Reviews tagging 'Death'

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

32 reviews

bookish_leslie's review

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

My rating scale, for reference:

  • 1 Star: Hated it
  • 2 Stars: Didn't like it
  • 3 Stars: Meh
  • 4 Stars: Liked it
  • 5 Stars: Loved it
 
I obviously didn’t care for this book, given my rating. It wasn’t all bad, of course. For example, I appreciated how knowledge was seen as the topmost goal of the Leopard People, as opposed to the goal of material gain in the real world, and how Leopard people were supposed to love and embrace their physical shortcomings. I liked, too, how not everything was glossed over and made perfect - for example, how (spoiler)
Sunny’s team didn't win the soccer match
. It was also interesting to read a book that wasn’t North American or Eurocentric, though I found the places, cultural references, and language/slang harder to follow because of this. 

So yes, there were some things about this novel I enjoyed, but overall, I found the story to be fairly dark and off-putting. Here were some of the reasons why:

  • The sexism and misogyny throughout the book was horrific.

  • The adults in general were terribly abusive. Canings, floggings, beatings - didn’t matter if it was parents, teachers, or magical authorities; they all were abusive in some way. And then the kids beat each other up too. Gee, I wonder why, given the example they were set? 

  • The plot was pretty weak. The characters mostly floated from one scene to another without any progression or development.

  • The characters weren’t very believable. Other than their constant in-fighting, they usually acted much more like 16 or 17-year-olds than the 12ish-year-olds they were supposed to be. 

  • It was infuriating how information about Leopard people was so slowly dripped and gate kept, and never ended up being well-explained. 

  • I didn’t understand how or why Sunny’s sun sensitivity was (spoiler)
    suddenly and magically cured, especially with the emphasis within Leopard society of embracing shortcomings.


  • So much emphasis was put on how Leopard magic wasn’t genetic…except that it seemed to be mostly genetic? There were a lot of inconsistencies like this throughout.

  • The adults were constantly putting the children at risk for no discernible reason, and it bugs me to no end when children are (spoiler)
    sent in to save the day when there are always more qualified adults. Why!? 12 year old children were sent in this book to confront a serial killer while the adults just sat back and watched. These kids weren’t given any information or training or help. Just suddenly summoned and sent in to do their best. And if they died? Oh well. Greater good and all that. But weirdly, they did succeed. I'm obviously glad they did, but how were they successful when so many others more experienced than them had failed? More detail was given to their irrelevant soccer game than to this climax.


  • There was no cohesion in the tone of this book. One minute I might be reading about an adorable bug who loved to be praised for the things it made out of trash, and the next I might be reading about small children getting their eyes gouged out by a serial killer. WTF?

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purplepenning's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
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dreareads_'s review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book is everything I wanted HP and Percy Jackson to be and more ✨

(Full video on insta and tiktok)
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turrean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

The audiobook narration was stellar: distinct voices for all characters, seamless transition among American and several African accents. 

Watching Sunny—accustomed to being a misfit—uncover a magical world to which she truly belongs is a delight. And exactly in parallel to her confidence, her awareness of the truly horrifying evil approaching grows, too. 
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maresuju's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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

3.5

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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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skylerher's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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city_girl_writer's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. This is something I would have been ecstatic for as a younger reader, and this book touched that. I really liked our protagonist, Sunny, and her friends. The magic was unique and loved how it was set in Nigeria. It touched me, and I appreciate this book for it. Very curious to see what happens in Akata Warrior.
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abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

I enjoyed this book a lot, it was an easy listen and the audio narration was on point. Very straightforward YA writing that still has lots of beautiful description and whimsy. It fits the standard “unique child finds magical community” story arc but fulfills it in a fresh and interesting way. The ending did feel rushed with little explanation, but I would still give the rest of this series a try. 

Where this book lost me was some of the overdone, tired stereotypes and tropes: the main villain and other unseemly or mean people being described as fat, and the disability is magically healed trope
when Sunny no longer feels negative impacts or lack of access from her albinism and can go out in the sun without being burned
which I think will prevent young people with albinism from really identifying or feeling seen by this story. 
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megold12's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Loved this story. At times I wanted more of the lore or to read more about Sunny’s experience learning about her powers and this world. The ending also felt very fast
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