I thoroughly enjoyed this novel - to the point that I read it in a day. Onyeka is a wonderfully unique character, a young Black girl with untamable hair, the feature she most dislikes about herself, and one that proves to be her greatest strength, in ways she could never have imagined. I can only hope that the author writes a sequel, and soon - and that it somehow rises to the same level as this one.

Based on Nigerial mythology and the magic it contains, this is a wonderful story that will appeal to all ages, but especially to middle grades readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Onyeka grows up in the UK but when her hair saves her best friend Cheyenne from drowning, Onyeka learns that her hair has magical powers. Her mom takes them back to their home country of Nigeria to search for Onyeka’s missing dad. Onyeka’s dropped off at the Academy of the Sun, a school for Solari where Onyeka is meant to train to use her powers safely. She struggles with fitting in because everyone has been training since they were much younger and don’t have the dizzy spells that Onyeka does. It’s an exciting adventure with culture, intrigue, and betrayal!

I appreciate the message this book is putting forward. For too long, black girls have been told to be ashamed of their hair, they need to fight against it's unruliness and kinkiness; they aren't taught to love it, to appreciate its strenght and versability, its beauty and resistence.

Onyeka's powers are interwoven with her her: she can move her strands to shield herself, to grab and move things, save other people.

However, that's the only thing I would "save" about this book. The magic system is confusing and too bland, not well detailed and therefore easily forgettable. The plot wasn't too enticing and moved along too slow and, the little that was there, truly seemed like a carbon copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with its tournament and competition and points system, even if in this case there was no point to have a competition.

Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

This story was so well written and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. I loved the world building and character development.

I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly awaiting the next in the series. It was fast-paced and adventurous. It is also a fun new take on magical schools. The characters were fun and I enjoyed how their relationships grew throughout the story. My favorite part of the book was Onyeka herself. I loved that her powers manifested through her hair. For as long as Onyeka could remember, her hair was a topic of conversation. People looked at her differently, treated her differently, and sometimes bullied her for her hair. She often tried to hide it away. I thought it was really beautiful that something she considered a weakness, something she was made to feel ashamed of, ended up being a major source of power for Onyeka. I think this is so important for kids to see. I absolutely loved the author's note that explained the inspiration for this book. Will be recommending to readers that enjoy superheroes or magic, especially those that enjoyed Nevermoor, Amari and the Night Brothers, Maya and the Rising Dark, etc.

Onyeka has amazing hair, hard to contain hair. She’s always been embarrassed by it and the attention it gets. Then one day it reaches out and saves her best friend from drowning, and Onyeka’s life changes. She learns that her hair is basically a super power. Her mom takes her back to Nigeria, determined to find Onyeka’s missing father. She leaves Onyeka at the Academy of the Sun, where other kids with powers are learning to use them. This is a fun story filled with action, friendship, family, and learning to accept yourself.

It’s not everyday that you come across a venn diagram of interlocking interests so imagine my surprise when I learned that a middle grade story about a young Black girl with mutant natural hair powers attending a mutant school based in Nigeria released this month. Author Tọlá Okogwu masterminds the fun and twisty Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun with just this premise.

Onyeka is an anxious kid and with the way the world around her is set up, how could she not be? Her mother has hidden the reason for their exile to the UK from Nigeria for as long as she can remember, always reinforcing how she needs to lay low and use a focusing device to maintain as much control over her emotions as possible. Guilt-ridden when she inevitably loses control—for very good reasons—Onyeka is unprepared when her mother suddenly shares that they must now return to Nigeria to search for her missing father who can help her understand her powers. Once there, Onyeka learns that she is not alone. There are other children with abilities who have been trained to utilize them in service to the technologically advanced country. And who better to lead them than the very scientist behind the nation’s advancements and the reason they’ve gained powers in the first place? However, as Onyeka spends more time with the Solari she sees that loyalties, to each other and the country they serve, actually raise more questions than they do answers.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is definitely worth picking up if any of the above appeals to you. It explores themes that will have you reflect on how you learned to regard institutions and trust as well as how growing pains can be as emotional as they are physical.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun takes the ‘fantasy magical school’ trope we know and love and spins in a whole new way. Onyeka is a young girl with untamable hair, when one day she finds out that she’s not quite human. She’s Solari and her unique power manifests through her hair. She sets out on a journey to find her Dad and discover more of the world of the Solari by returning to Nigeria where her family is from.
The premise of this sounded amazing. The idea of a young black girl having a power that manifests through her hair just really sounded unique and needed. In fact in the author’s note Tọlá Okogwu talks about how she, as a hair care educator did this on purpose. I loved seeing what Onyeka thought was her greatest flaw become her greatest gift. The story pulls out some amazing Black Panther meets X-Men vibes as well, making this a hell of a fun adventure story.
When Onyeka arrives in Nigera to attend the Academy of the Sun she begins to meet new friends, learn about what being a Solari means and what it means for her. The characters we meet have nuance, their powers are often what you’d see but the characters themselves are unique. I especially loved Hassan, who starts teaching Onyeka Pidgin English and who uses his force field abilities to sneak away to complete salat during the day (He must be protected at all costs). These powers were also very cleverly used. Hassan’s force field abilities are used both as a force field, but also as a camouflage tool, being able to blend in to what’s around him. Adanna is a synesthetic empath, emotions come to her as sounds or smells. That sounds both amazing and horrifying!
I could predict and see where a lot of the plot beats were going to go but ultimately I was so invested in how we got there and what the character were doing that I didn’t care. This was a fantastic middle-grade with themes I think a lot of young kids need to see. I cannot wait to read more in this series.

