Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

 

Akata Witch

Bibliography

Okorafor, Nnedi.  2011.  Akata Witch.  New York, NY: Viking.  ISBN  9780670011964

Plot Summary

Sunny is an American-born Nigerian who moved to Nigeria with her family, she also happens to be albino, and she has glimpsed a vision of the end of the world in a candle flame.  Sunny soon finds out from her new friends ChiChi and Orlu that she is a leopard-person, like them, who has magical powers.  The three friends plus a visiting American leopard-person, Sasha, make up a Oha coven who are given the task of catching the Black Hat Murderer, a serial killer, who also happens to be a leopard-person.  He's the same apprentice who killed Sunny's grandmother, the one that was a little crazy, and the one her mother never wants to talk about.  Black Hat Otokoto is killing children to help bring back Ekwensu, a powerful masquerade that is basically like the devil, from the spirit world.  Sunny and her friends, while young and inexperienced, are able to tap into their natural juju talent and stop Ekwensu from re-entering the world. 

Critical Analysis

Like the world of Harry Potter, in the world that Okorafor has created non-magical people unknowingly live alongside people with powers, and she has ironically chosen the symbolism of leopard and lamb to represent the two types of people.  Many leopard-people have something unique about them, like Sunny's albinism, that would spark ridicule and scorn from the non-magical community, like a leopard attacking a lamb; however, unbeknownst to the Lambs, the Leopard-people are really the ones to be feared and respected due to their magical powers.  Okorafor cleverly creates a separate world within modern society where the Leopard-people exist and describes Nigeria's magical hub Leopard Knocks, with rich detail. 

At the beginning of the book, we experience Sunny's discovery of magic with her, without getting a prior explanation of what's happening.  We are just as confused about what is happening to her as she is, and this allows us to easily put ourselves in Sunny's shoes.  Sunny is strong-willed and isn't afraid to tell things like they are, and unlike Sasha and ChiChi who are more risky and careless with their magic, Sunny is much more cautious when using her powers.  She rises to the challenges put in front of her with strength and courage, and we see the beginning of her transformation into a magical being.  After the encounter with Ekwensu, we know that there is much more to Sunny and the wilderness, or spirit world, she is able to see into; she is able to tap into her natural ability and push the powerful entity back to where she came from without having any prior practice or training.  At the end of the story Sunny finally is able to connect with her grandmother through a letter that was left with her mother, and we gain a little more understanding of where Sunny's powers came from when facing Ekwensu.

 

The only negative critique about this book I have is that I wish there had been more substance to the encounter between the four teens and Black Hat Otokotu.  There is so much build up throughout the book about the serial killer, and we know that he's the one who killed Sunny's grandmother, that his quick defeat was someone anticlimactic. I would have liked more detail in this confrontation, possibly some discussion about Sunny's grandmother and some more back story about why Otokotu is trying to summon Ekwensu.

Awards & Review Excerpts

2011 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Finalist

School Library Journal 6/1/2011 by Sharon Rawlins

"This vividly imagined, original fantasy shows what life is like in today's Nigeria, while it beautifully explores an alternate magical reality. Sunny must deal with cultural stereotypes, a strict father who resents her being female, and older brothers who pick on her because she's better at soccer than they are. This is a consistently surprising, inventive read that will appeal to more thoughtful, patient fantasy readers because it relies less on action and more on exploring the characters' gradual mastery of their talents."

Library Media Connection 10/1/2011 by Terri Lent

"This unique novel has the feel of a modern fairy tale and will appeal to teens looking for more than the typical fantasy filled with vampires and wizards. "

Connections

Called "the Nigerian Harry Potter," I think fans of Hogwarts would love this novel and its sequels, Akata Warrior, ISBN 9780142425855  and Akata Woman, ISBN 9780451480583.  Another take on magic in a different culture that might appeal to readers is Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, ISBN 9780316038638.