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Zahrah the Windseeker

by Nnedi Okorafor (Goodreads Author)

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 479 ratings · 97 reviews

In the northern Ooni Kingdom, fear of the unknown runs deep, and children born dada are rumored to have special powers. Thirteen-year-old Zahrah Tsami feels like a normal girls life.

- she grows her own flora computer; has mirrors sewn onto her cloths; and stays clear of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle.

But unlike other kids in the village of Kirki , Zahrah was born with the tel...more

Hardcover, 308 pages

Published September 26th 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

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Apr 07, 2008 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Zahrah lives in the northern Ooni Kingdom, where fear of the unknown runs deep. She is born dada, with vines growing through her hair and believed to have special powers. Besides their fear of dada, the people of the Ooni Kingdom also gravely fear the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, which begins on the outskirts of their small village. But when Zahrah notices changes going on within her and is then faced with having to save Dari's life, she's ready to confront all her fears head on, and challenge every...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Terra rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is a wonderfully written fairytale. This story is for anyone who would like to escape reality and jump back into their childhood made up of dreams and fantasies.

Zahrah is a thirteen year old girl with a rare gift which no one is entirely sure what she will be able to do. Born with vines growing in her hair, she has bee taunted beyond tears most of her life. Very shy, withdrawn with low self confidence and a deadly fear of heights she is about to fin...more Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is a wonderfully written fairytale. This story is for anyone who would like to escape reality and jump back into their childhood made up of dreams and fantasies.

Zahrah is a thirteen year old girl with a rare gift which no one is entirely sure what she will be able to do. Born with vines growing in her hair, she has bee taunted beyond tears most of her life. Very shy, withdrawn with low self confidence and a deadly fear of heights she is about to find herself doing things she never would have remotely considered.

Dari is a fifteen year old boy and quite the daring adventurer. Always wanting to do the forbidden, his insatiable curiosity leads him into a life and death situation that will change forever how the people in his city look at life and what it has to offer.

The story starts off with our two characters supporting each other with their problems and how to deal with them. They are the best of friends and can share anything with each other without fear of ridicule or chance of gossip. They are indeed true friends beyond the sense of the word.

After Dari is attacked and left in a coma it is up to Zahrah to go into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle to find the one item that may save her friend from a possible permenant coma to quite likely death. Does she have the courage and stamina to accomplish such a task. This is something she is about to find out the hard way.

Relying on an out dated field guide Zahrah sets off to find her way through the Jungle braving all kinds of horrible creatures and plants, eating what is available and taking chances that she will not be poisoned in the process. She soon finds out that the field guide has only the basic information when it decides to give it and she must rely on her on intuition to help her accomplish something that has not been done by an adult in many years and has never been tried by a child.

The author has given us an amazing story of love, devotion and courage that it was a true delight to read. I can actually envision being a child in a village at dusk with an elder sitting there telling all the children of this marvelous tale. It is highly colorful, intriguing and encouraging to say the least. A delight for teens and adults this tale should not be missed.(less)

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Nov 06, 2007 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

This was a really sweet book about a young girl born with “dada-locks” (dreadlocks with vines growing through them). Her hair marks her as different and just a little fey, which makes her an outsider. She and her best friend decide to explore The Forbidden Greeny Jungle, and have strange and dangerous encounters. Zahrah lives in a tree city, where people grow computers out of plant seeds and grow buildings instead of building them. Her world is far more interesting than the book itself, which is...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Love Nnedi, and love the concept of the book, but I have a few issues I should probably point at the editor. The book was jarring. It didn't feel like it had a uniform path. The rough exposition and weak character development of several of the human characters (particularly Nsibidi) bothered me. The book also often suspended my disbelief, despite the warning that it was Alice-in-Wonderlandish: it seemed unsure as to whether to go sci-fi, or legendary/mythical, or just plain ridiculous (in the be...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Kay rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **SPOILER ALERT**

My book reviews are written as a discussion of a book, and not as an advertisement. Please be aware that there may be information that some would consider spoilers and continue on at your own risk!

