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A review by kaitlynsitz
The Smoke That Thunders by Erhu Kome
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Norton Young Readers for this digital advanced reader copy!
The Smoke That Thunders is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl who dreams of a life bigger than the life she's been dealt. Naborhi wants to see the world and go on adventures, not to be constricted by the social structures in which she must marry and dedicate her life to being a wife, and who can blame her? Naborhi gets her wish, but her adventure turns treacherous as she and her friends encounter many hidden dangers along their quest.
I loved the use of West African mythology and folklore in this book, and the story made me want to learn so much more. While this is marketed as YA, I'd say it probably reads more like a middle grade book - but rest assured, all ages can enjoy this story. There were so many times my heart swelled and broke for Naborhi, and she is a character I was rooting for the whole time.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"You seek happiness in the world, in yourself, and this is admirable. Though many know what their own happiness is, few have the courage to actually seek it"
"I only want the freedom to live my life how I choose, and to honor this family with my actions, not my marriage."
"Together. We'd lived this strange, beautiful life together for so long, and now we'd take on the world together."
"I was unstoppable as the mightiest river, but my friends, my family, were what fed my strength."
The Smoke That Thunders is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl who dreams of a life bigger than the life she's been dealt. Naborhi wants to see the world and go on adventures, not to be constricted by the social structures in which she must marry and dedicate her life to being a wife, and who can blame her? Naborhi gets her wish, but her adventure turns treacherous as she and her friends encounter many hidden dangers along their quest.
I loved the use of West African mythology and folklore in this book, and the story made me want to learn so much more. While this is marketed as YA, I'd say it probably reads more like a middle grade book - but rest assured, all ages can enjoy this story. There were so many times my heart swelled and broke for Naborhi, and she is a character I was rooting for the whole time.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"You seek happiness in the world, in yourself, and this is admirable. Though many know what their own happiness is, few have the courage to actually seek it"
"I only want the freedom to live my life how I choose, and to honor this family with my actions, not my marriage."
"Together. We'd lived this strange, beautiful life together for so long, and now we'd take on the world together."
"I was unstoppable as the mightiest river, but my friends, my family, were what fed my strength."