Nnedi Okorafor’s acclaimed first novel for middle grade readers introduces a boy who can access super powers with the help of the magical Ikenga.Nnamdi’s father was a good chief of police, perhaps the best Kalaria had ever had. He was determined to root out the criminals that had invaded the town. But then he was murdered, and most people believed the Chief of Chiefs, most powerful of the … most powerful of the criminals, was responsible. Nnamdi has vowed to avenge his father, but he wonders what a twelve-year-old boy can do. Until a mysterious nighttime meeting, the gift of a magical object that enables super powers, and a charge to use those powers for good changes his life forever. How can he fulfill his mission? How will he learn to control his newfound powers?
Award-winning Nnedi Okorafor, acclaimed for her Akata novels, introduces a new and engaging hero in her first novel for middle grade readers set against a richly textured background of contemporary Nigeria.
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This books literally seems too beautiful for words! I like how the cover shows a young boy and shows his sense of isolation! It really did draw me in as a reader and wanted me to read more and learn more about the background and story of the book! Starting from the first chapter of the book, the styling is pretty dang amazing and very interesting! It seriously appeals to me as a reader and I love the characters and just the exploration going on at the beginning of the book! The diction is wonderful and the syntax is full of all sorts of things, that just add to the interesting qualities and elements overall of this book! I can’t wait to read this full book and I will definitely be buying it soon!
I am a BIG Nnedi Okorafor fan – the Akata Witch books were my introduction to her work and they are fabulous. I was delighted to see that she was writing another younger reader magical work with Ikenga, and was even more delighted to win a copy via BookishFirst. I dove in with glee. The book opens well, but then slowed up quite a bit for me. I stuck with it, because I love Okorafor’s writing and her evocative scene setting, and I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed it as a whole.
I do think my experience of the slowing pace was due to the fact that I am, in fact, NOT the target audience here, and reading it with the expectation that it would follow adult pacing and emotional presentation was a mistake. Nnamdi’s outbursts and emotions felt overdone (and were the source of my issues with the pacing) – until my 7 year old went into a melodramatic tailspin in front of me, reminding me that this is how kids respond to things, at which point my adjusted expectations and I enjoyed the rest of the story for what it was: a bit of a fable about power and responsibility and consequences that was lovely and lyrical and entertaining all at the same time.
Ikenga is a story about death and violence and crime, about loss and redemption and power. It’s dark, perhaps particularly for a middle-grade tale, but we live in dark times. I think Okorafor handles the darkness with a deft touch, weaving in oddly uplifting and hopeful bits out of even the darker moments, to create a story that I would have no issues reading with my daughter (a precocious reader, if I may say so myself). It would lend itself to thoughtful conversations, and that’s what I love the best about this type of story. When the storytelling is as evocative as it is in the hands of a talented writer like Nnedi Okorafor, everything is a conversation piece: from the Nigerian customs and foodstuffs, to the naming conventions and rituals of daily living, to the political and philosophical implications of corruption and power, to the strength of friendship and its ability to help us stay true to ourselves. Okorafor is a dab hand at crafting a world that jumps off the page and inhabits your head, combining action, characterization, and setting into a seamless whole that you fall right into. It’s a magic of its own, as powerful as any Ikenga, and one I look forward to sharing with my daughter for years to come.
Chalk up another win for the talented Nnedi Okorafor!
Thanks to the author and BookishFirst for my obligation-free contest win copy.
Nnamdi’s father, the chief of police, has been murdered and his killer has not been discovered or brought to justice. Nnamdi is consumed with grief, anger and helplessness. One year later, he is approached by the ghost of his father and given a figurine called an Ikenga. The Ikenga allows Nnamdi to become something like a superhero as he thwarts the colorful local criminals and tries to solve the mystery of his father’s murder. Along the way, he learns that the assumptions he has made about people are not always true, and that life and crime are complex. He also learns to value his friends and loved ones more. The story is well paced with loads of action, adventure, danger and suspense. I enjoyed the imaginative descriptions of the small Nigerian town and its people. The nicknames of some of the characters are very creative and funny.
Recommended: yes!
For a tale of morality and control in the face of darkness and hatred, for a superhero/antihero combo that’s exciting and thought provoking
Thoughts:
A perfect example of having greatness thrust upon him, Nnamdi fights between what is vengeance and what is justice with his newfound powers. I love having a main character who is flawed and conflicted, but whom you like nonetheless because you can see him doing his best to make sense of the world he lives in. Coming-of-age is a lot more complicated when you’re granted otherworldly powers and a conscience for justice.
The darkness is this story comes from a point of human and political issues — crimes we committ upon each other. Murder, theft, abuse, and all kinds of other atrocities based in selfishness are endemic in Kaleria for Nnamdi. So while there is violence of people being killed or beaten up or kidnapped, it’s never turned into a gory style. The horror is more mental for imagining the reality of the situations happening.
I loved the folklore aspects of ghosts and the totem that conveys the powers: the Ikenga. The cultural connections to the Igbo were made clear in a subtle way that added to rather than distracted from the story. It was the same with their daily life. The descriptions of food were mouthwatering and made me start googling if I could get any around here. And once I got the explanation of what a go-slow was, I felt silly for not having guessed it immediately. After all, Boston is the worst place in the US for them!
Thanks to Bookishfirst and Penguin for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
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: 08/18/2020
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This is the first book I have read from this author. I love the cover, depicting a boy holding a figurine in his hands with a spirit monster in the background. Thank you bookishfirst and Viking books for the gifted copy.
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: This is the first middle grade book I have read in almost 20 years. I definitely enjoyed reading this book. This is the first book I have ever read from a BIPOC author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a different culture, which was very refreshing. The writing style of Nnedi was unique, and unlike any other middle grade book I have read. It was a lot of fun learning about the origin of the Ikenga, and what powers could be possessed by it. I am definitely interested in wanting to read more books by this author. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a middle grade novel with unique elements.