Ikenga

May 15, 2020
A 12-year-old seeks revenge after his father is murdered. It seems that every great hero's origin story begins with unthinkable trauma, and Nnamdimma "Nnamdi" Icheteka's beginning is no different. A year after his father, the police chief of Kaleria, is gunned down, Nnamdi chases a figure through his town and is gifted a mysterious Ikenga--which means "place of strength" in Igbo--totem that gives him superpowers and guides him through different, herculean tasks to discover his father's killer. Set in a small province in Southeastern Nigeria, Okorafor's tale features an eclectic cast of villains--whose curious quirks and storied names don't make them any less lethal--and literal ride-or-die friendships that are tested by Nnamdi's ongoing struggles to control his powers. She creates a believable, flawed superhero who, even when he transforms, is still very much a 12-year-old boy: confused, scared and frustrated about why his path seems to be particularly difficult; his best friend, Chioma, has this sage life advice: "It's not about the answers to a riddle; it's about what you learn by solving it." Okorafor's thoughtful mixing of West African traditional religions with Christian beliefs flows easily throughout the narrative alongside her regular inclusion of Igbo greetings and phrasings, although the actual story pacing can be slow and uneven. A memorable middle-grade murder mystery that's darkly humorous in some places and delightfully creepy in others. (Mystery. 9-12)

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June 22, 2020
A year after his father—respected police chief of Nigerian suburb Kaleria—is murdered and 12-year-old Nnamdi and his mother fall into difficult circumstances, the boy encounters his dad’s ghost. The spirit gives him an Ikenga, an ebony figurine that can transform Nnamdi into an enormous space-black figure with immense strength and superhuman senses. Through this alter ego, soon dubbed The Man and called out by the new police chief for embracing vigilante justice, the boy takes on Kaleria’s most nefarious criminals, including the feared Chief of Chiefs, whom Nnamdi believes is responsible for his father’s death. The powers also ignite equally powerful feelings that Nnamdi struggles to control. Blending Nigerian culture and American comics, Okorafor (the Akata series) has created a black hero struggling to work toward justice while navigating inequitable power structures and others’ definitions of who he is. Details, including Igbo phrases, villain names (Three Days Journey, Mama Go-Slow), and food descriptions, evoke a vivid sense of place amid the story’s recognizable beats. Fans of classic
superheroes—including Nnamdi’s favorite, the Incredible Hulk—and readers looking for a young superhero will find a champion in Nnamdi. Ages 10–up. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary.

June 1, 2020
Grades 6-8 The murder of Nnamdi's father, the chief of police, halts the campaign to end widespread corruption in their Nigerian town of Kaleria. A year later, the murder is still unsolved, but Nnamdi is certain that the culprit is the local crimelord known as the Chief of Chiefs. When the spirit of Nnamdi's father visits in the night and gives him the Ikenga, a statuette that endows the power to transform into a huge, Incredible Hulk-like man, Nnamdi takes it upon himself to finish his father's work and stamp out corruption, one crook at a time. Okorafor returns to middle-grade with a tightly paced action-adventure rooted in the turbulent emotions of her young protagonist. This new, Nigerian superhero, dubbed The Man, proves an effective device for exploring Nnamdi's unresolved feelings. As his rage fuels a violent?often intensely so, with knives, guns, and bloody beatings?path of revenge, he leans on his friends to help him solve the murder mystery, restore order to Kaleria, and find peace within himself. An engaging stand-alone with sequel potential.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy-winning Okorafor made a splash with the African-rooted fantasy of her Akata Witch books, and her kidlit fans will be eager for a new series of a similar nature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2020

Gr 4-8-Fans of Okorafor's "Akata" series will enjoy the author's middle grade debut, introducing her work to a new set of readers. When 12-year-old Nnamdi Icheteka's father is murdered, this Nigerian boy draws on the powers of his ancestors and an ancient magic to cope with his loss and deal with the growing criminal underground threatening to take over his hometown of Kaleria. This wonderfully fresh superhero origin story offers a look into the shadowy, inexplicable powers that are suddenly in the hands of an ordinary child. Through the strength bestowed upon him by the Igbo symbol of an Ikenga, Nnamdi transforms into an otherworldly force as he metaphorically deals with the big emotions of grief and tries to solve the mystery of who killed his father. While the themes of good vs. evil and vigilante justice will seem familiar, Okorafor has created unique, multifaceted characters that will have young readers hoping for Nnamdi's next adventure. VERDICT Though violent at times, this fantasy novel will surely appeal to comic-book lovers and mystery-seekers alike, and would be an asset to any library.-Monisha Blair, Rutgers Univ., NJ

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