Akata Witch

by Nnedi Okorafor


   After reading Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor it is fair to say that it is a tale of magic, mystery, societal rules but mainly a tale of 'finding one's place in the world'. This is portrayed through Sunny's character who was born in America. She finds herself at the age of twelve living in Nigeria where she cannot go out due to the fact that she is Albino and that the sun will be harsh on her skin – pushes her to feel even more out of place. The circumstances change when she discovers that she is a "free agent" with magical powers.

   Thorough the story we notice that there are two recurring themes which are the importance of knowledge and identity and/or embracing your individuality.
   Need explores the polarity between the real world and the magical world. She reinforces the fact that in the magical world learning make you own money rather than having it be defined as power – money in the real world. She defines knowledge or curiosity of learning as power because "the more you know, the more powerful you become in the magical world". By following the life of Sunny, we get introduced to other characters such as Orly, Chichi and Sasha with whom she discovers her power and realizes that she could use it against the magical serial killer Otokoto.
   The four main characters who are very different, decide to work hand in hand to build a powerful pact and make them even stronger. This helps communicate that despite our differences there always a common ground and a way to uplift each other. In this novel, it helped Sunny to better understand and find herself.