I am a fan of Nnedi Okorafor (I enjoyed both 'Akata Witch' and 'Who Fears Death') and Zahrah the Windseeker did not disappoint. Here's what I thought:

Plot?

Zahrah, was born with a gift known as 'dada'. 'Dada' people are rumored to either be wise or rebels. However, her visible differenc...more

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May 15, 2012 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a YA novel which, in some respects, follows a very familiar storyline. Zahrah is different from the other kids. She’s picked on by her peers at school. She’s shy, but destined for greatness. She has a popular friend named Dari who encourages her to be more daring and explore with him. When something happens to Dari, this provides Zahrah with the push she needs to overcome her timidness and set out on her own to try to save him…

Sound like something you’ve read before? Now try this.

Zahrah...more This is a YA novel which, in some respects, follows a very familiar storyline. Zahrah is different from the other kids. She’s picked on by her peers at school. She’s shy, but destined for greatness. She has a popular friend named Dari who encourages her to be more daring and explore with him. When something happens to Dari, this provides Zahrah with the push she needs to overcome her timidness and set out on her own to try to save him…

Sound like something you’ve read before? Now try this.

Zahrah was born dada, with vines growing within her thick locks, vines that twined themselves to her hair while she was still in the womb. She lives on a planet colonized ages ago and developed with biological technology, a world rooted in African culture and folklore. Zahrah grew her own computer from a seed. Shots are given using insects, and the patient is swabbed with sugar water so the insect will bite and inject the medicine. And oh yes — Zahrah can fly.

I loved it. I loved the animals, the talking gorillas and the trickster frog and even the poor, confused war snake. I loved the details, from the mirror-adorned fashion to the glitchy electronic guidebook to the background history of the library to the underlying theme of rebellion against ignorance. I loved Papa Grip and his pink caftans, and the rhythm beetles who were drawn to the music.

There were times during her quest in the forbidden jungle when it felt like Zahrah was a little too lucky (such as her encounter the whip scorpion), when other animals and characters conveniently arrived to help her. I definitely noticed these points, but they didn’t throw me out of the book. It felt right for this kind of story, which blends the flavors of science fiction and folklore and fairy tale and makes it work.

Random side note: the day after I finished this book, I dreamed about flying. (I also dreamed my car fell into a lake, but I don’t think that had anything to do with the book.)

I’d recommend this one to pretty much anyone.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Maggie Desmond-O'Brien rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full disclosure: Nnedi Okorafor is one of my favorite science fiction authors of all time. So you may forgive me if this review is a little biased. But truly, even if I hadn't already been in love with Okorafor's work, this book would have been just as much of a delight, and I can't recommend it more highly for those new to Okorafor.

The novel's charm resides, as usual for Okorafor, in its plucky heroine: young, vain, clever, anxious, and ultimately courageous Zahrah. Middle grade and YA novels a...more Full disclosure: Nnedi Okorafor is one of my favorite science fiction authors of all time. So you may forgive me if this review is a little biased. But truly, even if I hadn't already been in love with Okorafor's work, this book would have been just as much of a delight, and I can't recommend it more highly for those new to Okorafor.

The novel's charm resides, as usual for Okorafor, in its plucky heroine: young, vain, clever, anxious, and ultimately courageous Zahrah. Middle grade and YA novels are particularly susceptible to "issue" characters--characters that preach morality tales instead of telling real, meaty stories--and Zahrah is the perfect example of the character I'd like to see instead: imperfect, afraid, and lovable anyway. Zahrah's friendship with Dari, which becomes the catalyst for the entire plot, is also sweet and true-to-life. It's the kind of almost-romance that makes this reviewer's cold heart melt around the edges.

