WEEK 5: Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (5)

        After reading about half of this book, I am left quite disappointed. In fact, I felt that this book had quite nothing new to offer. It follows the same generic, and now cliché characteristics of an appealing protagonist. And quite frankly it almost appears too similar to even Harry Potter. As a matter of fact, Sunny, as many other characters in fiction, is bullied for being different, which is always an issue worth discussing, however we are introduced to it in a way where you know she will one day stand up for herself, but in a distasteful way. What way is that? By her good fortune of course. As many other works have done before, Harry Potter and Spiderman being the first to come to mind, it is never their dedication or own pride that allow them to stand up for themselves. It is their abilities which are given to them at birth (or by other fortunate events). Nonetheless, they are naturally gifted individuals that could never simply be put into the world with such a description. In order to create appeal, the author needs to put them in a place of vulnerability, which is where her weaknesses from being albino step in, and where bullying is almost always present. 


        However, even when ignoring this part, everything that comes along their leopard lifestyle seems to appear out of the blue. We learn that exposition is always better when subtle, the character learns something on their own, from a past mistake, realization, or something that would appear natural. In this book we are told directly, without prior knowledge. For instance, the metal currency of the leopards came out of nowhere and were never really foreshadowed. The mentors came the same way, who knew there were mentors in this world anyway? 


Finally the serial killer is another quite simple and boring antagonist. He is the typical evil character that only wants death, and the four children are suddenly a “coven”, when has that become a thing? I don’t know either. Anyhow, their goal is to stop him, who would have thought?


In short, I stopped reading given the fact that the exposition, worldbuilding and premise seemed to be plain, unoriginal and perhaps a little overdone.

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