5 out of 5 plates of yummy Akara from me

Onyeka's life changes pretty drastically the day that her hair takes on a life of its own. It has always been unruly, but it shouldn't be able to move in response to Onyeka's emotions... should it? Mum is naturally worried, but she isn't as surprised as she should be. The two go to Nigeria, where other kids with unusual superpowers train at the Academy of the Sun, but all isn't right. First Mum disappears without a trace, then strange rogues try to infiltrate the school. Onyeka has to make friends and solve the mystery of her missing parents quickly, but all the while, a strange illness is overtaking her, leaving her helpless when an even more sinister danger arrives.

While there is a lot of action and excitement, this book centers on the idea of Onyeka learning to love her hair, and to a certain extent, her family and ancestry. I appreciated that the characters in this story were not played off as victims, even though they faced challenges and deceptions. Does it rival Amari and the Night Brothers? Perhaps, although it builds from a very different starting point. I like Onyeka a lot as a character, and I hope to see her grow even more as this series progresses.

This is in incredibly fun superhero story, focusing on loving Black hair, that I would comp to Amari and the Night Brothers and The Marvellers. I always love a superhero story, and I always love a magic school story, and this is such a refreshing one with some interesting twists and turns.

Onyeka is a tween living in the UK with her mom. She's got a thick head of hair that makes people stop, stare, and whisper, but her best friend, Cheyenne, couldn't be bothered what other people think, which helps calm Onyeka's anxiety. When the two head to the pool for some swimming, Cheyenne almost drowns, until Onyeka - or, is it Onyeka's hair? - saves her. Everything moves quickly from here: Onyeka's mother reveals that she is Solari, a secret group of people with unique powers, unique to their home in Nigeria. Her scientist father has disappeared while trying to research the Solari, and her mother brings Onyeka to Nigeria, to the Academy of the Sun, a special school - think the X-Men's school run by Charles Xavier - for Solari, where they are trained to work with their powers. But nothing's ever that easy; as Onyeka starts learning more about her family and the Rogues, a group of Solari working against the school, she and her new friends have to figure out where they stand.


Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is the first in a new series, written by British-Nigerian author Tolá Okogwu and inspired by a lack of representation in children's books. The decision to empower Onyeka by channeling her power through her hair is a deliberate move, as she notes in her author's note: "our hair has never just been hair... the lie we've all been fed that Afro textured hair is somehow inferior because it doesn't conform to the Western standards of beauty". Onyeka's hair is incredible: it shields her; it saves Cheyenne's life; it curls around her to comfort her. The characters are African; the Solari are all Nigerian, and the school is organized into different areas, according to student's Ike - the Igbo word for "power". The story moves at a brisk pace while still bringing these characters to life, fully-fleshed out with backstories and personalities. The students will empower and inspire readers, and the family relationships are beautifully realistic, with conflict and love often sharing the same space. A glossary of words and an explanation of Nigerian Pidgin English provides even further depth and educates readers. I can't wait for the second book.


Give this to your Rick Riordan Presents fans; your Black Panther readers (not just the comics! Remember, Shuri and Black Panther have middle grade novels, and Okoye's got a YA novel, too!), and your Tristan Strong readers. Give this to any of your readers who love reading about different cultures, and are always up for adventure. It's awesome.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is an Indie Next pick.

