A middle grade fantasy novel by the author of Binti? Yes, please!

I read this book with my 5th grader and after finishing it he declared it "one of the best books you've ever read to me!" He loved it!

Set in Nigeria, this novel has elements of African folklore, mystery and fantasy. Nnamdi is the 11 year old son of the chief of police of their town Kaleria. His father is the best police chief the town has ever had. He readily pushes back the criminals that are trying to invade the town. And then, Nnamdi's dad is murdered. No one knows who killed him. Nnamdi and his mother are left alone. After the death of the police chief the criminal element is free to reign over the town.

On the one year anniversary of his father's death, Nnamdi follows a mysterious figure out of his home's gates and is presented with an Ikenga, a figurine with mystical powers. With the Ikenga in his possession, Nnamdi soon discovers he has new powers. Powers that can help him track down his father's killer and avenge his father's death. BUT, will he be able to control the powers and stay true to his own morals?

This was a great story. It was interesting and engaging throughout. It had lessons about using power for good vs. evil and staying true to yourself. Nnamdi was a relatable character and the author did an excellent job expressing Nnamdi's inner turmoil. We also really liked that the book was set in Africa and gave us a peek at what life is like there.

I highly recommend this book to middle grade and older readers!

The audiobook narrator has a deep soothing accented voice that helped to add to the atmosphere of the book.

This audiobook simply floored me with how amazing it is. I was already a fan of Nnedi Okorafor from listening to Akata Witch.

This is a story for anyone who has ever wanted to be a hero. The story focuses on a young boy who has lost his father who wants the murderer to pay and for the evildoers of his city to be brought to justice.

The story is told in a way where anyone can relate. It’s simply brilliant.

It took me back to how I felt the first time I read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The stories are not similar but the way the author invites you in to the inner world of the main character is done very similarly. Another good example would be how I felt reading the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Ben Onwukwe did a great job narrating. I found his voice soothing and easy to listen to. He has an accent that isn’t jarring at all. Sometimes I listen to a narrator’s accent and just can’t hear the words properly. That is not the case here in the least. I could easily listen to this narrator over and over again.

#Netgalley #NnediOkorafor #BenOnwukwe

I loved this book so so much! IKENGA is a book about anger, loss, carrying a burden, crime, and learning to grow and trust uncomfortable emotions. It’s also about kids living in a grown up world and the crossfire they get caught in. This is a Nigerian superhero vigilante story written by one of my favorite SFF writers, Nnedi Okorafor. Highly recommend the audiobook version of this!

This is a standard coming of age story but make the main character the Hulk. It didn't do anything too new. Unfortunately that makes it not very memorable for me. The story itself was completely cookie cutter. It had a Beginning and then the book would change gear and the plot thickens; and then the whole thing is resolved and the message is spelt out for you. I, of course, love the African folklore and the setting. I love mythology and learning about cultures that aren't my own. I want to like Nnedi Okorafor's books but I think it's time for me to call it. I've ready a few of her other books and they just aren't clicking with me.
Now for the audiobook review. I love the voice of the narrator. His voice is very rich and beautiful. My issue is that I hate ASMR and it sounded like he had a hard candy in his mouth. I don't know any other way to describe. This is more of a me problem and there is nothing wrong with the audiobook. Take this with a grain of salt.

This is Okorafor’s first novel for middle-grade children about a boy who can access magical powers with the help of the magical Ikenga. Nnamdi’s was an excellent chief of police, and when he is murdered, everyone assumes that it was the Chief of Chiefs, the most powerful criminal. Nnamdi wants to avenge his father’s death but isn’t quite sure what a 12 year-old boy can do. When he stumbles upon a magical object, he may just be able to bring justice to his father, but of course, there are many things standing in his way.

I love everything Okorafor pens, and though I didn’t dislike this by any means, I had a little more trouble following it than previous works. I think it’s because I usually do these in audio form, and I often lose the thread of the story with male narrators. I’m not sure why, but it almost always happens. I do much better with lady narrators.

I thing the narrator did an excellent job, but the tone of the male voice just made me zone out more than I would with a lady narrator. I did like Nnamdi’s spirit a lot, and I’m always down for middle-grade adventure stories, and I think Okorafor hit it out of the part with that. Looking forward to seeing more of this genre and of course, YA and adult stories as well.

This was great. I don't read a lot of middle grade, so naturally I was little unsure about this. Although, I found this book extremely engaging.

I really like the writing, and I thought the story was complex and not overly simplified despite being for children. I was granted the audiobook ARC via NetGalley and it was an amazing audiobook. I listen to a lot of audio books, most are fine. This is one of those that I think really excels. I would put it up near Bahni Turpin (not quite there though).

This is the story of a young boy who loses someone close to him, and he comes across something that gives him the ability to turn into a superhero. Then the story explores different ideas about anger, grief and vengeance. To anyone familiar with Nnedi Okorafor, it should be no surprise that the story was so well done.

I'm really glad I was granted this audiobook arc because I wasn't sure if I was going to bother picking it up since it was middle grade. That would have been a mistake because I think this story was just as great as fun as the last Binti novella.

If you are considering picking this up, I absolutely recommend it. 4/5 star book and 5/5 audiobook

You can see my video review of this on my January wrap up on Josh's Bookish Voyage on YouTube. (not made at the time of this review)

The characters are well developed and the descriptions make me feel like I am there. This was a children's story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was so intriguing that I had trouble putting it down.

Any Okorafor fans here? I loved her Binti series (adult) and Akata series (YA), so I was really excited to read her MG for our book club!

Like the Akata series, IKENGA takes place in Nigeria and involves juju, though it is more of a crime-fighting superhero story than a magical one. It was a really fun read, though, and I can see it being highly appealing to kids who enjoy characters like The Hulk, or action stories like those in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. I read it in print and then checked out the audio, and oh my goodness - the narrator is SO good. I kinda wish I had done the audio first now, haha.

As far as I'm concerned, Okorafor can write for any audience, and I'll read it 😂.