appreciated - the importance of knowledge and the fact that knowledge, in this world, is or at least should be valued much more highly than power and wealth. The focus on school and learning, how much Sunny enjoys school but also the acceptance of 2 of her friends who are not really made for school in the way our society constructs it. GREAT. AMAZING. HERE FOR IT.

I have been a fan of Okarafor since the first Binti book. She fascinated me with her mix of advanced technology and traditions. It’s more prevalent in other books, but still strikes me here as well. The comparison to the Harry Potter books is definitely valid, but the cultural set-up is so different that is certainly is a new story. I will definitely read the next one in the series!