Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Wow! This book was so good. I love the character of Sunny and the story of a secret society of magic practitioners in the modern world. If you like magical coming of age stories - grab this book!

Sunny begins her journey as a misfit. Born on one continent, trying to fit in on another, and an albino to boot--she doesn't feel like she belongs. And there's a reason for that: Sunny's magical. She finds her place in a group of fellow magic students, and grows her own community. But that community is threatened by a rogue magician who's using his powers for evil deeds. Can Sunny and her friends draw on their strength to defeat a threat that could end their lives? Great characters and a fascinating magical system are just the beginning of this book's charms. Highly recommended.

There are a handful of books about tweens and teens discovering their hidden magical abilities, learning to use them, and saving the world. Akata Witch is a refreshingly unique addition to this catalog for a handful of reasons: the rooting in real-world Nigerian traditions, the exploration of Africanjujuism, and for the singular focus and development of Sunny as a character and heroine. I adored Sunny as a heroine. The layers of contrasts and duality, light vs. dark skin, American vs. Nigerian (Igbo and Efik) identities, and the magical vs. non-magical worlds, these all intersect and then harmonize in Sunny. While the threat of Black Hat Otokoto is certainly the catalyst for the novel’s climax, the story is much more about Sunny, finding her place in the world and coming into her own. Reading Fast Facts for Free Agents, discovering her spirit face, chittim raining down as she learns juju, playing soccer in the sun (and beating the boys!), all made Sunny lovable and endearing, though not perfect. She also breaks rules, some small and some big enough to truly be admonished for. Sunny's story of discovery, bright-eyed curiosity, creating bonds of friendship, and finding her place in the roots of Nigerian magic and folklore make Akata Witch one not to miss in YA fantasy.

After hearing about this title I decided to read it. Unfortunely I didn't enjoy it and stopped reading. I never finished it.

A captivating story with fantastic writing. It shares a lot of elements with Harry Potter, which makes it perfect for people woh love Harry Potter and are looking for a story that will evoke the same feelings, I think it's a little brutal for middle grade so I would recommend it for ages 11+. I like that the author draws from Nigerian folklore and rituals, which in turn exposes its readers to a diverse world.

Great YA. Writing is excellent, story is captivating, the inclusion of African tribal folklore is fascinating. A must-read for lovers of YA with any sort of magic or supernatural element.

MC was born in Nigeria, raised in United States, now back in Nigeria. Berated in school for her albinism, she teams up as part of a trio to learn more about her spiritual gift, while learning to stand up for herself and embrace her gifts.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny has always known that she was a little bit different. For one, she is albino. Living in Nigeria is no joke for someone who is albino; she often feels like she doesn't fit in with her school mates or her family. Another thing that is different about Sunny is how she has things happen in her life that she has a hard time explaining. Most recently it was seeing a horrible vision while looking in to candlelight.

Everything starts to make sense though when she is told she is not just a normal human, but rather a Leopard Person; a witch who can perform juju magic. In the Leopard People world, what many people would look at as your greatest fault or defect, turns in to your greatest asset. Sunny finds out that she is not the only person in her neighborhood that is a Leopard Person and Orlu and Chichi help to facilitate her journey in this new life she is finding herself living. It isn't all fun and games though. There is a killer on the loose by the name of Black Hat, and Sunny along with Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha (a Leopard Person from the states that has been sent to Nigera for his bad behavior), form a powerful coven that is tasked with stopping the Black Hat before he kills again. Will the group be able to stop the Black Hat, or will the visions that Sunny saw come to life?

I love every page of this book. It reminded me of Harry Potter in terms of the world building and fantastical elements of the Leopard world. I loved the imagery that Okorafor created as I crossed over the bridge to Leopard Knocks, and as Sunny learned new things that money rained down on her. I really could not put this book down, and I'm just sad that it took me this long to get it read. I highly recommend this for all libraries.

I loved the cultural aspects of this, and the main character was really likeable and well-developed. I wasn't super impressed with the development of the side characters, as they started to feel interchangeable. I also felt like the pacing of the story was way off: some parts felt lightning fast and kept my interest while other chapters lagged with no real action. Mostly, though, this book is a fantastic look at Nigerian folklore and beliefs and I really enjoyed those parts of it.

Sunny is stuck not really knowing what she is. She's in between.

She's American and Nigerian. She has West African features, but has albinism. She's great a soccer, but her sun sensitivities means she can only play at night with her brothers.

When she learns that she not only has juju is a free agent in the magic world, she's thrown further into a sense of non-belonging. Adrift in both the worlds of the Leopard People and the Lambs (those without juju like her family), Sunny has only her friends and her teacher to help her—but no one can hold her hand.

Sunny has to learn fast—a sadistic serial killer is mutilating and murdering children, and it just might be up to Sunny and her friends to save the day before Black Hat Otokoto does something worse.

This book was sold as an African Harry Potter, and it doesn't disappoint—although it is definitely a lot different than Harry Potter (no shit), with juju that is as dangerous as it is entrancing.

The worldbuilding in this book is absolutely phenomenal and wholly African. It juggles modern-day Nigeria with the incorporation of juju and a secret world of Leopard People, while incorporating themes of colonialism, racism, sexism, colorism, and the idea of power and knowledge.

Whose knowledge matters more?

Who holds the power and how does one get it?

What does being wealthy really mean?

