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vcords_'s review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book was okay. Pleasant, not horrible, but maybe a little mediocre.
While I enjoyed the otherworldly setting and meeting some of the quirkiest characters, the plot wasn't super stimulating in terms of its action/adventure element. Compared to the earlier two installments in this series, Akata Woman leans more into the sci-fi element of fantasy. Given the political tensions discussed in the earlier parts of the novel, I thought that would play more into the rest of the novel, in the same way that Okorafor incorporated the Black Hat Otokoto arc in Akata Witch and the deity elements in Akata Warrior. Unlike previous installments, <i>Akata Woman</i> was not as rounded, integrated, or satisfying. We are also entering what seems like a wave of literature that has been inspired by COVID, not that it makes a big difference here; I wish the author had decided to either integrate it more or not at all.
The most satisfying part was that we see Anywanwu put Sunny in her place. I know Sunny has reasons to be reluctant to grow or take up space, but given that she's a character who might be described as having a wimpy demeanor despite possessing uniquely exceptional abilities, it was extremely refreshing to have her learn a lesson something along the lines of, "Sometimes you aren't enough and you need to grow into who you can be." Anyanwu, as problematic as she might be, was by far the most likable character.
Other thoughts I have about this book:
- The author tried to make Chichi more palatable in this series, to her detriment.
- We get to see a tiny bit more of Orlu's sense of humor. Much appreciated!
- The scene where Sasha pours out the whiskey was immensely powerful. When he complains that his friends and people in Nigeria don't talk about his African ancestry and Black-Americanness enough, I hoped it would be fleshed out more later. However, when it's not brought up in the rest of the book, it somewhat drives his point into the ground.
- Given the plot point concerning the growing tension between Sunny and her father, I thought we'd get to see more of her family's responses to her disappearances. It felt that the growing relationship between Sunny and Chukwu that we saw develop in the last novel should have been relevant, but it got absolutely shafted.
I wondered if the author expects us to go along with the plot in the same way Sunny is expected to go along with the demands placed on her. That's fine, but given that many arcs in this novel did not serve a story beyond that of the characters, despite that being a major developmental theme in the series, it felt like a thematic contradiction that left me wanting more.
The most satisfying part was that we see Anywanwu put Sunny in her place. I know Sunny has reasons to be reluctant to grow or take up space, but given that she's a character who might be described as having a wimpy demeanor despite possessing uniquely exceptional abilities, it was extremely refreshing to have her learn a lesson something along the lines of, "Sometimes you aren't enough and you need to grow into who you can be." Anyanwu, as problematic as she might be, was by far the most likable character.
Other thoughts I have about this book:
- The author tried to make Chichi more palatable in this series, to her detriment.
- We get to see a tiny bit more of Orlu's sense of humor. Much appreciated!
- The scene where Sasha pours out the whiskey was immensely powerful. When he complains that his friends and people in Nigeria don't talk about his African ancestry and Black-Americanness enough, I hoped it would be fleshed out more later. However, when it's not brought up in the rest of the book, it somewhat drives his point into the ground.
- Given the plot point concerning the growing tension between Sunny and her father, I thought we'd get to see more of her family's responses to her disappearances. It felt that the growing relationship between Sunny and Chukwu that we saw develop in the last novel should have been relevant, but it got absolutely shafted.
I wondered if the author expects us to go along with the plot in the same way Sunny is expected to go along with the demands placed on her. That's fine, but given that many arcs in this novel did not serve a story beyond that of the characters, despite that being a major developmental theme in the series, it felt like a thematic contradiction that left me wanting more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Cursing
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