The world of Ooni, which I had already gotten to know in The Shadow Speaker, is just as offbeat and lovely, from the village marketplace to the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. Okorafor weaves quirky and believable lore for her characters to explore, from terrifying jungle creatures to a tribe of sentient gorillas to a giant fortune-telling frog. It has the best anything-could-happen feeling of good fairy tales, while the African mythology it draws on gives it an unfamiliar and heady air in a middle grade market saturated with dragons, unicorns, and other European fantasy creatures.

In the end, what makes this novel a winner is the power of its ending: the culmination of Zahrah's quest, and how she comes to terms with her new almost-grown-up self. It's rare to see an author who has the courage to make her female characters both vain and smart, both silly and strong; flawed and powerful and beautiful. I hate to make any book all about messages, but this is the kind of book girls everywhere should read: one that tells them they can become their very best selves.(less)

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Jan 03, 2012 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-to-z-title-challenge

I went into this book not knowing how it would really be. It was a book that I normally would not have picked out. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome of reading this book. I loved it! This Nigerian author wrote an amazing book!

At first I was leery when I was reading this book. It had a very different beginning than I was used to. It started out with a letter written by Zahrah, the main character, telling you why you should read the book and understand her story. The...more I went into this book not knowing how it would really be. It was a book that I normally would not have picked out. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome of reading this book. I loved it! This Nigerian author wrote an amazing book!

At first I was leery when I was reading this book. It had a very different beginning than I was used to. It started out with a letter written by Zahrah, the main character, telling you why you should read the book and understand her story. Then it went on to give a little background on her dada (special hair that was looked on badly if a child was born with it) and how people just looked at her as cursed and made fun of her all the time. She really only has one friend, a BEST friend named Dari. He has never begrudged her, her hair or thought of her as a cursed person with only bad intentions like others do. Zahrah is a 13 year old girl who is teased at school all the time for her dadalocks and just wants to be “normal”. Because of all the teasing she is a very shy girl and unsure of herself and her own abilities. Dari is a 13 year old boy who loves learning about new/far off places and is very well liked. Dari is the kind of kid that makes everyone laugh. His manner is such that everyone listens to him, even if they don’t want to hear what he says.

Zahrah only feels more of an outcast when she discovers she can now hover in mid air. When she finally tells Dari he tells her they should go to the Forbidden Greeny Jungle so she can practice. This jungle is a very bad place according to the townspeople and no one is to enter it. When people enter the this jungle they die in it, never return, or return having gone mad. Dari convinces Zahrah to enter with him. They go there and he reads about the jungle while she practices her floating. Then Dari gets bit by a War Snake that lives in the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. The poison puts Dari in a coma and the only cure is an Elgort Egg (unfertilized). This egg is only found deep in the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, so doctors say that Dari (being they will never get an egg in time to save him), will be in a coma forever. Timid Zahrah can’t bear to see this happen so decides to put her fears aside and sneaks out to go on an adventure of her own to get this egg to save Dari. All the things she goes through while in the jungle is amazing. She learns more about the jungle than any book her and Dari could read ever could tell them. She sprouts into a brave, tough, and new girl in the jungle on her mission.

Questions are: What adventures does she have while in the forest? What does she learn and encounter? Will she make it back in time to save Dari? That you have to find out on your own by reading the book.

