Sister Spirit is a story of self-discovery and finding one's true identity with Tara our protagonist wanting to know more about where she came from.

We travel alongside Tara to Nigeria as she wishes to study abroad which admittedly did have me as a parent wondering just how her parents can just accept it without question. There's not a chance my child would have been allowed to be left on the other side of the world - fiction or not. (Yes, I'm aware it's a silly thing to be stuck on when this is a book with a heavy focus on magic and the supernatural but there we go. It just niggled the Mum brain too much of the big no in my head.)

I do love how Efua Traoré writes about Olumo Rock, which is located in Abeokuta, Ogun State. For anyone such as myself who hadn't ever heard of this mythical place in Nigerian history? Traoré not only makes it feel as though the reader is facing this vast natural edifice but under the all-knowing gaze of those who protect it from damage. Thanks to Sister Spirit I found myself reading and learning not only about the stone itself but Iya Orissa the Priestess of the rock.

But I digress.

Sister Spirit is a consuming narrative that had me unable to put the book down once the story got going. (It did feel a little slow at first but then wow!) I thought that Tara was a realistic main character in as much as she's very determined and assured in what she needs to do, she also is all top aware once she's in Nigeria that she's suddenly out of her comfort zone and in dire need of support from those around her. With some stereotyping of boarding schools and crushes on the boys in the school across the way as a contrast to the supernatural and darker elements to the story; Sister Spirit will have you on the edge of your seat both literal or metaphorical as the realities of Tara's decisions unfold.

Recommended for 12 and up, I would suggest it's perhaps a little more suited for 14 onwards due to the darker and more elemental parts of the story as it may make a younger reader feel a little unsettled.

I hope that there's more about Tara and her companions both in Nigeria and London as there's so much more I would love to know.

With thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#SisterSpirit

A solid YA read that will be a brilliant addition to the teenage reading canon for 2024.

Telling the powerful, intriguing and sometimes horror-tinged tale of ___ on a quest to resolve her debilitating nightmares and learn more about her family heritage, Traore writes with urgency and relatability.

The narrative is gripping and easy enough to follow, without over-complicating the premise. That is not to also say that is does not have a thrilling and page-turning edge to it that makes it undeniably readable. Mixing the more nostalgic premise of boarding school with the haunting dreamscape of ancient Olumo Rock in Nigeria, we follow the story of Tara who enrols at a Nigerian boarding school, despite reservation from her parents and London-based friends, in a bid for self-definition and discovery.

The characters across the breadth of this novel have voices which speak authentically to their age, but equally have something pressing and powerful to say about the personal nature of history or heritage. The book also adeptly presents ideas about secrets that do not need to exist between parents and children. Most readers will identify with at least one of the characters created to tell this story - be it parent, teacher, friend or enemy.

The novel's structure works well to maintain pace and that thriller-edge that bumps this offering a little bit above the more standardised teen mystery. There is a pull because of the prose's syntax working to present such vivid imagery during Tara's nightmares and the switching of tone between her reality and dreamscape that gives some sophistication to Sister Spirit - there is huge crossover potential here into adult readership too. Contrasting this to the reality of Tara's world at the boarding school further elevates the thriller-like mystery of her quest for answers.

Overall a brilliant offering for the older teen reader, which will engage and delight.

Sister Spirit delves deeply into the realms of African fantasy and tradition, offering a captivating narrative that follows the journey of sixteen-year-old Tara. As she grapples with profound questions about her identity and heritage, Tara finds herself drawn into the mysteries that unfold in her vivid dreams.

As Tara's nightmares grow more intense and fears encircle her like a swarm of ravens, she feels a compelling pull towards Olumo Rock in Nigeria—a place of ancient sacredness, magic, and echoes from the past. It is here that Tara embarks on a transformative quest, seeking to uncover the truth of her origins and confront the spectral forces that beckon to her.

The narrative transports readers from England to a boarding school nestled at the base of Olumo Rock, where Tara's journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening unfolds. Through a rich tapestry of magic, myth, and ancestral whispers, Sister Spirit intricately weaves a tale of resilience, connection, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Tara is a teenage black girl adopted by white parents in the UK. She is plagued by bad dreams for as long as she can remember. In her dreams she can hear a woman screaming for Jimmi. Finally she realizes that her dreams correspond to a real place– Nigeria.

Once Tara realizes that images from her dream are real, she convinces her parents to let her go to Nigeria. While she is visiting the country with her father, she finds out that there is a boarding school that she can attend. She slowly adjusts to boarding school life in general and life in Nigeria too. There is friendship, mystery, and a bit of romance in the story.

