B Sarv's Reviews > Akata Warrior

Alice Walker writes, “What is always needed in the appreciation of art, or life, is the larger perspective. Connections made, or at least attempted, where none existed before, the straining to encompass in one’s glance at the varied world the common thread, the unifying theme through the immense diversity, a fearlessness of growth, of search. Of looking, that enlarges the private and the public world.” Later, in the same essay, Prof. Walker says, “To take Toni Morrison’s statement further, if that is possible, in my own work I write not only what I want to read - understanding fully and indelibly that if I don’t do it no one else is so vitally interested, or capable of doing it to my satisfaction - I write the things I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ.” (emphasis in the original; from “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens” - in the essay “Saving the Life That Is Our Own” The Importance of Models in the Artist’s Life” p. 5 and p. 13)

This is the fifth book review I have written about Nnedi Okorafor’s books. It was not until I came across these passages in Prof. Walker’s essay that I realized what Prof. Okorafor’s books made me FEEL. It was a real epiphany. A sudden appreciation for that larger perspective that these books have brought me. These books make me long for more stories like this and I am sure I am going to be tracking down every book that Nnedi Okaorafor has written.

In this story we follow the protagonist Sunny Nwazue, an albino Nigerian girl whose parents are of the Igbo ethnic group on magical adventures within Nigeria and locally situated magical spaces. In Akata Warrior Prof. Okorafor develops her team of characters. They are led from one perilous event to another. They face challenges and have a road trip from the south of Nigeria to Lagos. The road trip gives the reader a lot of insights to life in Nigeria, in the context of a story. Many readers, like me, may not have had that experience before.

Some of the beautiful themes of this story are love for family, loyalty, courage and innovative thinking. While the main characters are teens they bring heroism in a way that is believable. They also carry their insecurities and vulnerabilities into their adventures. Reading this book gave me new connections. Those connections kept me coming back to this book and I would have forsaken all my other reading to finish it - but I disciplined myself because my other books had been left unfinished for far too long. To follow Alice Walker’s idea here, I am glad that I was given the opportunity to read a story like this which unifies human experiences in such an interesting and entertaining fashion. Finishing this book was my reward for my self-imposed discipline and it was worth it. I recommend this book and its predecessor, Akata Witch. I also recommend Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti series as well. Even though I have yet to read them I am willing to say her other books are also safe bets for interesting and entertaining reading.