I would have to give this book 5 out of 5 stars! I really enjoyed it and thought it was very well written.
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Jan 01, 2012 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, supernatural-powers, future, young-adult-fiction, other-worlds, teenagers, gutsy-girls, journey-quest, friendship, mystery, coming-of-age, self-discovery, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Zahrah has lived in the Ooni kingdom all her life (13 years), but she’s been different since the day she was born – she’s dada. So far, that’s only manifested in her hair – she’s got dreads with vines growing in and around them. When Zahrah becomes a woman, she discovers that she can levitate! She has no idea what to do with this newfound ability – plus she’s scared of heights. Zahrah and her best friend, Dari, go to the library to learn more her strange new power, but there isn’t much informati...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Hannah9b rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the book "Zahrah the Windseeker", a girl named Zahrah has the ability to control the wind. she has vines in her hair and her ability makes her different from everyone else in the Ooni kingdom where she lives. when herselfg and her adventurous friend, Dari, both go into the forbidden green jungle, Dari gets bitten and poisoned by a snake. the only cure is the elgort egg that is deep in the mysterious jungle. Zahrah builds up the courage to go deep into the jungle and get the elgort egg before...more In the book "Zahrah the Windseeker", a girl named Zahrah has the ability to control the wind. she has vines in her hair and her ability makes her different from everyone else in the Ooni kingdom where she lives. when herselfg and her adventurous friend, Dari, both go into the forbidden green jungle, Dari gets bitten and poisoned by a snake. the only cure is the elgort egg that is deep in the mysterious jungle. Zahrah builds up the courage to go deep into the jungle and get the elgort egg before its too late for Dari. as Zahrah ventures into the jungle, she confronts many mysterious creatures as she tries to search for the elgort egg. from reading this book, i have noticed and believe that this story has many stages of the monomyth.

Zahrah is the hero in the story who goes deep into the forbidden green jungle where the elgort egg lies. the elgort egg is the only thing that can save her friends life. the call to adventure is when she and Dari both go into the forbidden green jungle to explore in it. when dari gets poisoned by the snake, dari's life is on the line. Zahrah then initiates into the new world of the forbidden green jungle. going into the jungle is like crossing the threshold.

the belly of the whale is when Zahrah is already into the jungle and thinks about the decision she has made on risking her own life to save her friend. the road of trials that zahrah goes through is facing the many creatures while she tries to find the elgort egg. being inside the jungle is when zahrah is fully separated from her own world. throughout her journey, zahrah's temptation is when she thinks she has made a bad decision. the atonement with the father is the giant elgort that zahrah faces at the end to get the elgort egg. the elgort is most powerful and feared in the forbidden green jungle. however, when zahrah finally gets the elgort egg, the boon, she uses her ability of controlling the wind to make her fly away from the elgort that was chasing her. this is when zahrah confronts an apotheosis because she realizes how important and special her ability is.

when zahrah returns back home, crossing the return threshold, she escapes the jungle with the boon, which is the elgort egg. the elgort egg eventually saves her friends life. this makes zahrah master of two worlds because she knows her own world of the ooni kingdom and the world of the forbidden green jungle. other people might argue with me saying that the monomyth is only for greek myths, which is true. however, the monomyth goes for all types of stories. this book is a perfect example that proves that books can have the stages of the monomyth during a characters journey. for example, the stage road of trials is when zahrah confronts the mysterious creatures in the jungle. one example of her road of trials is on chapter 19 " Ghostly Shadows" when zahrah confronts clever talking panthers, " on the fifteenth day in the jungle, a panthe rjumped out of a nearby tree and charged at me without making a sound" is one of zahrah's confrontations.

from this book, i have learned that no matter how people look at you, there is something that makes you different and unique from everyone else. in the book, zahrah was born different because of the vines in her hair and her ability. the people in the ooni kingdom saw zahrah as the weird girl with vines in her hair but did not know she had the ability to control the wind. later in the book, zahrah realizes that her ability makes her unique from everyone else.this can relate to real life because people have things within themselves that make them unique and special from others. it just takes time to realize that your unique.

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Jan 14, 2011 Minli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, speculative, yay-diversity, sirens-2011

Zahrah is a 13-year-old girl who has always been a bit off. She was born with dada-locks, vines entwined in one's hair that indicates a wisewoman and other magical powers (or a rebel that brings nothing but trouble). She faces typical teenage fears--her period, girls teasing her, not fitting in, being shy. Except... she can fly. (Though she's afraid to.) One day, she and her friend Dari decide to venture into the SUPER DANGEROUS FOREST, Dari gets bitten by a poisonous snake, and many people have...more Zahrah is a 13-year-old girl who has always been a bit off. She was born with dada-locks, vines entwined in one's hair that indicates a wisewoman and other magical powers (or a rebel that brings nothing but trouble). She faces typical teenage fears--her period, girls teasing her, not fitting in, being shy. Except... she can fly. (Though she's afraid to.) One day, she and her friend Dari decide to venture into the SUPER DANGEROUS FOREST, Dari gets bitten by a poisonous snake, and many people have deemed it impossible to retrieve what's needed for the antidote. So of course, she goes, battling her shyness and insecurity to eventually triumph and save the day.

