I was so excited to read another book by Emezi and they totally delivered.

After having read PET and BITTER I had high hopes for another YA book by Emezi but made sure to go in totally blind.
It quite surprised me to see the jump from magical realism to fantasy but this book did it so well. The world is so rich of history and stories there was always something interesting to uncover. This uncovering of the lore of the world was something always a theme of this book up until the last moment when everything unravels. And gosh did this often blow me away with how awesome it was and pull me right in wanting to read more.

The main characters as a brother and sister was really fun. I loved how they were twins and had an incredibly close bond. When that bond starts to fray however I was so worried about them and hopeful that things would end up better at some point. This longing for them both to be together again was really strong throughout the whole book and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know if they might be fine on the next page.

I also really loved how the good and bad parts of family dynamics were shown in this book. There were feelings of still loving a family member even though they've harmed you, and the way others sometimes can totally fill that gap. But sometimes things get so bad there is no forgiving anymore and the characters were only left with grief. This hit me really hard and was written beautifully.

Concluding I'd recommend this book for everyone who likes fantasy with big world building and family relations.

This was my first time reading a Y.A book by Emezi and it was really fun. The magic systems were wonderful, the setting was lovely. The bonds between characters were emotional and evocative.

I’ve only ever read their adult books before and I loveeee the poetics of their writing which is something I missed in this a bit (the writing was still good, but it was for younger readers)but that was expected given the target audience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Emezi continues to effortlessly combine African mythology and great storytelling in this novel, perfect for any age but particularly for 12+ readers. Through her fantastical world, Emezi discusses important issues such as race, family and identity with a twist you will not see coming. Somadina is a great, believeable protagonist, supported by equally strong characters.

Somadina is a YA fantasy set in a mysthical West African-like village, redolent with Igbo culture and mythology. Fifteen year old Somadina and her twin Jayaike were born into a world where everyone receives a magical abilty once they turn 15. Some people receive more than one gift and are then taken to live in the forest to receive special training, as happened to Somadina’s older sister Nkadi and grandfather Zerenjo.

The twins are impatient for their magical gifts to arrive and the villagers are starting to become suspicious and whisper about them. When Somadina’s gift finally arrives it turns out to give her a terrible power that results in sending both her and her brother into grave danger. She must then turn to Nkadi and Zerenjo for their help.

This is an enjoyable and immersive YA story with themes around family, coming of age and the isolation of being different to ‘normal’. The world building and system of magic are excellent and the setting well described, especially the lushness of the village and the forest. Emezi weaves a good tale with lovely prose and the characters are all well drawn. Somadina is easy to like and empathise with as she goes on a difficult journey and along the way learns how to forgive and accept people for who they are, even with all their flaws. For me the ending felt quite abrupt after the build-up of the journey to get there, but that is my only quibble with this engaging YA tale.

Somadina and Jayaike are twins who do everything together but when their powers begin to exert themselves and Jayaike is kidnapped by an evil force the world starts to become rather menacing. This is a coming-of-age novel set in a world of magic and rules which cannot be broken. As they build this brilliant magical world the author has taken elements from their Igbo heritage which I just loved. A book about belonging and about how those who are seen as different are sometimes pushed to the edges of society. Written in prose that just pulls you into this new world and engulfs you. Although I believe this book is aimed at the YA market it could be read by an older audience. I can’t wait for the next book from Akwaeke.. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

"If I don't know myself, who is it that will know me?"

Wow. Akweake can do no wrong in my eyes. Somadina is such a powerful novel that I have no words. I’ve been sitting on this review for a couple of weeks, hoping that time will fill my mind with the words I want to honour this book with but honestly, I still can’t articulate my feelings as well as I would like to.

