ARC Review: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Title: Akata Witch
Author: Nnedi Okorafor
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Speak; July 11, 2017

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But just as she's finding her footing, Sunny and her friends are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a career criminal who knows magic, too. Will their training be enough to help them against a threat whose powers greatly outnumber theirs?

I’ve been hearing about Akata Witch for a couple of years now and was excited to get a chance to read an eARC of it. On the surface, it appeared to have all the elements I look for in a fantasy. However, I had some reservations about approaching a book that had a substantial amount of hype. That being said, I really enjoyed Akata Witch. There was so much about the story that just clicked for me. So, I’ve seriously had to stop and wonder why I haven’t read any of Nnedi Okrafore’s novels before. Obviously, I’ve been missing out!

The synopsis of this book promises magic, and it fully delivers on that and more. I’d like to just say that I liked this book and you should read it too, but that doesn’t explain why. I’ll start with the story. The story of this book moves at its own pace, and honestly, I didn’t mind because there were a lot of details to take in. There was magic, lots of it actually. That being said, Okrafore put such a fresh and imaginative spin on it that the premise of the story felt entirely new. In that way, I enjoyed the world building a lot and found Okrafore’s version of a magically inclined society interesting and unique. It’s probably one of my favorites thanks to how the characters interacted with each other and the places around them. There were so many cool elements to the story and setting, and I can’t talk about them for fear of accidently spoiling the story. Just know that they were cool.

Before I end this review, I want to mention the characters. Let me just say that they were amazing, especially the main character, Sunny. From the start, I instantly loved how Okrafore portrayed her character. While the core of Akata Witch was arguably Sunny’s journey as she learned how to handle her abilities as a “free agent,” it was also about learning, teamwork, and friendship. The friendship between Sunny and her new friends was one of my favorite things about Akata Witch.

At the end of the day, I’m really looking forward to reading more books by Nnedi Okrafore, especially Akata Warrior. Also, I’ve heard a lot of praise for her Binti series. So I’ll eventually read those books too.

(Actual rating 4.5 out of 5 birdcages)

This copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review.

About the author...

Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi’s work titled, “Weapons of Mass Creation”, The New York Times called Nnedi’s imagination “stunning”. Nnedi Okorafor’s books include Lagoon (a British Science Fiction Association Award finalist for Best Novel), Who Fears Death (a World Fantasy Award winner for Best Novel), Kabu Kabu (A Publisher's Weekly Best Book for Fall 2013), Akata Witch (an Amazon.com Best Book of the Year), Zahrah the Windseeker (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature), and The Shadow Speaker (a CBS Parallax Award winner). Her latest works include her novel The Book of Phoenix and her novella Binti (a finalist for a Nebula and British Science Fiction Award). Nnedi is an associate professor at the University at Buffalo, New York (SUNY). Learn more at Nnedi.com...

That Time We Went To Coolirpa's 1 Million Subscriber Celebration...

It just occured to me now that I haven’t actually written any event recaps for this blog—Adri wrote briefly about when she went to see a live taping of a few upcoming episodes of Marlon. So, to keep it organized I’ve thought of a few questions for Adri and me to answer about the experience we had at the event.

For those of you who haven’t heard of her, Coolirpa is a youtuber who takes thrift store finds and literally gives them a new lease on life. Her designs are cool, and I highly recommend checking out her videos (Click here to get to her channel). You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Recently, Coolirpa’s youtube channel reached 1 million subscribers, and she hosted an event to celebrate. Even though the event has been over for a while, you can still check out its webpage here: Coolirpax1Mil.

What were you overall thoughts about the experience you had at the event?

Breana: This was truly a family friendly event. I went with my mom and sister, and we had a great time. There was music provided by a DJ. There were also a couple of cool things to do like: getting a necklace made; and drawing fashion sketches and distressing denim with instruction.

Adri: It was pretty fun there, and I enjoyed the drawing station. Overall, this was one of the most positive events I have gone to.

What did you think about the venue?

