A review by bookishflaneur
Lionheart Girl by Yaba Badoe

Lionheart Girl
Author: Yaba Badoe
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lionheart Girl is a compelling and inspiring expression of defiance and power that depicts independence, familial love and friendship as tangled strings. Badoe's beautifully created characters navigate growing up and discovery of self and of magic whilst facing criticism and disapproval from the community they grow up in. I absolutely adored both the magic system and the character development throughout the novel, and I think there is a beautiful message of self empowerment woven throughout the book.

However, for me the plot fell a little short. I think that with such a unique magic system the plots and conflicts of the novel could have been taken further. There was so much opportunity for the conflict between the mc and her mother to have visible rather than implied impacts on the community. That being said, the chosen plot of the book was well executed and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.