Sister 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!

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.

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.