I will admit that—like a couple other reviewers—I felt that Sunny was mostly reactionary, but I didn't really feel like that was an issue. She was completely over her head from the minute she learned about juju, which really showed her struggle with trying to fit into a world where she holds absolutely no power and all kinds of contempt and dismissal because she is a free agent. There's definitely the idea that ignorance does not justify mistakes and that the world isn't fair so get over yourself and keep moving on.

Also, the final showdown with the Big Bad was very quick—the absolutely thrilling soccer game got more page time. (view spoiler)

But despite this issue with the plot, I was so sucked up in the world of the Leopard People that it didn't matter. Sunny's friendship with Orlu, Chichi and Sasha was more important than Black Hat, and her learning to balance her new world with the old was far more fascinating.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Solid modern fantasy set in Nigeria. Prose and plot are not always smooth, but overall, a well-crafted story. Diverse cast of memorable characters. Recommended for middle grades, particularly fans of magic & myth.

Akata Witch is the perfect read alike for teens who enjoyed Harry Potter, but may be looking for a diverse setting and group of characters, but still filled with magic. I really enjoyed reading this title and can't wait to get my hands on the second book.

It is very similar to Harry Potter (complete with it's own set of currency, language for non-magical users, magical transportation, etc) but I think if that selling point gets kids to read about a different culture and experience it, so be it.

I liked a lot of things about this book - Nigerian culture, the magic, traditions, mythology. but also sometimes it felt like the characters were talking but not listening to one another. it was a weird disconnect. cultural? I don't know. I would maybe be interested in reading the sequel but not if I have to pay for it. perhaps the library will get it.

I've been reading her Binti series and thoroughly enjoying them, and so when I saw she was writing a teen series I was excited to pick it up. There's a lot that was really good. Nnedi Okorafor has a way with words that is engrossing and unique. Unfortunately at times the pacing of the story felt rushed and the ending was a little too cinematic/glossed over for me. I also had a hard time with the main protagonist being twelve - Sunny just never really felt like a twelve year old to me. That said, this book presents a fascinating look at African mythology that you rarely get to experience, I am well out of the age range of the target audience and most kids may not notice the same plot issues I did, and even with my criticisms I do plan to read the second book and will recommend the series to readers.

I really enjoyed reading a book about another culture in a fun YA story.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story had a unique heroine, Sunny, that I liked. Sunny is from America, but her parents, native Nigerians moved back to Nigeria. This story is Sunny's journey through a newly discovered magical world as a free agent. She is not alone. As she begins to develop, her newfound friends are there with her.

I usually devour books quickly. I found this book hard to consume, so I resolved to read 1 chapter each day or so. I honestly cannot explain why, though I think boredom was the culprit. Boredom due to pacing. The book is well written. The world building is phenomenal. Each character has a distinct voice that created a richness in the story. I liked how Sunny and her friends had to work together to overcome many of the obstacles thrown their way. But, the story was slow to me, painfully slow.

Otherwise, this is a good read for teens.

This is the start of what is sure to be an amazing series! I could not put this down. It's action-heavy, but still has a lot of introspection. The world-building is magnificent.

“Fear? Get used to it. There will be danger; some of you may not live to complete your lessons. It’s a risk you take. This world is bigger than you and it will go on, regardless.”

Akata Witch is a young adult novel by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor. Dubbed the “Nigerian Harry Potter,” I couldn’t resist this blend of fantasy and Nigerian folklore. The book follows 12-year-old Sunny who has spent most of her childhood in the US, but whose parents decided to move back to Nigeria – their home country – a couple of years ago. Sunny is a bit unusual. First of all, she is albino, and thus stands out because of her looks. Recently though, there have also been some strange incidents, for example, her premonition of the end of the world. As it turns out, Sunny, like her friends Orlu and Chichi, is a Leopard person – someone who possesses magical powers. She gets trained at Leopard Knocks, where she has to learn to fit in with the magical community, learn new customs, and of course, develop her magical powers with the help of her juju knife. But her newly found happiness is in danger. A serial killer called the “The Black Hat” threatens to summon the forces of evil and destroy both Leopard and Lamb (=non-magical folk) lives.

The book does share some similarities with Harry Potter. Of course, there is some kind of magical training involved, friendship and first love blossom, and a seemingly impossible task challenges the protagonist. But that’s where the similarities end. I’m not really sure what to make of this book. On the one hand, I liked how Okorafor weaves Nigerian folklore into this coming-of-age story about magic, but I found the plot somewhat blotchy. I would have expected more world building and those loving details that make books like Harry Potter so enjoyable. Furthermore, Sunny’s emotions are often not really properly conveyed. Of course, that leaves room for interpretation, but mostly I felt either confused or just meh about the character and the plot. The whole thing seemed to be a bit inconsistent, and only towards the end, the plot picked up some pace. Also, I would say it’s rather a children’s book than a young adult novel due to the protagonist’s age and innocence. The book addresses some serious issues like death, violence, and corporal punishment. Overall, however, the tone is somewhat light and the style geared towards a young readership. On the whole, it lacks some depth, plot, and character development when compared to other books of the genre. I think children will enjoy the adventure and the exotic setting, and it’s great to get more African voices out there to ensure diverse literary experiences for kids. But older teenagers and young adults might be somewhat bored by it. My verdict: a nice fantasy book which scores points with the target audience because of likable characters, some intriguing ideas, and African mythology.

(Thanks to Negalley and Penguin Young Readers for this ARC.)

These books are fascinating! Rich with culture and a world like no other, it was a mesmerizing journey and a fantastical tale I truly believed. I loved it.