The Icarus Girl
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Average rating3.9
Jessamy "Jess" Harrison, age eight, is the child of an English father and a Nigerian mother. Possessed of an extraordinary imagination, she has a hard time fitting in at school. It is only when she visits Nigeria for the first time that she makes a friend who understands her: a ragged little girl named TillyTilly. But soon TillyTilly's visits become more disturbing, until Jess realizes she doesn't actually know who her friend is at all. Drawing on Nigerian mythology, Helen Oyeyemi presents a striking variation on the classic literary theme of doubles -- both real and spiritual -- in this lyrical and bold debut.
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A quick, engrossing read about a young girl, the child of a Nigerian mother and an English father, who causes trouble for her family, teachers and schoolmates because of her sensitivity. Her parents take her to Nigeria to meet the African side of her family, but her troubles take a frightening turn when she befriends a mysterious girl about her own age named Titiola.
This story has a supernatural element to it. Thankfully it has not been made into a movie–if it were, it would probably become a horror movie, but there is more to the story than that. I enjoyed the book and it only took a couple of hours to read.