It's easy to get sucked into this fascinating world that marries nature and technology. You can "grow" a personal computer out of pods. GPSes (or compasses) have personalities and can talk. Digi-books (e-readers!) have replaced textbooks, and you can check those out of the library.

Then there's an element of the fantastical (and the absurd) in the jungle. Dangerous, colourful, and exotic, it's filled with awesome creatures--giant scorpions, even more giant two-headed tortoises, talking trees, so-dangerous-they-WILL-kill-you Elgorts, and a Speculating Speckled Frog. It's a bit of a homage to Alice in Wonderland (or, on this world, Alice in Wonderearth).

Still, there was a lot to be desired. The worldbuilding, while quirky and fun to play around in, doesn't really make sense, especially given that this planet and Earth seem to exist in the same universe. Dari's politics are a little uncharacteristic for a book that reads so young, and the climax was pretty anti-climatic given how high the stakes were. Zahrah had a nice character arc, on paper, but it didn't seem to translate well to sweeping shape of the novel, which has been done so many times before. These are all things that lesser discerning readers would gloss right over, and I'd definitely recommend this to a younger reader to introduce them to different kinds of fantasy.

The best part was the gorilla village--I want my oil bath please!(less)

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May 22, 2013 Bridget Mckinney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Zahrah the Windseeker is another book I'm adding to the pile of things that I can't wait for my daughter to read. It's definitely the most imaginative and interesting fantasy novel that I've read in a long time.

Zahrah is a girl born with "dadalocks," basically thick dreadlocks with vines growing in them, but at 13 she tries very hard to be otherwise normal. Her best friend, Dari, however, wants to explore the Forbidden Greeny Jungle that lies outside the borders of their town. When Dari is injur...more Zahrah the Windseeker is another book I'm adding to the pile of things that I can't wait for my daughter to read. It's definitely the most imaginative and interesting fantasy novel that I've read in a long time.

Zahrah is a girl born with "dadalocks," basically thick dreadlocks with vines growing in them, but at 13 she tries very hard to be otherwise normal. Her best friend, Dari, however, wants to explore the Forbidden Greeny Jungle that lies outside the borders of their town. When Dari is injured by one of the animals there, Zahrah goes on a quest to find a cure for his illness and travels through the jungle alone where she has to use all her resourcefulness--and her newly-discovered ability to fly--to survive and save her friend.

There's just so much to love about this book.

Zahrah is a great character, and her journey to self-acceptance and self-love is one that I think basically anyone who has been through puberty can understand. Zahrah is clever and tough and determined, and while I don't generally enjoy first-person narratives from the perspective of teenagers Nnedi Okorafor does a wonderful job writing Zahrah's words. Zahrah sounds like a teenager, but one I'd love to get to know.

The setting, the Ooni Kingdom, is beautifully described, and I loved the melding of nature and technology. Flowers are used as currency and everything from computers to library buildings are grown. The Greeny Jungle is filled to the brim with dangerous snakes, two-heading turtles, deadly scorpions, friendly bees, tree spirits, talking panthers, helpful gorillas, and more. There is definitely an Alice in Wonderland-like quality to Zahrah's journey through the jungle, and it's consistently lovely. There's even a frog who makes a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference that delighted me.

Finally, the cover artwork for the US hardcover edition is just gorgeous.

Zahrah reads a little on the young end of young adult, so it might be more suited to middle-grade readers, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys imaginative fantasy adventure stories.(less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: confident-readers-chapter-books

An "other worlds" fantasy with a Science Fiction feel. Zahrah lives in the city of Kirki, in Ooni Kingdom, planet Ginen. In her world humans have harnassed the natural world to technology- for example PCs literally grow on trees, and the currency is flower petals.

