Akata Witch (The Nsibidi Scripts, #1) in Beyond Reality

Feb 21, 2018 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, fantasy, 2018-shelf

What can I say? It felt very much like book one of Harry Potter in terms of plot and situation, only milder and set in Nigeria.

It shouldn't have felt milder. Objectively, there were child mutilations and a serial murderer on the loose. And there wasn't some gigantic castle with enchantments up to protect the students. So theoretically, if I were one of these four kids, I'd be creaming my pants.

Brushing that aside, the setting is deeply fascinating to me, with magics very tied to the place and cu ...more

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May 22, 2019 Cheryl added it

Is there a reason this is so elliptical? It reads as if unedited, or debut... but I'm sure it has to be crafted with care. I dunno. Because of the many instances of 'awkwardness,' and the fact that there is no glossary nor any notes I'm just not satisfied, nor interested in the sequel. ...more

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Mar 22, 2016 LadyDisdain rated it liked it

This novel follows Sunny Nwazue, an albino American born Nigerian girl. With her family having moved back to Nigeria, Sunny is finding it hard to fit in. Her looks and smarts are both fodder for the school bullies. Add to that her outsider status of being "akata" - an African American, life for Sunny is not exactly sunshine and rainbows.

As if these daily pressures aren't enough, Sunny also has special powers. The kind that are also a curse, as she is now privy to how the end of the world will un This novel follows Sunny Nwazue, an albino American born Nigerian girl. With her family having moved back to Nigeria, Sunny is finding it hard to fit in. Her looks and smarts are both fodder for the school bullies. Add to that her outsider status of being "akata" - an African American, life for Sunny is not exactly sunshine and rainbows.

As if these daily pressures aren't enough, Sunny also has special powers. The kind that are also a curse, as she is now privy to how the end of the world will unfold.

Thankfully, with the help of newly acquired friends Sunny learns she is actually part of a larger magical community.

Sunny's is a very engaging character to read about. I think young readers will take to her - she's an intelligent and resourceful child. She is curious and extraordinarily brave, yet at the same she feels very familiar, as if she could be any child you meet. I think this aspect will really endear her to young readers. She is just like any kid trying their best to fit in, worrying about balancing friends and family, while trying to establish her individuality.

The new world Sunny discovers is riotous with magic. There's something new at every turn. There is a lot to take in, in that regard, but one of the positive side effects is that the story is never put on pause in order to make way for excessive word building. The reader is swept along into this magical terrain with Sunny. I can see how that could be a bit of a downside, as it's a lot to take in, but then, you don't get bogged down in overwhelming details about setting and foliage etc., either.

If there was one thing I wanted more of, it was to see more interaction between Sunny and her parents. Her mother obviously knows a lot more about this new world Sunny's discovering than she's letting on. Plus, Sunny's relationship with her father is very rocky and fragile. I would love to see more positivity in that relationship in future novels but I can appreciate that Okorafor might be trying to convey that some relationship in life just don't evolve past a certain point in life.

I think young readers have a hero to discover in Sunny. She is a newbie, thrown into deep waters, but she's a conscientious kid who ultimately tries to do the right thing. I'm eager to see where this series will go. ...more

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