Efua’s writing captured my attention immediately. She manages to intrigue and educate the reader at the same time. It is very easy to read. I gave it 4.75 stars on Storygraph. I am excited to recommend it to people I know. Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely book about family and finding identity. It was written with compassion and heart. The thing I loved most was that Tara clearly came from a loving adopted home where she was loved and happy before she began her search for identity.

I loved how the supernatural elements were intertwined with the very familiar story about the search for one’s roots. The prophetic dreams woven between chapters and the ghost stories at the school were brilliant. It was good to see the yoruba culture and the ghost stories reflecting Tara’s Nigerian identity.

I honestly read this in a day. It was short and gripping and I just sped through it. I loved Tara and the other characters at the boarding school. While I thought that perhaps Tara’s parents were a bit quick to agree to just leave her in Nigeria, I think there was a supernatural explanation? Whatever was drawing Tara to Olumo rock was perhaps affecting her dad too? But it was slightly unclear.

Overall though this was just a brilliant book. I definitely want to go and read the author’s other stuff.

Overall I think this was a cute and fun read. I love a coming of age story where a character goes on a journey to find out who they are by exploring the culture they come from and the author does this so well in this book.

I will say the beginning in really slow and a bit hard to get into. I really had to push to keep going but once the setting changed to Nigeria it began to really pick up pace. (To be honest though it felt a bit rushed or like weird that the parents let their child go to a boarding school in a foreign country with little information but I digress)

The main little friend group was so sweet to read. The characters were written extremely well. There was a lovely sprinkling of the supernatural with some ghostly elements. And a really good villain character that didn’t feel too cliche.

All in all a really good read would recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Efua Traoré and Head of Zeus Publishing for the arc

I have not yet finished and I am keen to return to the world that is so richly described in Sister Spirit. The writing style which blends a contemporary boarding school in Nigeria as the setting to a supernatural tale of magic and myth is fascinating and I feel I could be transported to another country when reading it. This book will not necessarily have mass appeal to teenagers, however I think it is a superb read for more able and thoughtful readers who will welcome the unusual blend of contemporary and supernatural description. It would make a superb class or group read at KS3/4.

Heartfelt, thoughtful & highly entertaining.

I enjoyed this book and all of its themes!

The tenderness of the protagonist to find herself was inspiring and I loved reading about the historical and mythological aspects of the book.

Tara's nightmares are fundamental to the story and what drive her on. Terrifying and compelling in equal measure, the dreams are described in their own chapters throughout the book and allow readers to piece together alongside Tara what is happening. She is driven by her desire to understand her dreams and their hidden meaning and that is what leads her to Nigeria; at first with her adoptive father and then, after that, at the boarding school.

As the dreams become more frequent, Tara begins to question herself and I know she feels helpless at times, but there is a huge strength within her and her determination is clearly evident.

The relationship between Tara and the girls she meets at the boarding school is well explored, not only the friendship she quickly forms with Bisi, but also the relationship with Lola. Although life at the school sounds strict, the descriptions will allow readers to feel as though they are alongside Tara at all times.

African myth and legend combine with friendship and romance in this YA thriller with a ghostly twist. With rich descriptions of Nigeria and a journey of self-discovery, Sister Spirit is a book that shows us not to judge people, that friendship is important and that finding yourself can be the key to unlocking your freedom.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationships between the girls in the school were beautifully observed and it was easy to imagine yourself there.

A Nigerian set story focusing on the power of friendship and the importance of identity and family. I loved the ghostly elements here and this book surprised me in the best kind of way.

📚 Book Review 📚

This story is set against the spiritual backdrop of Olumo Rock in Nigeria and follows sixteen year old Tara, an adopted girl from London, who is trying to find her roots and discover more about herself.

When Tara travels to Nigeria, the nightmares she experienced at home intensify and if it wasn’t for her friends Bisi and Larne, these nightmares could consume her. The friendships she makes will be her saviour.

This is a very good teen read. There are ghostly, spiritual elements, a villain with a secret she has to hide and the description of the friendships made at the boarding school Tara goes to, are strong and realistic.

I loved the ghostly element to the tale and felt that it was well written and easy to read. I really enjoyed it and would recommend this book.

I’d like to thank Head of Zeus Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed the depiction of adoption and the search for identity, and thought the character development around this theme was well done. Unfortunately, the theme was explored through the introduction of supernatural elements that didn't gel for me - they felt too deus ex machina. The writing style was also rather clunky (although that may be the fault of the translation).

3.75/4

I devoured this book on the space of 24 hours. The writing was so easy to slip into. I never felt the urge to grab for my phone while reading. The description was ritch without being overly disruptive which I loved!. However, I did find the shift from London to Nigeria was very swift and unexpected.

Taras journey of finding her home and herself within herself, her adopted family, her past, and with new friends was beautiful.