Zahrah is born with vines growing through her hair, linking her closely to the natural world: she is dada, having the power to fly. Despite this Zahrah is timid and frightened by her own powers. She has been bullied by her classmate bec...more An "other worlds" fantasy with a Science Fiction feel. Zahrah lives in the city of Kirki, in Ooni Kingdom, planet Ginen. In her world humans have harnassed the natural world to technology- for example PCs literally grow on trees, and the currency is flower petals.

Zahrah is born with vines growing through her hair, linking her closely to the natural world: she is dada, having the power to fly. Despite this Zahrah is timid and frightened by her own powers. She has been bullied by her classmate because of her hair. Her best friend, Dari, is the only one not afraid of her; he is fearless and unwilling to accept the received wisdom that the Forbidden Greeny Jungle on the edge of the city is a dangerous place.

It is Dari who prompts Zahrah to visit the Dark Market, full of juju artefacts, to find out more about her dada powers, and who insists that they visit the Greeny Jungle. While there, Dari is bitten by a war snake, and only Zahrah can get the antidote from the Greeny Jungle to wake him from his coma.

This was a great, engrossing read. It has some nice nods to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxybut it would not spoil your enjoyment if you hadn't read these books. I really enjoyed the West African elements of the story (the African clothing, references to juju and highlife music for example), and these felt integral to the story rather than an exotic back drop to characters who could have been of any ethnicity.

There are a couple of quibbles- I felt that there was an over-reliance on exclamation marks to convey excitement/ danger, and some slightly cliched language, but this is really nit-picking. I look forward to reading more of Okorafor's work, and sincerely hope that she gets a UK publisher. I'd love to see these in the schools I've taught in North London, where good quality books reflecting the diverse community are sadly lacking, particularly in the very white, heteronormative fantasy genre.(less)

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Oct 08, 2009 Heather Ohana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: wild-things-ya-challenge-2, young-adult

This book was different in a lot of ways from the books I normally read. None of those differences were bad points in the book. I loved that the world in which this story takes place is completely populated with people of color. I loved the Greeny Jungle and all it's wildness. I loved the sentient animals and their different societies. I loved the idea of technology being truly organic and cultivated instead of invented. It really released ownership of the things they used in this culture and ad...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s, fantasy, sci-fi

Zahrah is a girl living in a small kingdom that is surrounded by jungle. She's dada - born with not just hair, but plany vines growing from her head - which is rare and mystical in this world. Soon, we realise this is not Earth: the technology is deeply integrated with plants and the natural world, and the wildlife is a little more fantastical than that on Earth.

Growing up as outsider, she is picked on and bullied, with only one real friend - a popular boy who is adventurous and has an explorer...more Zahrah is a girl living in a small kingdom that is surrounded by jungle. She's dada - born with not just hair, but plany vines growing from her head - which is rare and mystical in this world. Soon, we realise this is not Earth: the technology is deeply integrated with plants and the natural world, and the wildlife is a little more fantastical than that on Earth.

Growing up as outsider, she is picked on and bullied, with only one real friend - a popular boy who is adventurous and has an explorer spirit. Together, they sneak into the forbidden Dark Market (well, forbidden to children), and ultimately, the outskirts of the Forbidden Jungle (forbidden to all). But misadventure occurs, and it will be up to Zahrah to find spirit and bravery within herself, if she wants to save his life...

It took me a long while to get used to the book and its world. It is not as different from our world as China Mieville's New Weird genre, but at the same time, it's different enough to not feel like a bog standard fantasy or scifi world. I kept expecting subversions that were not forthcoming: that we were on Earth all along, just in an isolated jungle in Africa. Or that the main monsters would turn out to be human bulldozers or tanks. Or that the "humans" were in fact fairies or other animals...