Breana: I thought the venue was pretty nice. It was hot on Saturday, June 17th, but it was nice since you could step into the mall and cool down for a few minutes. Also, there were benches around the fountain, so there were plenty of places to sit. I thought the event was set up in a good way, because there was space to walk around and check out all the booths with enough places to stand and watch the fashion show from almost every angle. Adri, what did you think of it?

Adri: I agree with everything Breana said. I have to add, it was nice having an event like this in Temecula.

What about the food?

Breana: I loved the free samples. The salad samples they were giving out happened to be the perfect thing to eat on a hot day. There were also cupcakes from Truly Madly Sweetly being given out. I know that it’s a bakery in my area, but I’ve never actually been to it before. However, after tasting one of their cupcakes at the event (chocolate cupcake with chocolate and vanilla swirl frosting), I definitely want to go back and see what else the bakery has to offer. Another thing I thought was great were the drinks. There were a lot of them. Between samples and unlimited lemonade, there were plenty of options to stay hydrated. However, my favorite drink was actually the Suja Strawberry Balsamic Drinking Vinegar. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but I enjoyed it as much if not more than the lemonade. I think it had more to do with the fact that I don’t really like to drink sugary drinks when it’s hot like that, so, that’s probably why I found the drinking vinegar extremely refreshing.

Adri: I also tried the Drinking Vinegar. I wasn't sure about the taste, but now, I feel the need to buy more. The cupcake I had was like a vanilla cupcake that kind of tasted like cream cheese. I'm not sure which part of the cupcake the cream cheese taste came from—it could have been the cupcake or the frosting. The color of the frosting was pink and cream colored. I couldn't tell where the flavors were coming from, but it was the perfect combination between cream cheese, strawberry, and vanilla.

Breana: The cupcake you tried sounds delicious too.

What was your favorite part of the event?

Breana: The whole fashion show was a lot of fun to watch. There were so many cool and creative designs including prom dresses made by students from a local high school. However, I think my favorite part was to be getting to see Coolirpa’s designs on the runway. I’ve seen them in her videos, but they’re even prettier in person. My second favorite part was the people. They were super friendly, and the atmosphere was lively. And of course, I can’t forget the photo booth. The photo booth was also a lot of fun, and I thought it was cool that they printed the pictures with a cute border customized for the event. (Pictured to the left is a picture I took during the fashion show.)

Adri: My favorite part was Everything! Clothing transformations, giveaways, and food. What else can I say?

What are your thoughts about the T-shirt and swag bags?

Breana: To get this, you had to RSVP before the event, and I’m glad we did because this has to be one of my favorite swag bags, ever. The passion planner is probably my favorite thing—second only to the adorable Snoopy airplane snow globe. (Pictured to the right is what was in the swag bag including the T-shirt I got.) Adri, what did you think of the swag bags?

Adri: Although I liked everything in the swag bag I really like both the scissors and the nail polish. I like the scissors because they are easier to take my hand sewing on the go. As for the nail polish, it is LA Colors Color Craze, in the color cocktail (542) and is glittery. It is a little lighter than portrayed in the picture, but it dries well. Compared to other cheap glittery nail polish I have tried this one drives smooth rather than textured.

Breana: Oh, I almost forgot about the scissors. I occasionally do embroidery, and my current pair of scissors don't work well for anything other than paper. The ones we got in the swag bags actually cut the floss really well. So, I'm going to get a lot of use out of them.

Adri: Finally, I want to mention the Galaxy Lollipop by Sparko Sweets. Like the cupcake, I couldn't distinguish the flavor between the two sides of the lollipop. But, it tasted really good, it wasn't too sweet, and it had a really smooth texture and flavor.

Breana: I can't believe I forgot about the Galaxy Lollipop. I pretty much agree with everything you said about it and would consider buying more, since they have a lot of different flavors.

Have you gone to any interesting events this summer?

Music Monday (28) Halsey

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana:  A couple of weeks back, I mentioned that Halsey’s new album came out, and since then I’ve been pretty much listening to Hopeless Fountain Kingdom on repeat. I really love the look and sound of this album. So, I don’t have any new artist to talk about today, only a couple more of my favorite songs from Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. 

My first pick this week is Now or Never. Oh man, I love this song. There’s something about it that just speaks to me. Then again, I feel that way about the entire album so my opinion about the song is clearly biased.