Set in a West African town, Somadina and her twin brother Jayaike are connected so deeply that they finish each other's sentences, they know what the other is thinking and they feel only whole when they are together. When children in this town come of age, they are granted a magical power. While they observe those around them discover their power, the twins have more of a delayed discovery which raises questions within the family and the people around them. When Somadina finally begins to experience her powers, it turns the town against her. Her powers are unlike anything they’ve seen before. While she is navigating this, her brother vanishes.

Somadina must embark on a journey to find him. She must trust in herself to harness her powers and drown out the sounds of those who have shunned her in order to listen to those who love her and believe in her.

Through this novel, Akweake gives us spirituality, ancestral connections and familial ties and everything else that I love about their writing. The prose is as gorgeous as ever, the world that has been built is magical, mythical but realistic in the way that people are judged and turned against for their differences and the development between and within the characters had me hooked. This book could have been 300 pages longer and I’d still be obsessed. A definite top 10 of the year for me.

a bit rushed especially towards the end but absolutely engrossing nonetheless. loved how vibrant the world felt and how much of a thirteen year old girl somadina acted like. i too felt an all encompassing emptiness in me at that age girl you’re not alone.

As always, Emezi’s writing is incredibly beautiful and immersive.

The setting of Somadina is incredibly vivid and lush and I was captivated by the story. An excellent stand-alone fantasy story,

If you fancy a gripping coming-of-age fantasy, rich in indigenous Igbo folklore and culture, then I I can recommend this book!

Somadina is the tale of twins Somadina and Jayaike, whose existence causes tension in their village for various reasons. But when Somadina gets into hot water and Jayaike is kidnapped, Somadina must leave everything she knows to find him while coming to terms with the magic that has changed everything.

Somadina is my second read by this author, the first being The Death of Vivek Oji. I saw similar themes around complex families, living with bodies that don’t meet societal expectations and the impact of that, and strong references to Igbo folklore. I ate it up.

Emezi writes layered, fully fleshed characters, and crafts rich worlds in all their colour and darkness with a precision that is remarkable. The book has that unputdownable quality, so it had me up reading at most ungodly hours because I was locked in.

I liked Somadina as a protagonist and felt for all of the difficulties she went through. While she wasn’t perfect, I never felt irritated by her, but to pity her for her struggles felt like an insult. Instead, I was just swept along, willing her to find that sense of acceptance and alignment that she both needed and deserved. I’d like to think that this was an intentional effect.

In an ideal world, I would have liked this to be just a little longer, as I felt like I slammed into the ending suddenly and it was over so quickly that I was left breathless. But the fact I wanted to hang on to the magic a bit longer can only be a good thing, right?

I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-arc.

Emezi is a master of storytelling. Their characters are always full of depth and soul - even when they are deeply flawed. In this book, the two main characters will stay in your heart of a long time. The story itself has the simplicity of a fairytale, but it told in such a beautiful engaging way. This book was brilliant.

Everything in this book was so well rounded- realistic but ethereal. Somadina’s relationships with the other characters were rich and engaging- the romance aspect was balanced and added to the overall story without taking away from the depth of her family connections.

I loved the setting and the overall magic system- unfurling the mystery of who took Jayaike while discovering the magic of the jungle, villages, and spirit world made this an easy and really enjoyable read!

*I received this book from NetGalley but these thoughts are all my own!

I'm not sure why I didn't like this more... It has lots to recommend it: interesting worldbuilding based on African mythology, a well-rounded protagonist who holds onto her moral compass even when bad things are enacted through her, a story that propels you forward... and yet I didn't connect to it. I feel bad about leaving a mediocre review when I can't see anything objectively wrong with the book, but it just didn't click.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

This was an adventurous peek into the world of West African spirituality and beliefs! Emezi is a pro at adapting their writing and storytelling, depending on the age of the reader. Of their YA titles I think Pet is still my favourite, but Somadina is a strong contender! I found the story compelling and really bought into the family dynamics. I'll be recommending this one to fans of Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko and Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi.