Instead, the narration is at face value, which I simply did not expect. It took me a very long while (half the book or more) to get used to this, and even near the very end, I kept expecting twists and subversions and more. I suppose the world that has been created here is, for my personal taste, sitting somewhere awkward: not strange enough, nor familiar enough, for me to feel entirely at ease as a reader.

The adventure story meanwhile is quite straightforward and deftly told. Our heroine starts out perhaps a little too shy and easily scared, has adventures, and gets her bacon saved by luck perhaps a little too often. But by the end, I was quite engaged and gripped by the narrative.

I'm certainly intrigued by Nnedi Okorafor's writing vision, and curious to read other novels, to see in which direction she develops...

3.5/5 stars, really...(less)

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May 23, 2013 Kristine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic book! I thought it was YA when I picked it up--it's probably closer to MG since the protagonist is a 13 year old girl.

Wow, what a protagonist! Zahrah is "Dada," meaning she was born with vines growing in her hair. She's the only one in her town who is Dada and, because she's different and shy, she gets teased a lot. Her best friend, Dari, is a much more adventurous spirit. He encourages Zahrah to embrace her differences and encourages her to push herself and to overcome her insecuriti...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Dorothy (D. J.) Emry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I first encountered her writing in a Scifi anthology that I reviewed for StaticMulitmedia. Her short story "Spider, the Artist" in Seeds of Change stands out through the juxtaposition of African mythology and the near future setting. In Zarah the Windseeker, Okorafor-Mbachu brings all that to YA fiction.

She has created an enchanting world in this book - the forbidden Greeny Jungle and the town of Kirki - one that unfolds as natur...more

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Mar 19, 2009 Flourish rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: preteens, advanced kids

Shelves: favorites, young-adult-phantastics

This book wasn't what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be much more... I don't know... fantastical? That isn't the right word. I expected a high fantasy (with the "windseeker" title and all). But by the end, I had gotten through all the wacky plant-computers and so forth and was thoroughly entranced. The format of the story, in some ways, reminded me of Haroun and the Sea of Stories - nearly discrete incidents following one after the other (this is not the format of my own favorite...more

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Jul 19, 2007 Oyceter added it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, black, west-african

some parts of this book felt too young for me, particularly the story of zahrah feeling like she didn't fit in. but i think those bits would work better for younger readers, and i enjoyed the world-building, particularly the plant computers. and i was very happy to find a book set in nigeria and a young woman of color finding her strength. i'm looking forward to what okorafor-mbachu writes next.

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Dec 12, 2010 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, sirens-2011

I found Zahrah the Windseeker to be engaging and whimsical. I was easily drawn in by the worldbuilding and its marriage of nature and technology. The writing is fluid and vivid, filled with rich descriptions that truly bring the Forbidden Greeny Jungle to life.

I was a bit worried about the preachiness of Dari's political views, but in the end I think they were appropriate for the intended reader-group, and didn't overpower the sentiment of the morals being addressed. Instead, it is empowering b...more

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Mar 29, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-fantasy, fiction-ya

Apparently good enough to read in one sitting, but not good enough for me to really care why. The alternate-universeness of this is delightful, but gets a little precious by the end, especially all the weird flora and fauna in the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. I'm especially irritated by the talking animals, which strikes me as awkwardly patched on top of the world-building. I love the concept of a world that runs on plants for currency and power, but question why, in that case, the jungle is so fore...more

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Jan 31, 2008 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who has a wild imagination

Recommended to Susan by: morsecode from bookcrossing.com

I absolutely loved this book. I really enjoyed the writer and have never read anything quite like it. I hope to be able to read the other book The Shadow Speaker by her. She was just amazing! Thanks morsecode for sending this to me. BCID: 748-5459380

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Sep 26, 2012 Liza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, african-american-authors

I loved, loved, loved this story. This young, timid girl goes through a rough and tumble jungle one a 3 week journey to save a friend. She comes out a new brave young lady. Once ashamed of her dada locs and wanting to be normal, her best (and only) friends pushes her to be more outgoing, fearless. They venture to the forbidden jungle for Zahrah to practice her talents when her friend takes ill from a snake bite and falls into a coma.

