A review by frisby0
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

3.0

Ugh- such a disappointing read! Especially coming off of reading the superb Binti series by Okorafor which was utterly masterful, IMO. It's a100% Harry Potter derivative. There's just no way you can get around it . Item for item parallels found throughout the story. I love the idea of having a magical world, school, beasts, etc., set in an African world and all the cultural uniqueness this setting provided. How cool is it for kids to read about this special place but be able to see themselves in it?! One of the issues with HP (lack of diversity) corrected, right? Unfortunately, I found the writing and character development didn't live up to the challenge of recreating the world effectively. Obviously, I'm not a kid, but the writing felt too simple and the characters annoying. It made me sad that what could've been a truly magical & universal story, in the end felt flat and silly. Okorafor is an incredibly talenteded voice but I only heard a whisper of what could've been in this book.