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abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I enjoyed this book a lot, it was an easy listen and the audio narration was on point. Very straightforward YA writing that still has lots of beautiful description and whimsy. It fits the standard “unique child finds magical community” story arc but fulfills it in a fresh and interesting way. The ending did feel rushed with little explanation, but I would still give the rest of this series a try.
Where this book lost me was some of the overdone, tired stereotypes and tropes: the main villain and other unseemly or mean people being described as fat, and the disability is magically healed trope when Sunny no longer feels negative impacts or lack of access from her albinism and can go out in the sun without being burned which I think will prevent young people with albinism from really identifying or feeling seen by this story.
Where this book lost me was some of the overdone, tired stereotypes and tropes: the main villain and other unseemly or mean people being described as fat, and the disability is magically healed trope
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Child abuse, and Bullying
Moderate: Fatphobia and Ableism
worldsgassiest's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Disappointing. It’s the only word I have to describe this book.
I was interested by the culture in the beginning, but that quickly took a turn with the sheer amount of child abuse and sexism dismissed as a culture quirk.
The editing and flow of the story also lacks. There’s no major buildup and the final confrontation makes you wonder why the adults couldn’t take care of it themselves.
As far as this type of stories go, it was subpar.
I was interested by the culture in the beginning, but that quickly took a turn with the sheer amount of child abuse and sexism dismissed as a culture quirk.
The editing and flow of the story also lacks. There’s no major buildup and the final confrontation makes you wonder why the adults couldn’t take care of it themselves.
As far as this type of stories go, it was subpar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Kidnapping
Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, and Gun violence
nannahnannah's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
This is another case of “I should have read some reviews first,” because then I would’ve seen people say this is a lot like Harry Potter. In hindsight, this is probably a big reason why I didn’t enjoy Akata Witch … I’ve never been a fan of Harry Potter. I came here after reading and liking Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti Trilogy and wanting to experience something similar.
Representation:
- the characters are West African, with the MC and another character being Nigerian-American
- the MC has albinism (sort of)
- another main character has dyslexia
When Sunny was small, she witnessed the end of the world in a candle flame. Now she’s twelve years old, and has just learned that what she saw might become a reality. Being an American-born Nigerian is hard enough, and having albinism makes it worse, but with her new friends’ meddling, Sunny has also learned she’s also one of the Leopard People, sorcerers whose powers stem from a person’s “greatest defect”. She and her friends form West Africa’s youngest Oha Coven, and are told by their mentors to find and stop the serial killer, Black Hat Otokoto--or what Sunny saw in the candle will come true.
Despite some graphic content regarding death and murder, I'm very surprised this is categorized as YA. The writing is definitely more appropriate for an MG audience (don't get me wrong; that isn’t to say it’s bad … just very simplistic, straightforward, and better suited for younger kids). But the editing … the editing is awful. I know editors are horribly underpaid and overworked nowadays, but this book is especially terribly edited. Continuity errors, typos, pov switches, and the worst: failing to catch critical things like if Sunny actually moved to Nigeria when she was nine, or if she actually had been going to the same school as her Nigerian-born friend, Orlu, since she was five, or if she caught Malaria as a young child (how, if she lived in the US?), etc.
What I love is the creativity with world building, the culture and mythology woven into the magic system, and especially what seems to be a critique against Western individualism. The young MCs are always told the world is bigger than they are, that they can benefit their people as a whole, even if it harms them, etc. There are also extremely charming and touching scenes with fantastic creatures, like the bee that lives for its art--but can become overly dramatic if it doesn’t receive praise.
What I don't love as much is the ever-present fatphobia (being overweight is constantly stated as being a person’s own fault, and every overweight character is either a villain or an awful person), the lack of character development, and the way Sunny’s albinism is represented. The book’s theme, “your worst defect becomes your greatest asset”, falls a bit flat when a person’s worst defect is often their disability (which often is a “symptom” of magic) that magically gets cured. I’m saying this, of course, as an adult with both physical and mental disabilities; as a child I think I would probably have wanted that for myself.
