So far, I've mostly read Akwaeke Emezi's YA books, and this is a beautiful addition to that collection. Unlike Pet and Bitter, this is set in a fantastical indigenous society, rather than a future Westernized setting. While most of the book focuses on divinity and magic, there are underlying themes of existing outside society's norms, failure to fit into preconceived notions of gender and established social roles, rejection by family members, and the relationships between people and their environments. While this did feel very YA, that's not a tropey, well-trodden sense. This book is about stepping into your own power. This was my favorite of Emezi's books that I've read so far. (Although I'm currently reading Little Rot and... wow, these are so different.) Emezi's prose is so beautiful and versatile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Loved it!

The story follows Somadina, who has a twin, Jayaike, and they share everything. As the twins age, their bodies grow in height, but they do not develop, and start to fear that they will not develop their powers. One night, when sharing a bed as always, a chasm splits in the room and the twins power appears to them - to Jaiyaike it appears good, but to Somadina she sees darkness/death. Jayaike ends up vanishing out of thin air from their bedroom, and Somadina knows that no matter what she must track him down as he is her everything.

I didn't want to say too much about the plot as it will give the story away, as the book is short. Once again, Akwaeke writes an action-packed, magical story. Emezi does such a good job of describing the atmosphere and intertwining Igbo culture with a magical world. I think this book teeters on the edge between being a YA book and an adult book ,with some of the things that occur within the pages and the themes. Overall, Emezi's book always packs a punch with the messages. I honestly could have read a longer version of this book.

I was so glad and thankful that my request for an advance reader's copy on Netgalley was approved to read this book. The ways Akwaeke builds up characters and the societies they live in, make you reflect on your own actions if you were put in their shoes. I was hooked from the very beginning and I did not want it to end! I loved reading the inclusion of West African and Igbo culture and the ways in which nourishment in this book was presented. I envisioned what the different dishes the characters were eating would taste like. The need for rest and feeding your body in tough times no matter how old you are was something I appreciated reading. Akwaeke's books, Pet and Bitter made me fall in love with the way they write YA fiction and fantasy. I really enjoyed this book and I am planning on re-reading it.

The next generation healing the wounds left behind. SOMADINA is beautifully written (obviously), engaging, and emotional, all while showing a detail and love for Igbo culture that was nice to see. Our protagonist deals with being othered by her community for a number of reasons and we go on an adventure to save her brother while reckoning with who she’s always been and has become. The connection between the siblings in this book is beautiful!

The magic system is so interesting and weaves nicely into the themes of violence, rejection, and cultural history without taking away from any of them. Somadina’s journey shows hope for a better future and the recognition of young adults’ power to make change. At a time in the world where it’s hard to feel that, this story is much needed.

I will say the ending felt a little rushed. I wish there was a little more there. The epilogue felt more like another chapter than a wrap up to story. I appreciated the ending for the audience it’s for, but I think a different choice would’ve fit more with what we’d seen. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another book in this world.

Thank you @knopfyoungreaders for an advanced copy to review!

A teen girl must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.

^from the publisher!

This is not a book I would normally read, but I absolutely adore the author and will read whatever they write. This fantasy had world building that was not too complex for me, and a story I was completely bought in to.

I absolute love loved Somadina and her internal battles. I loved her connections with her siblings and best friend, and especially with her grandmother. I really don’t want to give anything away, but this story was so interesting and had me turning the pages quickly to find out what happened.

The central story is so impactful and how she learns to deal with and manage her powers is amazing. The ending was so well earned and I really enjoyed the ride!!

PS - do not miss the author’s note. WOW.

I wanted to request this book because I recently read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Emezi and wanted to see how her writing translated to the YA genre! This was such a great YA fantasy novel filled with West African culture. Her writing, world building, and descriptions truly stand out in this one. I went into this completely blind (and I think that is the best way to read it) because I truly got to experience this book in the best way. The magic system was explained well and the themes of this book (family, love, acceptance) hit hard. Somadina was a powerful character and I related to her on a lot of different levels. Somadina is a powerful book about accepting who are the true people in your life and embracing yourself in all your unique glory. I need to go read Emezi’s other YA novels as soon as possible because I loved this!!

Thank you to Random House Children’s | Knopf Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

“There were many things I would not do for myself, because I was not brave, but I would willingly walk into a whirlwind of fire for Jayaike. That wasn’t bravery. It was just love.”

Twins Somadina and Jayaike have lived their entire lives in tandem, maintaining a powerful bond that lends them strength in times of great hardship or social scorn. However, when their magical powers begin to develop, a divide grows between them due to the seemingly dark nature of Somadina’s abilities. The twins become emotionally separated by secrets and fears, but a physical separation tears them further apart when Jayaike is stolen by the man who has been haunting Somadina’s nightmares. Spurned by everyone in her town, including her own mother, for her unnatural gifts, Somadina embarks on a quest to save her brother from evil’s grip. