Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Akata Witch

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Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

7 reviews

bluberrybooks's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I feel like I wrote this review but apparently I haven't. It's been a bit sine I finished this book so it's not fresh. I really enjoyed the pacing, characters and story. I loved the magic system I believe the world building was fantastic. You leaem about everything with the main character. I like how it showed the double standards she has to deal with as a young girl. I almost gave it 4.5 but didn't because the ending felt too all over the place and the way Sunny just saved the day felt unearned and not every believable. I originally gave it 3.5 but I still think highly of this so 4 star for me!

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just_one_more_paige's review

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

My brother gave me the first book in this series last year as a Holiday gift, and I feel like getting started on it about a year later is really pretty good, for me! But for real, it was such a great surprise book choice because I have read, and loved, Binti (and Home and The Night Masquerade). So, of course, I had wanted to read more from her. This helped me move it up my list! (I have also been listening to the audiobooks for them, as I read - they are available through my library on Hoopla - and the narrator is fantastic!)

Sunny Nwazue was born in the United States, but moved back to Nigeria with her parents (and brothers) when she was nine. She is Nigerian and she is albino. And it seems to her that, no matter where she is, she doesn't fit in. When she discovers that she is a "free agent," a person born with magical power (but not one born to magical parents, so she is finding out late in life), everything changes. Her "in-between-ness" begins to change from a liability to a strength. And as she begins training, she finds out she is part of a pre-ordained set of four, along with her peers Chichi, Orlu and Sasha, and they are being tasked with tracking down a magical criminal (a criminal that, Sunny learns, may have something to do with her mysterious maternal grandmother) and stop him from calling an unspeakable evil.

I don't know what I was expecting, exactly, but this story met all my expectations. I will say, it is written in that in-between middle grade and young adult style, and, while there are definitely some mature topics and scenes that could be kind of scary depending on the reader (like horror-style bug swarms), the whole vibe (writing and character interaction, etc.) leans more middle grade, in my opinion. If I were to compare it to that most popular of MG/YA magic school series, it would line up really closely. I would recommend it as an alternative, follow-up, or "comp" read in a heartbeat (in fact, I plan to). But other than that, this is familiar Okorafor through and through.

I absolutely loved the world-building. It is reminiscent of Binti, but is clearly more grounded in the recognizable, as it's an earth-based fantasy, versus space opera sci-fi. The West African traditions and cultures that are the setting and inspiration for the story are strong and beautifully rendered. And the magic system, juju, as an extension of that, is stunning. To steal a bit from the intro to book two (yes, I started reading that before even writing this review, because I couldn't wait for more), juju is "what we West Africans like to loosely call magic, manipulative mysticism, or alluring allures. And it was all of that in these pages. The lines of family/inheritance in magical ability, the way knowledge and learning are central to the system (both in improving skill and in being rewarded for it in its own right), and the use of magical items and writings and internal processes/foci to perform magic was all so much fun to read about. Like really, there is little I enjoy more than a well-developed magic system. And a magical world! The creativity in the greater magical community was great. I particularly loved some of the touches like the spirit faces, the "idea brewery" in the library, the little bee that creates art - so good. Plus, there was a gorgeous reimagining and reclaiming of traditional “weaknesses” (like dyslexia, defiance/ADHD, albinism, etc.). The way Okorafor writes finding strength and power in what sets you apart/makes you unique is an important message for young and older readers alike.

Character-wise, it seemed like Sunny was mostly just along for the ride here (makes sense, being new to things). But then randomly has a pivotal role at the end, that she sort of struggles to understand/explain. I am curious to see if we get more depth on her abilities as we go, and hoping (and expecting) that we do. The one thing that stuck out to me as a bit awkward was the entire soccer storyline. The “she’s special and extra good at soccer randomly without ever actually playing for real” was a weird vibe to add, and I'm sure why it was there or necessary within the greater story. Otherwise, these four friends were great. The way they challenged and balanced each other is another great lesson and so sweetly written. I also appreciated the moments when they called out the adults, demanding that they “speak clearly.” It’s such a magical mentor trope that guides/mentors speak in riddles and I was totally here for these young people calling out the more knowledgeable elders like, "we can - and want to - help, but tell us what we need to do because maybe you don’t remember not knowing all that you know now, and can’t conceive that, if we have such a role to play, we don’t know everything you know, but should." It was just, really insightful. Not something you usually get in I loved that, again for readers of all ages to remember: ask for help/clarity and offer it!

