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beccastareyesI find Nnedi Okorafor an interesting author. She writes these amazing, creative children's/YA stories like Zarah the Windseeker and Akata Witch, and also writes amazing adult books that are in no way for children. (Seriously, while I loved Who Fears Death, it got dark enough at times that I doubt I'd be able to reread it.)
Anyway, so I finally got a copy of Akata Witch, which has been described as the Nigerian Harry Potter. Probably because it was a story about a young person from the modern world discovering that not only was there a hidden world of magic users and creatures, but that she was part of it, despite her mundane upbringing. Really, though, HP has such a strong 'boarding school' element to it that the comparison is pretty superficial.
The story is about Sunny, whose parents were from Nigeria, but she was born in New York and spent years there before her parents returned to Nigeria. The book takes place far enough after the move that Sunny has mostly adapted to a new country. However, Sunny has a bit of a problem: she's albino, so the tropical sun is not her friend. She's also a target for one of the bullies at her school.
I don't remember what twinges one of Sunny's classmates, Orlu, to think she has magic, but he and his childhood friend, Chichi, basically drag her along to check this, without being able to explain much until they are sure. Unlike Harry Potter, people who can use magic but don't have a known family member who could -- called 'free agents' to emphasize they don't have an allegiance to any of the existing power structures -- aren't very common. Sunny is given a book to help her when Chichi and Orlu take her to meet their teacher, for instance. The next time she meets the teacher, and he's all 'how are you liking your book', she hesitates until he adds, 'yes, I know it's biased and condescending and pretty much tells you to shut up and keep your head down, but the author was the only one to think to write a book that explains things that your friends don't even think about because they grew up here, so read it but read other things and talk to people and decide for yourself'.
Actually, come to think about it, the book deals a lot with being cross-cultural. Sunny has a bit of it herself, having lived in two countries as well as being an 'immigrant' to the 'Leopard People' (the regional name for mages). The fourth of Sunny's little group, Sasha, is a visiting boy from Chicago, sent to Nigeria because he was using magic on his mundane (Lamb) community in fights, so we also get another character who is a 'fish out of water'. Sunny is even told that her Leopard powers -- the elements of magic that come most naturally to her -- are based on the belief that an albino person stands between the physical and spirit worlds. So she has an affinity for things like invisibility and movement magic, and for spirits.
Really, I enjoyed the book, not just because it was a good story about coming of age and magic and stuff, but because it's nice to see parts of the world (and legends and beliefs from there) that are not Europe or America get attention in stories.
Anyway, so I finally got a copy of Akata Witch, which has been described as the Nigerian Harry Potter. Probably because it was a story about a young person from the modern world discovering that not only was there a hidden world of magic users and creatures, but that she was part of it, despite her mundane upbringing. Really, though, HP has such a strong 'boarding school' element to it that the comparison is pretty superficial.
The story is about Sunny, whose parents were from Nigeria, but she was born in New York and spent years there before her parents returned to Nigeria. The book takes place far enough after the move that Sunny has mostly adapted to a new country. However, Sunny has a bit of a problem: she's albino, so the tropical sun is not her friend. She's also a target for one of the bullies at her school.
I don't remember what twinges one of Sunny's classmates, Orlu, to think she has magic, but he and his childhood friend, Chichi, basically drag her along to check this, without being able to explain much until they are sure. Unlike Harry Potter, people who can use magic but don't have a known family member who could -- called 'free agents' to emphasize they don't have an allegiance to any of the existing power structures -- aren't very common. Sunny is given a book to help her when Chichi and Orlu take her to meet their teacher, for instance. The next time she meets the teacher, and he's all 'how are you liking your book', she hesitates until he adds, 'yes, I know it's biased and condescending and pretty much tells you to shut up and keep your head down, but the author was the only one to think to write a book that explains things that your friends don't even think about because they grew up here, so read it but read other things and talk to people and decide for yourself'.
Actually, come to think about it, the book deals a lot with being cross-cultural. Sunny has a bit of it herself, having lived in two countries as well as being an 'immigrant' to the 'Leopard People' (the regional name for mages). The fourth of Sunny's little group, Sasha, is a visiting boy from Chicago, sent to Nigeria because he was using magic on his mundane (Lamb) community in fights, so we also get another character who is a 'fish out of water'. Sunny is even told that her Leopard powers -- the elements of magic that come most naturally to her -- are based on the belief that an albino person stands between the physical and spirit worlds. So she has an affinity for things like invisibility and movement magic, and for spirits.
Really, I enjoyed the book, not just because it was a good story about coming of age and magic and stuff, but because it's nice to see parts of the world (and legends and beliefs from there) that are not Europe or America get attention in stories.
