The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor

RATING: 4/5

AGE RANGE: 11+

LEXILE: N/A

SUMMARY: 14-year-old Eji is a Muslim girl living in the Nigerian village of Kwàmfa. The year is 2070, and after Peace Bombs descended upon the earth, some children were born with metahuman gifts- Eji is known as a Shadow Speaker, one who can talk to and become one with the shadows. Other children can become windseekers, rainmakers, or a vast number of things. Because of her ability, some people fear her, while others embrace the possible knowledge that she has. However, it is this gift and her strength that attract the attention of the warrior queen, Jaa. It is this gift and her strength that will determine whether or not the world will cease to exist. When Eji discovers that Jaa sees potential in her, she decides to follow Jaa on a journey that will alter her life in numerous ways. Although the spirits will guide her, Eji must prove to Jaa and herself that she has what it takes to lead. If not, the people in her world may come to extinction. 

WHAT I LIKE: I really loved Eji as a character. She was constantly thinking about her family, her gifts, her friendships, etc. She didn’t drop one aspect of her life just because she had to focus on something else. I also liked her growth throughout the story. She was never a completely docile little girl, but she learned how to channel her feelings into positive ways to make change. Lastly, I loved how she called out dominant entities, rather than just thinking about the ways they were oppressing others. She never let them just get away with treating people a certain way, and that was powerful. 

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