Akata Woman
Nsibidi Scripts #3
by Nnedi Okorafor
Fantasy
Africa
Teen
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Sunny continues to learn how to wield her juju, read mystical texts/scripts, and gather experience as a free-agent Leopard person. It’s not an identity she can reveal to her family who are “Lambs” (no magical powers to speak of). As she levels up she earns “chittim,” a sort of magical person currency that appears to fall out of the sky every time one learns something new. Sunny and her friends (Chichi, Sasha, and Orlu) are a foursome to be reckoned with, but a dangerous task awaits them – retrieving what was stolen from Udide, a sort of spider goddess. It will require a journey out of their world, into death and beyond, but the survival of their people depends upon their success.
This futuristic, magical Nigeria is filled with mysterious spirits, and magic as well as tech. It’s a fascinating and intoxicating blend that will intrigue and delight readers who open up their hearts and minds to Sunny and her world.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