The only thing that can save him is an antidote made from an eg...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Moe rated it 5 of 5 stars

I guess you can judge a book by its cover sometimes I had a couple other books on my list to read before this one but the gorgeous cover art kept calling out to me. Zahrah the Windseeker is an intense and beautiful coming of age story about friendship, sacrifice, the perils being different and utimately the joys of being unique. I think the author does a great job of melding Sci-Fi and Fantasy it never felt forced or disjointed. The writing is very sumptuous and rich almost technicolor it opens...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Jain rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, american-literature, fantasy, fiction, juvenile-fiction, nigerian-literature, poc-author, african, northamerican

Your average juvenile fiction quest fantasy, except that the protagonist is female (somewhat rare), she's brown-skinned (much rarer), and her world is based on an African rather than European or Asian model (very rare indeed). Interesting worldbuilding, though the marriage of fantasy and technology didn't always ring true for me. Unfortunately, my favorite parts of the book were those that took place before the quest, so I was a little disappointed with the direction that the plot took. That's m...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Zen Cho rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kidslit, written-by-poc, sff

Enjoyed this! Zahrah reads pretty young to me -- younger than 13 -- and I feel this is more middle grade than YA, but taking that into account, this book is a lot of fun. I liked the plant tech and the worldbuilding in general, thought the voice was charming and funny, and liked Zahrah's character arc (similar to Spirited Away -- timid/spoilt girl coming into her own). Would definitely rec it to kids. My only beef with it is that I feel like not much was done with her dadalocks -- they seemed ki...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Woyingi Blog added it

I wasn’t disappointed by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu’s novel Zahrah, The Windseeker, although it did leave me wanting more. The novel is ideal for young adults. It is the winner of the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa (Although published in the United States in 2005, it was only published in Nigeria in 2008). There are elements of it that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Zahrah, The Windseeker is a simple tale, which I think would translate well into a graphic novel or animated film...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Danny rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel was something new for me. Most of the novels I read are either realistic fiction/crime fiction or extreme fantasy. "Zahrah the Windseeker" has a good mixture of both realistic and fantastic elements, such as the technology that is all plant-based and the jungle animals that are not quite the same as in our world. It is an adventure story and a story of self-acceptance and self-actualization.

I won't go into much detail about the story, but I will say that this book was an impulse buy w...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Lightreads rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

A thirteen-year-old girl journeys into the forbidden greeny jungle to find a cure to save her best friend. Along the way she develops her magic and does some growing up.

It's a very simple story – girl marked by difference takes the first steps into adulthood – and younger than I usually like my young adult. But it's sweet and fun, and the world building is great (computers grown on trees! A dietary supplement for charisma!). And it does make me happy to remember there actually are young adult bo...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

So good! I read this immediately after "The Shadow Speaker", so the pace seemed much slower at first and much of the stuff about Ginen had already been mentioned in the other book.

Pretty quickly, though, I found myself getting hooked. About halfway through and until the very end, I tried to pace myself and only read a chapter or two at a time, so it wouldn't end as quickly.

Since I've now finished this book, "The Shadow Speaker", and "Who Fears Death?", next up is "Akata Witch" and I'll be done!...more

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About Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor (full name: Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor. Also previously known as Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu) is a novelist known for her complex characters and weaving Nigerian cultures and settings into speculative narratives.

In a profile of Nnedi’s work titled “Weapons of Mass Creation”, The New York Times called Nnedi’s imagination “stunning”.

Her YA novels include AKATA WITCH (an Amazon.com Best Bo...more

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Quotes from Zahrah the Windseeker

“Though I knew I shouldn’t have cared, the words still hurt like pinches, and pinches can be very painful when done in the same place many times in a row.” — 18 people liked it

“It's ok to care about what other people think, but you should give a little more weight to what you, yourself, think...The habit of thinking is the habit of gaining strength. You're stronger than you believe.” — 15 people liked it

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