There was so much imagination in this first book. It had the traditional build of a "first book in a series focused on an MC with a newly discovered magical ability and a chosen one/group facing a major threat," but in a way that was both comfortably predictable and entertainingly new. There was a wonderful mix of lighter, youthful friendship and rivalry and naivete and the delight in learning new things, with just enough darkness from a greater/adult threat and magic used for power/evil to balance it out. And again, the world of culture and magic that Okorafor creates with her words is its own kind of magic. I am excited to keep following this story and these characters.

“Knowledge is the center of all things.”

“Prejudice begets prejudice. […] Knowledge does not always evolve into wisdom.”

“They’re capable of great things, but potential doesn’t equal success.”

"When things get bad, they don't stop until you stop the badness - or die."

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haylzno's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

For the most part I loved the story. Person stumbled upon this world of magic and finds family along the way is one of my favorite tropes. There were times where I felt the story dragged a bit, taking me out of the story. And there were other times where it felt rushed? Like we spent 90% of this book working towards this end goal of confronting the Black Hat and when we finally get there the whole thing is over in less than a chapter?? Granted there are books after this one in the series so I'm sure it all is possibly revisited, but it felt like we were building and building and building to this moment and once we got there it was over in the blink of an eye.

However, the Leopard People, free agents, spirit faces, chitim, all of the other aspects of this story were so so so much fun to read I couldn't get enough of Sunny discovering this whole new world. I can't wait to see her continue to grow into her magic and hopefully learn more about her lineage!!

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emohell's review

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adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

read for class and absolutely loved it. took a bit for me to get really into it but i’m already looking into reading the sequel. incredibly vivid world building and lovable characters that each had their own arcs and development.

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Akata Witch is the tale of a world within a world and a girl who doesn’t know her heritage or the mysterious power it brings. This sort of story may sound familiar, but at every opportunity Okorafor departs from the expected to build a magical coming-of-age story that is entirely its own. Sunny and her friends are given an impossible task, are immersed in an impossible world and it is beguiling, beautiful, and mesmerizing. I think it might be one of my favorite magical YA settings ever.

Let’s start with Sunny. First of all, Sunny proves that it’s possible to have an extraordinary destiny without being an orphan. She is exceptional in some ways – as most protagonists are. The most obvious is these is her albinism. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of another book featuring a protagonist with albinism, and a Black person at that. I applaud Okorafor for her choice! But Sunny’s albinism is about more that representation. There’s an empowering reason for it in the story and that matters most of all. Sunny is never defined by any of her individual traits, even though they weigh on her at times. Okorafor does an excellent job guiding her protagonist through a journey of self-discovery.

Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha are a dynamic group and it’s fun to follow their journey. I appreciated the use of mentors and I appreciated the separate shining personalities. I didn’t feel we had too many tropes among them, and those that tried to surface were pushed aside. These characters are defined by themselves, not the role they play in the book, and that’s fantastic. It’s refreshing to see a group with a purpose, rather than an individual with a destiny.

I adore Okorafor’s writing. In Akata Witch, I especially appreciated her use of weather. Rain, sun, storm – all of them bring so much to the story’s atmosphere in a way I appreciate with most books, but am astounded with here. The climatic scene near the end of the book was astounding and immersive and I was enthralled. There are some writers who are so talented at atmospheric writing that from the first few sentences, you are transported. Okorafor is one of those authors.

Akata Witch is a fantastic dive into magic from a non-Western European perspective. The action scenes have amazing pacing, the characters jump off the page, and the writing is vibrant. I enjoyed this book so much – it’s definitely destined for my personal library. I’d recommend folks look past the ages of the main quartet – this book never felt catered to younger readers – and dive in. It’s wonderful.

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zombiezami's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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rebthack's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Really enjoyed this book built around African juju. Forget what you might have heard: this is NOT Nigerian Harry Potter - well, maybe there are 2 exceptions: a main character (and her cohort) that I absolutely adore; and, the immersive storytelling/world building skills of Okorafor.

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