Zahrah the Windseeker

I love the world Zahrah lives in; if I'd been a kid when I read this, it would have been one of the worlds I wished I could go to--like Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green-sky books, or Lawrence Yep's Sweetwater, or Narnia. It's a world in which everything is hyper-alive and growing, even the technology (lightbulbs and CPUs are cultivated like garden vegetables), and flower petals are used for currency, a futuristic, alternate-reality, West-Africa sort of world, with baobab and iroko trees, mangos and cashew fruits. And Zahrah, who's already made to feel strange because of the vines and flowers that grow in her hair, discovers she has another, very wonderful, but for her, very daunting, power. She has a pal, Dari, who's as inquisitive as she show more is timid, and with his help, she starts investigating this new power. Eventually this leads the two of them into the Great Greeny Jungle that surrounds their country--a place where the threat of death lurks under every leaf and behind each tree.

I loved the many people who help Zahrah, whether it's Dari, or the mysterious woman Nisibidi, who has a special friendship with some spirit-reading baboons, or the wise gorilla Misty, or the Speculating Speckled Frog--the jungle's wisest denizen. Zahrah had lots of helpers, but her task is still her own, and she completes it herself. The threats and dangers she faces have an Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy to them that keeps them from being too very terrifying, even when her life is in danger, and while sometimes I wanted the whimsy toned down just a little, other times I was quite entertained by it--and I really loved her smart-alecky digi-guidebook and her anxious electronic compass.

I really appreciated Nnedi Okorafor's vivid descriptions, especially the scent and touch ones, which made Zahrah's world come alive for me. Now I want to make some fan-art drawings! show less

What a delightful and unique story! This has the heart and soul of a fairy tale or a fable. This is a children's story for every child and for every adult who was once a child. I had read this on Oyster but think I'll be picking up my own copy to keep.

There is just so much in this book. It's a coming of age story, of finding the specialness in yourself. It is a story of always looking at the world with wonder and curiosity instead of listening and believing what you are told blindly. It is a story of friendship and loyalty and that sometimes, you have to break the rules because if you always follow the rules, your life is boring and you never have any adventures.

Lastly, I loved the world Okorafor's created, where plants are the basis of show more human civilization and ingenuity. The society in the book is a lot like the modern society on earth, though computers are plants that evolve to fit the user, lilies are lights, and doctors use a stinging insect for injections. There are fantastical creatures, ordinary creatures who can do fantastical things, and a some plants that are pretty horrifying as well. And to these people in this fictional imaginary world, Earth is a strange and mythical place talked about only in stories.

I loved this book. I enjoyed watching Zahrah go from a quiet and meek girl who was scared of danger and had a fear of heights to a adventurous young woman who forged her own path to touch the sky. show less

This was my second Okorafor book and I actually liked this one even more than Akata Witch. Zahrah is a truly wonderful character and I absolutely love the world that Okarofor has created. This is a true fantasy novel, in every way, and I just want to read and reread it. I love the fact that it's a plant-based society, that it mirrors our own and yet is completely different. I loved the different characters -- especially Zahrah's best friend and the gorillas who Zahrah runs into while in the forest. I cannot wait to read more of Okorafor's work, especially if they're all this good.

"You don't have to explain. It's OK to care about what other people think, but you should give a little weight to what you, yourself, think."

STORY:

In Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor (308 pages), Zahrah's fourteen and Dada, so she doesn't fit in the Kirki village of the Ooni Kingdom. Her Dada heritage gives her long locs embedded with plants and undeveloped wind power. Since Ooni people are so image-conscious, she sticks out like a snake with fingers. After Zahrah gets her first period (menstruation cycle), her wind powers begin to fully develop. Through a series of events surrounding the forbidden Greeny jungle, Zahrah's best friend Dari gets injured. The cure for Dari's comatose state is in the jungle, and this is where the show more story truly begins. I felt so bad for Zahrah in the jungle like why does my baby have to go through so much pain?

Another quote I like, taken from when Zahrah was on her journey:

"Look at you. You're just as strange and misunderstood as the jungle. It'll welcome you, I'm sure of it."

As much as I like romance, I love the fact that the story is dedicated to Zahrah's growth as a character. That's not to say there aren't any adorable hints thrown in.

I love the names, Zahrah and Dari, they are so pretty!

I also enjoy the fantasy elements. Flower computers! Zahrah has a lot of plant technology in her world. A person can plant a seed and water it to grow a computer. Very imaginative.

