Akata Witch

by Nnedi Okorafor Year Published: 2011 Middle Grade, Fantasy

 

Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City.  She looks West African, but she's albino.  She's a terrific athlete, but she's so sensitive to the sun that she can't play soccer during the day.  She doesn't seem to fit in anywhere.

Then she learns why.

Her classmate Orlu and his friend Chichi reveal that they have magical abilities - and so does she.  Sunny is a "free agent," overflowing with latent power.  And she has a lot of catching up to do.

Soon, Sunny's taking a crash course in magical history, spells, juju, shapechanging, and dimensional travel.  Her new world is a secret from her family, but it's well worth all of the exhaustion and sneaking around.

But... there is a dark side.  Just as she's finding her footing, Sunny, with Orlu, Chichi and their American friend Sasha, is asked by the magical authorities to help track down a criminal.  Not just a run-of-the-mill bad guy.  A real-life, hard-core serial killer - with abilities far stronger than theirs.

-Provided by the publisher