I really didn't like the audiobook. I think I could read it pretty well and like it, but I didn't like the audio so I couldn't go on.

Ikenga is the story of a boy who loses his father and learns to find his way. Middle grade novels often reveal kids at a vulnerable place in their lives, as they seek to discover who they are as people. Add on top of that a heavy dose of fantasy, where Nnamdi is gifted a totem that gives him super powers, and you've got a recipe for a great coming of age story. Nnamdi navigates his emotions, his sense of justice, and the importance of his relationships throughout the book. I love that there's no romance plot in this, which is one of the appeals of middle grade fantasy. The plot is strong, but so is the character development, as Nnamdi grapples with who he wants to be following his father's murder. This book is short and a quick read, and I found it much easier to swallow in print than the original audio version I was given to read from NetGalley. Overall, this is a solid pick and would be fun to read with an elementary kid.

I love Nnedi Okorafor’s work and have read just about all her books - that said, this one was good but not quite a personal favorite. I felt the plot progression could have been just a bit snappier, though I found the characters and the concept extremely charming. The audiobook narrator was perfect for the story. His deep voice lent weight to the “superhero” and “villain” character voices, especially, and his range worked for adult and child characters alike.

I thought this was such a well written book. Middle grade is a great way to escape but also feel such big feelings. Ikenga was not short of feelings. Grief and how it manifests in kids is fascinating on its own, but throw in some magic and mystery and this books take on grief was even more interesting. The anxiety happening was really well represented.

This was an excellent middle grade superhero novel. I like how the powers were stepped in Igbo spiritualism, but nothing was spoon-fed to the reader. The placement of a somewhat traditional hero's journey into the Nigeria setting also helped make things feel fresh and interesting. I have the feeling there is a lot more coming in Nnamdi's story and I can't wait to see it.

First I want to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book.

I really have to say I enjoyed and loved everything in this book, I felt really alike with the book sometimes

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I've been wanting to read this book for i'm pretty sure well over a year! finally got the audiobook copy from netgalley and it was awesome! I wasn't sure how much i'd like this book but it was really great! loved the sci-fi, super hero vibe it had. Great middle grade book and was still enjoyable to read even as an adult, It didn't read overly childish or annoying as many middle grade books tend to turn out to be in my opinion!

This narrator is so good! One of the most important things for me when picking up an audiobook is having a good narrator and this one is awesome. Nnedi Okorafor is such a talented storyteller, too! Definitely worth checking out.

Nnedi Okarafor is a stunning author, I think that is established.
I loved reading this for a second time as an audiobook as I belive it enhanced my reading experience.

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook!

This is a fascinating look at life in a Nigerian town, and the use of the Ikenga, Nnamdi's father's ghost, and other magical elements make for an intriguing fantasy novel. I enjoyed that Chioma, Nnamdi's best friend, has some small connection to the magic because she touched the statue at some point. In the US, the police are considered to be above reproach in most instances, so it will be lightening to young readers to see a police force that is open to so much corruption, and a society where there are criminals on the loose. It was also good to see Nnamdi's grief over his father's death leading him to try to take his father's place in keeping his community and his mother safe.

Nnamdi is a 12 year old boy who is granted power, not unlike those of the superheros he reads about in comics, by an Ikenga. Nnamdi knows that this power will allow him to avenge his father's murder and save his beloved town from corruption. He must learn that rage and strength aren't enough to fix the injustice in the world.

It's a wonderful middle grade novel that I enjoyed listening to. The narrator does a wonderful job giving each character their own voice.

Ikenga is a great take on Marvel's The Hulk (even down to the soothing presences that make sure Hulk doesn't go too nuts) set in small-town Nigeria. I don't see it as a rip-off, though. I loved the interpretation of an established superhero character - which the book's main character, Nnamdi, idolises and wished he could be - within the context of Nigerian mythology and lore. Here, the hero isn't irrevocably altered and turned into a superhero, but he's rather given a sacred artifact that allows him to become "The Man" and kick bad guys' butts. What kid wouldn't love that?

While it was clear in many ways that this was a debut novel, Nnamdi and his friends provide the reader with enough depth and escapades to be entertained throughout, and I'm firmly convinced of author Okorafor's writing ability.

The only real let-down for me was the narration. I was so excited when I first heard Ben Onwukwe's Nigerian accent, as I'm a strong proponent of books being narrated in the way the characters were meant to speak. However, it soon began to grate more than entertain, for the mere fact that it sounded as if Onwukwe was concentrating so damn hard on nailing the accent that some of the necessary inflection (like to portray tension, a character's playfulness, sarcasm, etc.) just went straight out the door. In certain instances in the audiobook, he switches to a British accent, which actually sounds like the accent he's more comfortable with, and having that to compare it to just made the rest of the narration that much harder to get through. Basically, what I'm saying is keep the accent, but don't forgot to make sure the words come alive in their intended way too.

(3.5)
Nigerian Hulk!
Nnamdi's father was murdered.
Nnamdi has been given a magical Ikenga that grants him super powers. Can a 12 year old boy control these new found powers or will grief over take him causing him to avenge his father's death?
Thank you to #netgalley and #tantoraudio for the audiobook sent for review!

