Akata Witch

From champion of Africanfuturism, [a:Nnedi Okorafor 588356 Nnedi Okorafor https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507148868p2/588356.jpg], author of the [b:Binti 25667918 Binti (Binti, #1) Nnedi Okorafor https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433804020l/25667918.SY75.jpg 45491127] novella series, is this first episode in the coming-of-age story of Sunny, an albino African American girl living in Nigeria who discovers she is a magical Leopard person - one who can use juju. Sunny has been suffering at the hands of bullies in school because of her appearance, one day Orlu intervenes and walks Sunny home. These two become friends and in doing so Sunny meets Chichi, Orlu's friend and neighbour. Chichi has a hunch about Sunny and when it turns out to be right, Sunny is thrown into a whole new world and a whirlwind of new experiences.The key to this new world is to learn. That is how you earn chittim, which is used as currency within the Leopard world. Reading a book that places such a high importance on the idea of continual learning was wonderful. Despite being a 34 year old and our protagonist being a mere 12, I was wishing I could live in Okorafor's world because even with all the scary stuff Sunny & co have to face it is a world that seems much better than our own.Sunny, Chichi, Orlu and newest friend Sasha discover they have been brought together to fight against an evil that threatens the world and Sunny finds out this threat is linked to her Grandmother's death, a woman she never knew but who holds the key to who Sunny really is.This is a brilliant story about friendship, outcasts, belonging, justice and selfhood. If you're looking for an alternative to a certain book series about outcasts in magical schools... look no further!