Onyeka is a twelve-year-old girl living in the U.K. with her Mom. They moved there from their native Nigeria when Onyeka was very young. In fact, she was so young she doesn't remember anything about her life in Nigeria where they lived with her father. All Onyeka knows is that when they moved to the U.K. it was just the two of them. Onyeka's Mom keeps their past shrouded in mystery, preferring to ignore the topic rather than answering any of Onyeka's questions.

This sounds sad and if she dwells on it, sometimes it does make Onyeka a little sad, but overall her and her Mom have a great relationship. Her Mom is a strong woman who only wants the best for Onyeka. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but you can tell the two love each other fiercely even if they don't always see eye-to-eye.

When our story begins Onyeka and her best friend, Cheyenne, are visiting the local public pool on a hot day. Even though Onyeka doesn't adore swimming, for Cheyenne she's willing to join in the fun. However while they are both playing in the water something happens and Cheyenne ends up in distress. Onyeka, not a strong swimmer to begin with, cannot sit by while her best friend drowns. She has to help her, thus she learns the magic power of her hair.

Yes, you heard that right. The only thing saving Cheyenne and Onyeka that day was the power of Onyeka's hair. After the very public spectacle at the pool, Onyeka gets home to a Mom that is not happy. Through their heated discussion regarding the days events, Onyeka's Mom reveals that Onyeka is a Solari, a child with special powers.

Before she can even wrap her mind around all this new information, Onyeka finds herself, along with her Mom, on a private jet being whisked off to Nigeria. Their destination is the Academy of the Sun, a school developed just for Solari. Arriving at the School, Onyeka is overwhelmed by it all. She has to learn about this entire hidden world she knew nothing about before.

Crazier still is that she's one of them and she's powerful. Her hair, that has always been a nuisance to her and a frustration for her mother, is actually her greatest strength. She just needs to learn to control it.

The Reader gets to go along with Onyeka as she learns all about the Solari, their history and challenges. She trains with other students, who although all Solari, have very different powers from one another. It was a lot of fun to be in a magic school setting. There were a lot of interesting characters and Onyeka learned so much about herself from interacting with the others. She made some close friends and was able to really be herself for the first time.

I absolutely adored this story from the very first chapter. Getting to know Onyeka, she is such a special character, the kind who is easy to root for. The story is action-packed, with a slight mystery-edge to it. I loved the themes explored, such as embracing the hidden power within yourself, letting your uniqueness shine and so much more!!!

I would definitely recommend this book to any Middle Grade Reader, particularly if you are looking for diverse, culture-filled, immersive OWN-voices stories. You can't go wrong with this absolute ray of sunshine. It filled my heart reading this.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I truly hope this isn't the last story I get to read following this lovable protagonist. Onyeka has so much more room to grow and I want to be there for every moment of it!

This was such an amazing book! I loved Onyeka's voice and her outlook on things. I enjoyed the journey she took and the friends that she made. It was incredible to follow and learn more about Nigerian history & culture. I also loved how Onyeka's best friend was still woven throughout the story too, I think she was my favorite character in this story. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

One of my favorite elements of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is the way that Onyeka navigates her own feelings about her hair. The perceptions she has versus what other thinks, versus who it interacts with her own powers. On an emotional level, this was tender. And on a craft and thematic level, I loved the connection between this and embracing ourselves. Secondly, I loved the action! The pacing for this middle grade is superb and I can see so many readers enjoying it.

Okay.
This was such a fun, quick read!

I really enjoyed that the story is set in a futuristic Nigeria where some kids get superpowers. And I LOVED that Onyeka's power is tied into her hair. I was all for the hair love, and seeing her come to terms with it.

I do wish that the story was longer though. I felt that too much was pushed into the 320 pages that I read. This easily could have had 100 more pages. I really wanted a bit more from the school aspect and the challenges/competition that was included especially since that is one of my favorite things in books.

I also wished we had gotten more development of the friendships that Onyeka creates. Because the book was so quick to read, and because there was a lot of action, I felt that I was just supposed to take everything at face value instead of actually seeing things develop.

That being said, I am so curious as to where this story is going to go in the sequel!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!! I love this story so much. It paces so well, it's engaging, and everyone is so fun, well-written, and relatable. It deals with bullying and microaggressions, self-love and acceptance, family and found family, friendship, and connection to one's roots. The cultural aspect of it is rich and unapologetically present in all aspects of the story and the characters. It makes me so happy to see books like this being published and that we're able to get them into the hands of those who need them.