This is an absolute fire-cracker, tightly plotted, evocative and deeply immersive despite the relative* sparseness of the prose - every word felt deliberate. The relationships between the characters were the highlight for me, with Somadina driven throughout the book by her devotion to her twin brother, all while her other familial relationships buckle and reform under the stress of the nefarious magical interference in their lives. Deeply compelling all the way through. Couldn't put it down.

*compared with a lot of current offerings from YA fantasy.

Somadina is a beautiful, meaningful and thoughtfully crafted story.
I love Akwaeke Emezi infused Igbo culture, traditions and mythology into this story.
The writing evokes vivid imagery and i found myself in Somadina’s village.

This is not just a story of a girl who embarked on a journey to rescue her twin brother from a powerful enemy. It is a story that explores what it means to be too powerful or extraordinary beyond understanding.
It shows how society can alienate, fear and hate what they do not understand.

It shows the pain of being cast away by your community, and family because of their own ignorance.

The story reflects how easy it is to internalize other people’s opinions and perspectives of you.

I love how Somadina grew in this story. She went from a girl who saw her magic as only dangerous, dark and destructive to someone who sees the value and light in herself.

I also appreciate how it addressed the way history is hidden and how it affects the future generations.
However, I wish this story was a bit longer. It could have benefited from a little more development.

Overall this is a really fantastic story with so many amazing layers and I am looking forward to reading more fantasy books from this author.

Thank you to Faber for providing me an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

YA fantasy is not my usual fare, but I couldn't say no when I was offered an eArc. I've loved or at least really enjoyed everything Akwaeke Emezi has written, and their newest book didn't disappoint. It's equal parts coming of age and quest novel and is suffused with Igbo culture and mythology. Somadina and her twin brother come into their magic powers later than their peers, and when her powers appear they are unusually strong, perceived as dark and dangerous, and result in an incident that leads to her being sentenced to death until a dịbịa intervenes. Then Jayaike disappears, kidnapped by a powerful yet malevolent being, and it's up to Somadina to rescue him. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself and also discovers some surprising secrets about her family history. Emezi's prose was stunning as expected. Pretty sure I'd say that if I was reading their shopping list. For a fantasy story, this was relatively short, and the plot moved fairly quickly, not getting bogged down in a lot of in-depth world building. I had enough detail to understand what was happening but wasn't overburdened with extraneous details. The plot quickly captured my attention and kept me engaged from beginning to end. There's a strong element of risk and adventure and some heart-pounding tension as you'd expect from a quest novel, but there are also quieter moments of personal reflection, moral reckoning, and growth. Family relationships are a key focus, with the relationship between Somadina and her mother being particularly complicated. There is also an element of romance, but it doesn't dominate the plot. Somadina is feisty but flawed, being headstrong and impulsive. But she's also courageous, sensitive, loyal, loving, and self-sacrificing, the sort of protagonist I enjoy reading about. While this book isn't earth shattering and won't make my top 10, it is a book I'd recommend, particularly to YA readers and to those who want to explore the fantasy genre but are out off by in-depth, lengthy world-building.

I loved this YA Fantasy. It had action, adventure, romance and magic. Emezi did really well making us connect with the MC.
Can't wait to see if they create any more in this world.

Another amazing read from Akwaeke Emezi! I live her ability to create characters with depth and with an amazing storyline! And this book is no different! This is a YA Fantasy that follows the life of two twins, it’s a coming of age story and shows the deep bond that twins typically have. I love the west African setting and I love the struggles phased when they came into their own powers and how they navigated that as well as dealt wirh their separation! Would highly recommend!

3.25! Thank you for the arc!

A sound YA standalone seeped in indigenous Igbo culture which created a lush atmosphere and setting. I love Emezi’s writing. Overall, it didn’t quite hit for me and I found the last third to be less engaging. I thought the random romance wasn’t needed as it didn’t serve a huge purpose in the book. This was a good coming of age story with themes of family and identity.