ARC Review: Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

lapetitepritt

Jul 29

Hello, bookworms!

How are you? I don't know if you are seeing this review on the 21st or on the 29th, because I am writing this on the 15th. If I manage to finish Jackaby in time, this should be up on the 29th, otherwise hello, happy Thursday. As you may or may not know, I am writing this article while being sick with COVID so, once again, I am sorry if I make more mistakes than usual. This is the fourth article I am writing today and I am extremely tired, but I want to write this review before I forget the details about the book, because I couldn't take notes, seeing as I was ill with fever when I finished listening to it.

Whichever day it is, today we are here to talk about Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu, a middle grade fantasy I'd requested on Netgalley. I ended up listening to it on audiobook, because I can't physically read right now and the book has been out for some time now. When I was in London I even bought myself a physical copy, but try as I might, my eyes couldn't stay open and read words on pages.

Disclaimer
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher (which is now available in its final and corrected form) in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley; this does not affect my rating nor my opinions in any way. Everything you'll find in this review is what I actually think and it wasn't influenced by anyone. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

About the book
Title: Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
Series: Onyeka #1
Author: Tọlá Okogwu
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Pages: 320

Plot, as stated on Goodreads
Black Panther meets X-Men in this action-packed and empowering middle grade adventure about a British Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Marvellers, and Rick Riordan! Onyeka has a lot of hair—the kind that makes strangers stop in the street and her peers whisper behind her back. At least she has Cheyenne, her best friend, who couldn't care less what other people think. Still, Onyeka has always felt insecure about her vibrant curls…until the day Cheyenne almost drowns and Onyeka's hair takes on a life of its own, inexplicably pulling Cheyenne from the water. At home, Onyeka's mother tells her the shocking truth: Onyeka's psycho-kinetic powers make her a Solari, one of a secret group of people with super powers unique to Nigeria. Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Review
This is a case of "It's not the book, it's me" syndrome, because there was nothing too bad about it, I just don't like this kind of fantasy. I hoped it would be one of the rare exceptions, because usually I am luckier with middle grades, but sadly this wasn't the case.

The only objective issue I can highlight is that the characters, aside from Onyeka, fell a bit flat. They all had one main characteristic each and that was that; I couldn't tell them apart from time to time and that was a shame, because I liked Onyeka as a main character. She was extremely flawed and a bit too stubborn, but she was a strong MC and I would have liked all the other characters to be as well built as she was. Seeing as this is just the first book in a series, maybe they will be more developed in later instalments.

The writing style was nice, and I think there's room for improvement, which is why I am still not ruling out the possibility of continuing with the series, especially because my main problem with the book was that the plot was too similar to other books I've read, but I believe in the next books it can get more original, if given the chance.

The story reminded me a lot of a middle grade version of Raybearer, mixed with Black Panther, Nevermoor and Amari and the Night Brothers. Aside from Black Panther which is my favourite MCU movie alongside Shang Ci, I did not like the other medias I've mentioned, so I guess it's only natural that I did not like this one either. Moreover, the villain was very obvious and I could tell from the first time they appeared that they were bad. I think even children won't be surprised, if they've read more than one book in their life. It wasn't very well crafted and the reveal felt almost useless at that point.

The world building was still interesting, even if it wasn't the most original, and I found interesting how the powers worked (especially Onyeka's hair and all it meant and symbolised) and how they were affected by emotions. I also really liked that the book was almost entirely set in Nigeria, it's not often that we get fantasy books set in a different location than the USA or Europe/England, so I always appreciate "visiting" new countries.

I think I will keep on reading the series to know more about how the mutation works and what Solari will do to fight the sickness that comes with it. I would still recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy books and middle grade and if you are looking for a story about a powerful Black girl as a main character. I prefer Onyeka over Amari, but I think if you liked one, you could definitely like the other.

Since I am really tired and I think my fever is coming back, I will be wrapping this review up here. I will talk to you soon with a new review or article!

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