Black people in a fantasy setting? Adorable characters? An innocent friendship? I could tell early on that I would like this book.

What did I dislike? Hmm... If I had to nitpick, the ending could be considered a bit anticlimactic. Also, certain stuff at the hospital was dragged out too long.

CHARACTERS:

Zahrah! I completely sympathize with her. She's an adorable crybaby who doesn't yet know her potential. Her journey is not only through the Greeny jungle, but to grow more confident.

Dari, the best friend, is my favorite. He's a middle-school activist, who has a talent for talking. The village people and everyone at Dari (and Zahrah)'s school hang onto his every word. Since he found an interest in Zahrah, as a bold little kid, the two have been friends ever since.

I like the mentor angle Nsibidi provides for Zahrah. She's one cool chick! I almost wish she had been featured more in the story.

The simplest characters, like the frog, all play an important part in the story and Zahrah's life.

OVERALL:

Read this.

I liked this book a lot and will add it to my bookshelf when I get some extra cash. show less

13-year-old Zahrah's quest to save her best friend, Dari, is an action-packed adventure through a forbidden jungle that will empower young readers, especially introverted Black girls, to believe in their own power and abilities. Now unfortunately, unlike Zahrah, those young readers' hidden powers aren't likely to be the ability to fly, but you know, having a voice you're not afraid to use or being okay with who you are, is nothing to snub your nose at either.

I loved the blend of African folklore with science fiction. Okorafor's love of animals and nature shine through every page and I loved that. Plants and technology. All-knowing pink frogs. A confused and misunderstood war snake. A village of gorillas. Mischievous trees who protect show more their bees. All that is only a sampling of life on the planet Ginen.

3 stars
(Simply because its audience is definitely the younger side of YA. I'd actually classify this as Middle Grade because Zahrah is a quiet 13, still coming into her own young adult womanhood.) show less

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor is a well written children's fantasy about a thirteen year old girl who, although she yearns to be "normal", discovers she has the power to levitate and fly. Teased and bullied at school she has one friend who stands by her at all times. So when her friend, Dari, needs her help, she finds the courage to strike out on her own and enters the Forbidden Greeny Jungle to find the cure that he so badly needs.

Set in the fantasy country of the Ooni Kingdom, this forbidden jungle is a fearful place where people who enter very rarely ever return. Zahrah uses her loyalty to her friend to overcome her fears and about travelling in the jungle. Along the way she encounters many fantastic creatures, a few of show more which are friendly but most are deadly and dangerous.

The author draws on African mythology to weave this magical tale of a little girl who learns to face life full-on and accept her differences in order to save her friend. The story is aimed at young people but it's magic works on us older folks as well. I was charmed and I look forward to reading more from this imaginative author. show less

I love the world Zahrah lives in; if I'd been a kid when I read this, it would have been one of the worlds I wished I could go to--like Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green-sky books, or Lawrence Yep's Sweetwater, or Narnia. It's a world in which everything is hyper-alive and growing, even the technology (lightbulbs and CPUs are cultivated like garden vegetables), and flower petals are used for currency, a futuristic, alternate-reality, West-Africa sort of world, with baobab and iroko trees, mangos and cashew fruits. And Zahrah, who's already made to feel strange because of the vines and flowers that grow in her hair, discovers she has another, very wonderful, but for her, very daunting, power. She has a pal, Dari, who's as inquisitive as she show more is timid, and with his help, she starts investigating this new power. Eventually this leads the two of them into the Great Greeny Jungle that surrounds their country--a place where the threat of death lurks under every leaf and behind each tree.

I loved the many people who help Zahrah, whether it's Dari, or the mysterious woman Nisibidi, who has a special friendship with some spirit-reading baboons, or the wise gorilla Misty, or the Speculating Speckled Frog--the jungle's wisest denizen. Zahrah had lots of helpers, but her task is still her own, and she completes it herself. The threats and dangers she faces have an Alice-in-Wonderland whimsy to them that keeps them from being too very terrifying, even when her life is in danger, and while sometimes I wanted the whimsy toned down just a little, other times I was quite entertained by it--and I really loved her smart-alecky digi-guidebook and her anxious electronic compass.

I really appreciated Nnedi Okorafor's vivid descriptions, especially the scent and touch ones, which made Zahrah's world come alive for me. Now I want to make some fan-art drawings! show less