It's one of those books I found myself saying, "One more chapter" after every single chapter. I cannot wait to read more, and I truly hope that this world gets expanded into more than a single sequel and that we maybe even see comics, a TV series, a movie--anything!

This sells as a Black Panther meets X-Men, tosses a nod at the Harry Potter series, and skims along with a slight feeling of the Percy Jackson books but adds science and high-tech to the mix. So, to say that this one packs a punch is an understatement.

Onyeka lives under the over-protective eyes of her strict but loving mother and wishes she could stretch into a little more independence...and finally find a way to tame her overly difficult hair. When a battle with a swim cap and a hard fought for trip to the swimming pool finds her best friend drowning in front of her eyes, her worries shoot into high gear. And so does her hair. Her mother has no choice but to admit that Onyeka is a Solari, a not-quite-human with exceptional powers, and she inherited these from her missing father. Unable to deal with the new situation alone, the two fly back to Nigeria where the mother embarks on a search for Onyeka's father, while leaving her in a school for Solari, so that Onyeka can learn more about her powers and find protection from those hunting her mother and her. While Onyeka is eager to meet those like her, fitting in is hard when everyone around her has wielded their powers since they were young kids. She's a misfit. Again. But there's more to it than that, and it's exactly those secrets, which are about to expose an intrigue even superpowers may not be able to fight.

The plot in these pages is rich and full and woven, and packs more than just a little intrigue of a few secrets and surprises. The beginning starts out smooth, slow, and gives hints at the super-power, making it not so surprising when Onyeka's hair suddenly rescues her friend. But this also allows the reader to gain more sympathy with Onyeka and not only center on her hair before the story launches into high-gear.

From the minute Onyeka sets foot in the academy, she's got her hands full. Starting with the usual bullying and problem of not fitting in, the more over-reaching plot also grows. There are tons of characters, each layered with good and bad. All the while, Onyeka's dealing with her new powers, but even there, other aspects slowly roll into play. There's definitely a lot of weaving and laying out of plot threads to lead into the rest of the series. The ending isn't well-rounded, leaving the reader, instead, to wait for the next book to appear...one I'm definitely looking forward to now.

Action fans are going to love this one. It stretches past fantasy to take a more scientific twist. Ike, the name they give to the center of their powers, comes in a variety of forms and has an surprising origin, which will delight STEM fans. The Nigerian culture flows in naturally and even a bit of history is added, which I found to be a nice touch. I did miss a little more description on Nigeria (the landscape, housing, and such) outside of the academy and high-tech, solar-supported area, since I doubt many readers know much about the country. Some of the character relationships and logic glides over a little superficial, but then, action is key and is what makes this book a fun and easy read.

This is a quick-paced story, which packs tons of tropes but still weaves it around for an original and exciting twist. It's definitely not easy to put down and lays the ground work for what promises to be an exciting series.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is everything I needed as a Black X-Men fan. In the book, Onyeka and her single mother are struggling to make it. However, after Onyeka discovers her hair has powers and her mother has booked them a trip back to Nigeria. Boy boy boy, this book was a journey of high hopes and disappointment. I have so much to say but they're all spoilers so I'll refrain.

What I liked?
The magic system
The character development
The expected plot twist

What I disliked?
Nothing at all.

I definitely recommend this book for young and adult readers.

This book is billed as Black Panther meets X-Men, and it not only completely delivers on this concept, but also manages to create a unique and heartfelt story that readers will love. More than that, this is a very necessary book, bringing fantastic diversity, bringing a Black girl to the forefront of a fantasy story. Onyeka lives in London with her mother, and knows very little about her father or why they left Nigeria. Onyeka also struggles with her hair, which is often unruly, hard to manage, and makes her stand out in a way she doesn't like. When an accident reveals that Onyeka has supernatural abilities (she has psycho-kinesis that lets her control her hair), she learns that she is a Solari, like her father, and her mother rushes her back to Nigeria to attend a special school for Solari children. Solari are the result of a genetic mutation, in this case Onyeka got it from her father, and they are raised to control their powers in service of the Nigerian government. As with any good super-powered story, there's plenty of suspense, mystery, and training montages, but the focus is on Onyeka's journey of self-discovery. Onyeka is a wonderful and complex character, who struggles with the unknown and being different, but often rises to the occasion and succeeds despite the odds. I loved this book, it was a fun read, and it leaves off at the perfect spot for book 2 to start. I can't wait to read more from this author!