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What Sunny Saw In The Flames (2013)

by Nnedi Okorafor(Favorite Author)
3.28 of 5 Votes: 28
languge
English
publisher
Cassanova Republic
series
Akata Witch
review 1: Akata feels like there is nowhere she belongs. She was born in America, but now lives in Nigeria. She is African, but is albino. She is also a great athlete, but can play sports in the sun because of her condition. Akata discovers that she has magical powers. These powers set her free, and give her a place where she finally feels like she belongs. The fantastical elements of magic, paired with the themes of belonging, make this novel very accessible to students. Students with physical disabilities or conditions may also identify with Akata, and feel empowered by her ability to overcome her struggles.
review 2: Ask an average person on the street if he or she has heard of Harry Potter and you'll probably be served with a plateful of "yes." I mentioned J.K. Rowli
... moreng's book because it's inevitable to find yourself comparing Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch to the former. This vibrant novel is comprised of almost the same elements as Harry Potter - misfit protagonist, magic school, hidden magic community and the motif of growing up. If you're a fan of the series, then you will certainly enjoy this young adult standalone novel.The difference though is that this novel adopts a more serious and mature approach to elements like romance, family and conflict between friends. The author fluidly describes this fantasy world in such a way that you can almost smell the flowers or feel the breeze, and find yourself wanting to live right there in Leopard Knocks with Sunny.Born American but living in Nigeria, twelve-year-old Sunny is not your ordinary African girl. Although she's a terrific athlete, she can't go out into the sun and play soccer because of one important thing - she's albino. Already feeling out of place, Sunny later finds out that she's a "free agent," someone with latent magical power even with non magical parents.Instead of feeling more outcast than ever, Sunny finds her place among the Leopold People and with her three fellow magic students.Learning how to alter reality as well as taking up various classes in magic, will Sunny and her three friends be strong enough to take down a notorious career criminal who also knows magic?It's a clichÈ, but this book is a breath of fresh air. No, obviously not the genre or the plot even, since you cannot browse any library stall without bumping to an almost similar plot as this one. Rather, what sets this novel apart from the usual is its African-centered plot when the usual genre calls for white people inspired by Western European cultures. This is a novelty that more fantasy writers should pick up on. Fantasy lovers exist all over the world, no matter what skin tone they sport. Reading the usual can get redundant no matter how much the plot is twisted. I like how Okorafor put spice on this brilliant masterpiece by bringing something new to the fantasy table.Also praiseworthy are the charactersí growths as well as the realistic way the author created the friendship between Sunny and the three other magical students. Believable and wonderful, all characters have distinct and complex personalities like the average John and Jane. How these four established their relationships is a good life lesson for any young adult to pick up on - building trust in people and finding your own place.Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor hit a home run with this novel. Created through a wonderful rhythmic writing style and world-building, Akata Witch is a young-adult fiction at its finest. Although left with an opening for a series, the novel leaves you full and content in more ways than one. less
Reviews (see all)
meme
Really creative and captivating, though I liked the beginning more than the end.
Tommy
More like a three and a half star book, but I'm feeling generous.
haloreachuser
"The world is bigger than you." I love it.
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