Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor | Book Review

I picked Akata Witch based on an insta recommendation and dove right in without checking the blurb. I knew it was fantasy, I knew Nnedi Okorafor has been well-reviewed, and I knew lots of people liked this book, but I didn’t know it was YA. I generally don’t read YA; if I do, it’s usually older teens, so this book wasn’t a great fit for me.

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That’s not to say that Okorafor didn’t crush it. There is excellent world-building and well-developed magic. The elements were consistent and creative. The writing was well-polished and clear. Yetide Badaki did a fantastic job narrating. Each character was distinct, crisp and clear. The kids could have sounded younger, but I liked that they didn’t. It let me pretend they were 3-5 years older.

There were several parallels to Harry Potter (wands pick the wizard, sporting event the lead character is unexpectedly good at, professors, etc.). Still, there was enough other material to make it much more than just well-polished fanfiction.

I did find the systemic corporal punishment for kids under 17 off-putting, and the frequent threat of a beating, a slap, or other violence toward children made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t into how only the kids could save the day. It seemed like the adults needed to do more. The adults put unrealistic expectations on the children without adequate support. At least in Harry Potter, you’ve got Dumbledore and the other adults working towards the same goal as the children. In Akata Witch, it felt like the kids were on their own to figure it out.

All in all, I will check out more of Okorafor’s adult fiction. Her writing is excellent. I just picked the wrong category for my preferences and Akata Witch wasn’t for me.

Highlights

• Good world-building, magic, setting an alternate reality
• Characters grew, made mistakes and learned from them

Lowlights

• Casual, normalized violence towards children in a contemporary setting
• Young YA is not for me

Links

TheStoryGraph
Nnedi Okorafor’s Website