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Akata Witch

This book was quite a fun read. I was immersed in the magical, colorful Nigerian culture presented. I was more familiar with it because my own Latin American culture has African influences in it. So I did recognize a few parallels there. Like the masks and knives. There's no cloaks wands and house elves, it's a Truer "raw" witchcraft we can totally find in the world today. 
A really cool element of this novel is how Sunny's power resides within her, we discussed it in class, but after finishing up the novel I noticed how present it was. Her name, her personality, her physical appearance, and her leopard self are all interconnected with who she is. Sunny, a being who's meant to shine bright, glow.
Another reflection of culture is how the characters act. They are headstrong and mature, well all of them are leopard people, but this also is affected by the fact that the culture they grew up in is harsher. Sunny's father hits her, he's harsher on her than on her brothers, talks badly about his wife's family, and even later we find out her grandfather disapproved of almost every decision her aunt made.
I love how in the last parts of the book Sunny understands how she is a leopard person, her connection with her grandmother, and how her mother is an accepting loving figure, she finds a mentor figure. Akata witch is very warm and charming, but it doesn't hide the real struggles of teens in less privileged positions. Can't wait to read the sequel!

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