 

My second pick is Bad at Love. I won’t waste time by explaining what I like about this song. All I have to say is: give it a listen.

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (110) & Book Beginnings: The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Aventurine is the fiercest, bravest dragon there is. And she's ready to prove it to her family by leaving the safety of their mountain cave and capturing the most dangerous prey of all: a human. But when the human she finds tricks her into drinking enchanted hot chocolate, Aventurine is transformed into a puny human girl with tiny blunt teeth, no fire, and not one single claw. But she's still the fiercest creature in the mountains -- and now she's found her true passion: chocolate! All she has to do is get herself an apprenticeship (whatever that is) in a chocolate house (which sounds delicious), and she'll be conquering new territory in no time...won't she?

Beginnings: "I can't say that I ever wondered what it felt like to be human."

56: "I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees and stepped onto the sidewalk, gritting my teeth in determination."

Comments: I've read a couple of books by Stephanie Burgis before and was really excited for her latest novel, The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart. I loved this book! It was a fantastic read.

What are you reading this week?

Review: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Title: The Invisible Library
Author: Genevieve Cogman
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Paperback
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Roc; June 14, 2016

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Collecting books can be a dangerous prospect in this fun, time-traveling, fantasy adventure from a spectacular debut author...

One thing any Librarian will tell you: the truth is much stranger than fiction...

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities. Most recently, she and her enigmatic assistant Kai have been sent to an alternative London. Their mission: Retrieve a particularly dangerous book. The problem: By the time they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions are prepared to fight to the death to find the tome before Irene and Kai do, a problem compounded by the fact that this world is chaos-infested—the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic to run rampant. To make matters worse, Kai is hiding something—secrets that could be just as volatile as the chaos-filled world itself. Now Irene is caught in a puzzling web of deadly danger, conflicting clues, and sinister secret societies. And failure is not an option—because it isn’t just Irene’s reputation at stake, it’s the nature of reality itself...

The Invisible Library is one book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I mean, it sounded like the kind of book I would enjoy anyway since its main theme is a mysterious library, librarians who double as spies, and of course books—lots and lots of books. In a lot of ways this one reminded me of The Librarians (the movies and TV series). Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that comparison in a bad way, because I actually enjoyed this book.

The Invisible Library was a pretty interesting story. It had a lot to do with one librarians search for a “particularly dangerous book.” This book was heavy on the mystery aspect. The majority of the book was spent building up the characters and the mystery surrounding the books’ disappearance and ultimate fate. Another thing worth noting was the library. I liked the fact that the library wasn’t just a library, but a place that connected to a lot of different realities. The individual realities were kind of interesting in that they could share common features and names, but were still different at the same time. So, there was a bit of a time-travel-y element to the story. I also found the librarians themselves to be a point of interest, because of how the library affected them and the roles they took on. Because hey, it’s just part of the job description, right?

Now before I end this review, I want to talk about the characters. The librarians were already kind of mysterious, especially the more higher ranking ones above where the MC, Irene, currently worked. Irene was pretty cool. I’m always a sucker for characters who are librarians—but Irene gets bonus points for working for a magical library, and being a spy. She was intuitive and had a love for books, and honestly, it was just kind of fun to read about the adventures she had. In the synopsis it’s mentioned that Kai—Irene’s assistant—had secrets. That part was alright, but I found his secrets easy to guess. However, I still have some questions about his character. So, guessable secrets aside, Kai was still interesting.

So, The Invisible Library was entertaining, and I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series.

This copy of the book was provided by Blogging For Books (publisher) for this review, thank you!

About the author...

Genevieve Cogman got started on Tolkien and Sherlock Holmes at an early age, and has never looked back. But on a perhaps more prosaic note, she has an MSC in Statistics with Medical Applications and has wielded this in an assortment of jobs: clinical coder, data analyst and classifications specialist. Although The Invisible Library is her debut novel, she has also previously worked as a freelance roleplaying game writer. Genevieve Cogman’s hobbies include patchwork, beading, knitting and gaming, and she lives in the north of England...