But as an adult, seeing Sunny’s only medical symptom be magically cured leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Of course it’ll be easier for her to “embrace” her albinism, now that she doesn’t have to worry about bad sunburns and can play soccer in the sun. I do think kids with albinism reading this book might find it hard to see themselves in her, in this respect. Especially since Sunny really lacks any other symptom of albinism (like bad eyesight--which is the most common symptom, since to see your eyes themselves need pigment).
But all in all, I think I would have liked this as a kid. Now, I think I’m just too old. Which is fine! I’ll read the author’s adult books instead.
Representation:
- the characters are West African, with the MC and another character being Nigerian-American
- the MC has albinism (sort of)
- another main character has dyslexia
When Sunny was small, she witnessed the end of the world in a candle flame. Now she’s twelve years old, and has just learned that what she saw might become a reality. Being an American-born Nigerian is hard enough, and having albinism makes it worse, but with her new friends’ meddling, Sunny has also learned she’s also one of the Leopard People, sorcerers whose powers stem from a person’s “greatest defect”. She and her friends form West Africa’s youngest Oha Coven, and are told by their mentors to find and stop the serial killer, Black Hat Otokoto--or what Sunny saw in the candle will come true.
Despite some graphic content regarding death and murder, I'm very surprised this is categorized as YA. The writing is definitely more appropriate for an MG audience (don't get me wrong; that isn’t to say it’s bad … just very simplistic, straightforward, and better suited for younger kids). But the editing … the editing is awful. I know editors are horribly underpaid and overworked nowadays, but this book is especially terribly edited. Continuity errors, typos, pov switches, and the worst: failing to catch critical things like if Sunny actually moved to Nigeria when she was nine, or if she actually had been going to the same school as her Nigerian-born friend, Orlu, since she was five, or if she caught Malaria as a young child (how, if she lived in the US?), etc.
What I love is the creativity with world building, the culture and mythology woven into the magic system, and especially what seems to be a critique against Western individualism. The young MCs are always told the world is bigger than they are, that they can benefit their people as a whole, even if it harms them, etc. There are also extremely charming and touching scenes with fantastic creatures, like the bee that lives for its art--but can become overly dramatic if it doesn’t receive praise.
What I don't love as much is the ever-present fatphobia (being overweight is constantly stated as being a person’s own fault, and every overweight character is either a villain or an awful person), the lack of character development, and the way Sunny’s albinism is represented. The book’s theme, “your worst defect becomes your greatest asset”, falls a bit flat when a person’s worst defect is often their disability (which often is a “symptom” of magic) that magically gets cured. I’m saying this, of course, as an adult with both physical and mental disabilities; as a child I think I would probably have wanted that for myself.
But as an adult, seeing Sunny’s only medical symptom be magically cured leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Of course it’ll be easier for her to “embrace” her albinism, now that she doesn’t have to worry about bad sunburns and can play soccer in the sun. I do think kids with albinism reading this book might find it hard to see themselves in her, in this respect. Especially since Sunny really lacks any other symptom of albinism (like bad eyesight--which is the most common symptom, since to see your eyes themselves need pigment).
But all in all, I think I would have liked this as a kid. Now, I think I’m just too old. Which is fine! I’ll read the author’s adult books instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Fatphobia and Ableism
re: ableism -kateloveswords's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Animal death, Bullying, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Xenophobia
vivianw's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
obviousthings's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really liked the first 80% of the book, especially the worldbuilding. However, the ending kind of fell flat for me. Major spoilers:
The big final battle was really anticlimactic. It felt like Sunny didn't even try to help in the fight with Black Hat, and then she defeated Ekwensu with hardly any effort.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Misogyny
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Cannibalism
invaderlinz's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Death, Bullying, and Child abuse
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