I really enjoyed reading this tale about Nnamdi. He has to deal with grief and rage, but also the superpower given to him by the ghost of his father. He makes some missteps but grows and learns to control himself better.

The narrator did a very good job; it was pleasant to listen to the audiobook.

I'm gonna come right out and say it: I wanted to like this story more than I did. At the start, it seemed very similar to other middle grade books like Pet and A Monster Calls, but the big difference was that, instead of an outside influence or monster, it is Nnamdi himself who changes.

Although, I suppose Nnamdi's father is an outside spirit. He's the one who gets the Ikenga to Nnamdi after all.

The thing is, Nnamdi's dad dies very early on in this book, and the whole book after that becomes the child trying to come to some kind of resolution about his feelings to do with that and also the corruption in general in the society he is in.

The Ikenga ends up turning him into some sort of superhero called The Man but it's really blurry as to whether this figure is a hero or a villain. Nnamdi definitely wants to be the hero, but the magic that changes him is shown to be unpredictable at times.

I felt as though the story was longer than it needed to be, and became more repetitive. This could be simply because there was just so much corruption that Nnamdi needed to work through before he could find a resolution, but the author didn't find ways to really separate the incidences in a way that worked for me. As a result, the second half of the book was a bit of a slog.

Thank you to @netgalley and @tantoraudio for a free copy of the audiobook of Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor in exchange for an honest review.

I actually had previously bought a physical copy of Ikenga to read for a middle grade book club I'm in. However, I've been so bad at reading physical books lately I decided to request an advanced copy of the audiobook. Ikenga originally came out August 18, 2020 but the audiobook didn't come out until February 2, 2021 (this month).

This probably isn't my favorite of Nnedi Okorafor's works but I definitely enjoyed it.

I felt like this book was more surface level than the author's other novels, both in character development and plot. However, it was still a fun ride and I would recommend it to middle grade readers, especially those that like superhero stories. As far as the narration does, the pace was very slow but was good if I turned the speed way up.

Nnedi Okorafor is a master at creating characters and fascinating storylines. This is her first middle grade book, and I thought it was an amazing addition to the superhero genre. Nnamdi is a 12 year old boy dealing with the death of his father, who was the chief of police. He is full of anger at the group of criminals that he feels is responsible for the murder, but feels helpless as a young boy. One night Nnamdi is given a magical object that gives him a power that could help him avenge his father's death.

I loved the themes that play out in this book. It involves grief and dealing with the urge to seek justice or revenge for the death of a loved one. Another main theme revolves around the powers that Nnamdi acquires and how when you have great strength it can easily be misused without clear thinking. I also liked that this book took place in Nigeria and showed the culture of the area. It is so important for books written for kids to revolve around cultures outside of the United States.

This middle-grade novel set in Nigeria covers some pretty heavy topics. Twelve-year-old Nnamdi is dealing with the murder of his father, who was the chief of police. Nnamdi is sad and misses his father, but he also wants justice. After a run-in with a mysterious man who presents a powerful gift, Nnamdi finds himself in a position to finally make a difference. But just because Nnamdi has power, it doesn’t mean he knows what to do with it.

I’ve read both Akata Witch and Binti and enjoyed them both, so I was excited to dive into this new story. One thing I enjoy about Nnedi Okorafor’s books is that they expose me to cultures and worldviews that I am not familiar with, but they do so within a fantasy or sci-fi framework. Many of the characters say, do, think, or react in ways that are markedly different from my own experiences as a white middle-class American. I believe it’s important to see these differences on the page because they serve as a reminder that “different” doesn’t mean “wrong” or bad”.

I listened to this novel as an audiobook, which was narrated by Ben Onwukwe. He has a very rich, deep voice. Typically, I avoid narrator with deep voices because they are so soothing that I usually either zone out or fall asleep. However, for whatever reason, this particular narrator was able to keep me engaged in the story, for which I am grateful. The narration also fit the story well, since The Man is supposed to have a deep, powerful voice.

After reading Remote Control, I immediately fell in love with Okorafor's writing, so I was super excited to dive into Ikenga. That being said, I feel that this story was a miss for me,. I appreciated Nnamdi's story and his love for superheroes. I just wanted a bit more from this story in terms of both depth and world building. The audiobook narrator was really fantastic.

I really enjoyed this! Nnedi Okorafor has crafted a wonderfully vivid and poignant exploration of one young boy's desperation for justice over the murder of his father. Nnamdi has grown up with a love of comic book superheroes, his favourite being the Hulk, so it stands to reason that when his father, the police chief, is shot and killed, he will stop at nothing to find his killer. The mystery aspect of the narrative works really well, with plenty of red herrings and false steps that I found very enjoyable. For me, the best aspects of this story were the characters, all of whom were richly drawn and had great depth. I loved Nnamdi, with all of his flaws and I thought his growth through the story was wonderful. I also really loved the setting and thought that Okorafor captured the sights, sounds and smells of Kalaria beautifully. Overall, I found this to be a really beautiful and compelling story, wonderfully narrated and I would definitely recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.