BPL Book Review: "Akata Witch," Lovingly Called the Nigerian Harry Potter

 

By Leslie Deason|Avondale Regional Library 

 Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor, is a young-adult fantasy that has been lovingly called “the Nigerian Harry Potter."  

Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria but was born in New York City.  She's albino, loves to play soccer, and is an outstanding athlete, but feels that she doesn't really fit in anywhere.  She meets Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha, and discovers that she is a "free agent Leopard Person" with magical powers.

Join Sunny and her group of friends as they explore the roads of Nigeria and track down "Black Hat Otokoto", a ritual killer. You will learn about magical creatures, magical powders, walking books, a magical library, and a "funky train." This book is filled with magic, secrets and prophecies. 

Okorafor does a splendid job of immersing you in Nigerian history, food and culture.  Importantly, this is a book about discovering yourself and finding who you truly are.  I particularly enjoy stories filled with magic, interesting characters, and a touch of mystery.

Okorafor builds a magical world that you don’t want to leave. I found the story to be creative, fun, and immersive. The description of the Nigerian setting, including history and culture, was particularly well-developed and made the story unique.

If you love fantasy, stories filled with magic and interesting characters, this is one book you will not want to miss. If you enjoy this book, check out book two in the duology, Akata Warrior. I look forward to continuing the adventure!

 Click HERE to check out Akata Witch in print, downloadable audio, and book on CD at Jefferson County Library Cooperative member libraries, including the Birmingham Public Library.