This is my first time reading a YA book by Emezi. Somadina is a powerful story steeped in magic. The story is a coming of age tale in a West African inspired setting. We follow Somadina and her companions as she tracks down her twin who was kidnapped by a hunter. Somadina is a character I found easy to empathize with despite her youth. My heart ached for her multiple times throughout this deeply emotional journey. This is a book I’d recommend to all age groups for its strong characters, enchanting magic, rich world building, and powerful storytelling.

I’ve read a good deal of Emezi’s work including Pet and Bitter which I didn’t manage to connect with. I’m glad to say Somadina has landed a lot better for me, acknowledging I’m not exactly in the target audience for these YA books.

I enjoyed the incorporation of West African mythology into this fantasy world. Somadina has a very difficult experience of receiving magical powers which feel violating to use and also leads her to be ostracized from her community. I love how this book explored her anger, frustration, and guilt while not allowing her to be completely beaten down. The power of having family outside of your birth parents is also explored in a very tender and moving way. Really enjoyed this one, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I will read everything Akwaeke Emezi writes, and I was so excited about their debut YA fantasy. Their other work has been magical realism and I couldn't wait to see what they did with the fantasy genre. Just like I thought, they absolutely crushed it. SOMADINA is filled with vivid imagery, heartfelt family relationships, and totally kickass magic the likes of which I'd never seen in my long fantasy-reading history. The characters feel like realistic 15-year-olds but the book isn't afraid to go dark. I loved the West African world and mythology, and Emezi's writing dazzles as always; I highlighted so many passages. An outstanding novel that every fantasy fan should check out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me an eARC of one of my most anticipated books of the year!

Somadina and Jayaike are twins and practically the same person; they finish each other's sentences and make each other whole. After The Split occurred, everyone began developing magical gifts when they came of age. As the twins begin to develop theirs, Somdina's gift causes fear. The twins have long lived as outsiders, and older traditions consider them a bad sign, but with the development of Somadina's gift, the twins now face hostility in their community. Everything hits a fever pitch when Jayaike vanishes. Somadina vows to track him down through their bond, no matter the cost. She takes a grueling, otherwordly, dangerous trip across their world to find her brother, who has been stolen and tries to restore their lives.

Somadina is everything YA should be - it masterfully combines themes around family, identity, anger, anxiety, loss, and feeling othered - and finding your place within those feelings, and yourself. This book is powerful: as Somadina finds her personal powers and comes to believe in herself, she also sees the strength that comes from being vulnerable with those you care about and combining your energies for the greater good; Somadina takes a hard look at family and the imperfections we all try to hide and the burdens we bare and the toll they can take on ourselves and those we love, One of my favorite parts of this book are all of the vast feelings the twins are dealing with and how they're handling them and reminded that their feelings matter - even when they are the embodiment of a god saving their world. I also truly appreciated Somadina recognizing that an apology is sometimes not enough when you have been so deeply hurt by people you love deeply and who are supposed to love you in return - and no one forced the twins to accept the apology or return to a life that didn't feel like their own anymore. I wish this book had existed when I was young, and I look forward to sharing it with the young ones in my life (and the adults who still need these words, too).

I THOROUGHLY loved Somadina. After recommending Pet to anyone who would listen, my expectations were high for this new YA novel, and needless to say it fully lived up to them. Emezi has such a beautiful way of weaving YA narratives with urgent societal themes, making their work not only entertaining, but deeply thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy of this book to review!

Awkaeke Emezi continues to stun me with their writing abilities! Every book they write transports the reader into a rich and unique world, with characters that are messy but also realistic. I didn’t feel as connected to this book as I have with some of their other books, but I still flew through the book and can recognize that it was well-crafted.

I have been a fan of Emezi since I read Pet. This book was no exception. I was unable to stop reading once I really got into the story. This is the story of twins who have gifts which go beyond what most understand. Set against a vibrant West African setting, Somadina must go to the Split to save her brother from a “hunter” who has taken him. She has no clue what lies ahead, she just forges on by her twin connection. This book is very well done and entertaining. I love the rich culture and the story. It’s even more amazing when you see the power Somadina has and her strength. Seriously, a wonderful book and one of my favorite authors!

Akwaeke Emezi stuns again with vibrant prose and captivating characters! Somadina is set in a world were everyone has magical gifts, that came at a terrible cost. In this fast paced fantasy Somadina is on a quest to find her twin that was stolen, but along the way she has to navigate her new frightening powers, betrayal, and what it means to be different. This book is overflowing with action and emotions that draw you in and keep you hooked until then very end. Based on real life conflict it explores the wounds left by war and what healing can look like. I would read ten more books set in this world!

I have read each of Emezi's novels and each time I am left with a newfound sense of either hope for the future, or a deeper understanding of trhe present. This book does both. Written with such care and emotion, Somadina is a powerful YA novel about greed, corruption, our abilities as people, and a look at how we change and grow into ourselves with experience. When you are young it is so hard to take the advice people give and put it into context, Somadina shows how we can do just that. This is a book I will never forget.

I'm a fan of Akwaeke Emezi's work. I came to read them through Pet, but I have enjoyed their adult novels as well.  I was excited to receive an ARC of Somadina, and it did not disappoint! The story is set in a magical West African world that has split apart due to this same magic that spread throughout the people during the Split. Each child receives their "gift" at some point, and this story follows twins Somadina and Jayaike, whose gifts have been delayed. Jayaike was taken by a "hunter," and Somadina joins others on a journey to rescue him despite dangers and family issues as she comes into her own identity and strength. This book is so good--Well paced, great character development, a nice balance of characters and plot. This is a good purchase for all high school libraries. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.