Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor Book Review
Title: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy Adventure, Coming of Age
Rating: 4 Stars; Incredible imaginative and reflective of her home
Summary:
Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year-old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged into the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?
The Story: * * Inventive and Easy to Get Lost In
This world of magic is the kind I hope to be real; it is the kind of place I hope I have a place in. It’s a modern telling of magical, wizard-based worlds set in Nigeria; paying respect to the unique climate of the country and spirituality without relying on biased stereotypes. That alone earned a star from me for sheer integrity. The second star comes in with the new ideas of how magic affects life, like a spirit face, guardian angels, and daggers that act as wands.
The story of Sunny, the Akata Witch, learns that she is a Leopard person, a magical person and that her kind exists invisible within her home. The story is wrapped within several layers of mystery, self-identity, and fantasy exploration.
The mystery is perhaps the most dominant; the curious case of what and who Sunny really is as a witch and the mystery of the Black Hat Killer plaguing the streets. The two are more closely related than I originally thought but appreciated. As Sunny walks the world with new eyes, both the reader and she come to learn more about how things work, specifically how unfair everything is.
The Characters: ** Mysterious, Inviting, etc.
Sunny and Her Family: Sunny is officially my favorite witch character ever created! Sunny is an albino 12-year-old, as you already know, and unfortunately in her country of Nigeria, this is seen as a deficit. To her classmates, she is an “akata” white girl; to her father and brothers, she is a burden. She is easily a likable character who is mistreated for being an outcast, in both worlds, magical and non-magical. it seems only a few are actually kind to her, in which case we see the true fun-loving child that she is. Curious, playful, and tired of being pushed around.
I noticed this kind of treatment (harsh is the best word to describe) also existed within her Leopard peers. I am referring to her teachers, the Leopard Scholars who are knowledgeable in the art of magic, but I found them to be super underqualified. Allow me to explain . . .
Teachers: The teachers are Leopard scholars, magical people who have passed the levels of magical tests, act as though answering questions straightforward is impossible do. I respect them for all they know, but I am so angry with them. They just remind me so much of the people who bullied Sunny. Mind you they do not mistreat her because of her skin condition, it is the opposite in fact! Her differences are directly tied to what makes her powerful, she is celebrated as she is!
Yet, the teachers were so, so, so AUGH!!
Anatov was disorganized and quick to shut down questions under the guise of it being disrespectful of his teaching methods.
Sugar Cream, the Leopard Twins, are both legendary scholars in their worlds but also harsh; I don’t know if maybe it’s a cultural shock, but these teachers constantly put their students into dangerous situations with little preparation. At some point, Sunny and her friends are informed to find and defeat a deadly, magical serial killer, and the teachers just, they just push them toward it. No protections, no hesitance, no hardcore boot camp training to equip them with what they’ll need, NOTHING! They just talk in half riddles and leave their students in the dark.
I won’t compare this book to the obvious other magical school stories out there, but I will say that I wished that the story was more organized. More organized in terms of magical laws and had better teachers than those who thought “sink or swim” are logical teaching methods. Other than that, I did love the book and I’m so glad I read it. It is an incredibly imaginative world that showcases African spirituality and culture in a more positive light and modern twist.
[TRIGGER WARNING: Blood/Fighting, Death, Adult Language.]