The found family between Bisi, Lanre, and Tara was absolutely phenomenal. The bond they built was beautiful. They believe in her even when she struggled to believe in herself.

Lola is proof that hurt people hir people. While reading o STRUGGLED to give grace but hold tight and give her time because she does develop as a character.

I really enjoyed the history of Olumo Rock, as a Nigerian born in the UK I don't know as much as I would like about Nigerian Landmarks and the hairy behind them. This provided me with the perfect introduction to this part of Nigerian history.

This tells the story of Tara and her nightmares that consume her. Sister spirit follows Tara on her journey of self discovery.

I enjoyed the supernatural elements and the characters, especially Lola. It was an enjoyable and quick read that was fast paced and kept me reading.

This book dwells into the world of African Fantasy and tradition, I really enjoyed this book "Sister Spirit" is a spellbinding narrative that follows the journey of sixteen-year-old Tara as she grapples with profound questions about her identity, heritage, and the mysteries that unfold in her dreams.

As Tara's nightmares intensify and fears encircle her like a swarm of ravens, she is drawn to the ancient Olumo Rock in Nigeria, a place steeped in sacredness, magic, and lingering echoes of the past. It is here that Tara embarks on a transformative quest to uncover the truth of her origins and confront the spectral forces that beckon to her.

The narrative takes readers on a transcendent voyage from England to a boarding school nestled at the base of Olumo Rock, where Tara's odyssey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening begins. Through a tapestry of magic, myth, and ancestral whispers, "Sister Spirit" weaves a captivating tale of resilience, connection, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

5 ✰
➸YA/ Children's, Mystery/Thriller,

This book was absolutely amazing, a huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this!

༄ؘI'm going to try to stay as spoiler-free as possible, but there will probably be a few mild spoilers in my review.

✎﹏ Plot
Our journey starts when 16 year old Tara, adopted at just 2 years old by white parents, starts getting weird nightmares that have her wake up screaming every night.

So naturally, Tara starts searching for answers from her adoptive parents about her biological ones, leading her to believe she has to go to Abeokuta, Nigeria to find out what is happening to her.

Long story short, Tara and her father go to Abeokuta on a trip that is supposed to last only a week. But surprise! Tara decides to beg her parents to let her enroll into "the boarding school down the road" from their hotel. And for some reason they do? That detail seemed rather Impulsive but who am I to judge. Then some weird things start happening, and you have to read to find out.

✎﹏ Characters

༄ؘ Tara is our main character, described as having a "curly Afro and brown skin". She is very clever, smart, and witty. Her overall personality is very bubbly and impulsive, but she's also very clueless sometimes ;).

༄ؘ Bisi and Lanre are Tara's new best friends at the boarding school, Bisi being her dorm mate as well, who go on adventures with Tara and help her with her situation.

'"Because I care for you, you are my friend and I would never abandon you. I know keep inside you're good."'
- Bisi to Tara, ch. 33

༄ؘ Lola is Tara's arch nemesis and dorm mate, but as the story progresses so does the girls' relationship

༄ؘMrs Abimbola is Funmi's hostel manager (Funmi is the name of Tara's dorm) she is trying to be strict and enforce rules, but ends up being straight up cruel.

'"I can't believe making out or reading romances is the same level as stealing"
"In Mrs Ambidola's world definitely"'
- Bisi and Tara discussing Mrs Ambidola, ch 16

✎﹏ Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'd definitely recommend it to my friends :)

tl; dr; Read this book, It's worth it!

Sister Spirit is a story about 16 year old Tara trying to find her roots in Nigeria.
The story begins with adopted Tara beginning to experience visions/nightmares which she feels are linked to her life in some way. What unfolds is a piece about fitting in, cultural and spiritual identity and what constitutes home.
I feel the author did a great job of introducing spiritual themes aligned to the Nigerian culture and the dreams Tara had were the readers insight into that. I did feel the premise of Tara and her dad simply holidaying in Nigeria leading to his agreement that Tara should stay alone to find out more about herself, a little far fetched. I enjoyed the supporting characters at the boarding school and felt they were well written and really took to Bisi in particular.
Overall this was a really interesting read into another culture and I enjoyed the supernatural elements employed.

Thank you to the publisher – Head of Zeus – for giving me access to this book as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Adoptee Tara tries to find out more about her biological family and does an exchange in Nigeria to do so. It is an interesting blend of cultural shock, trying to fit in and a supernatural/fantastical element as Tara discovers more about herself and her past.

The characters are supposed to be sixteen but to me they all read a few years younger than that. They were all quite childish in a way I feel sixteen-year-olds aren’t. That’s one of the critiques I have. Other than that it is a pretty familiar story of being the new person in school, being new to a culture and just trying to fit in.

Always nice to learn something new about other parts of the world and different cultures with stories, mythology and the like.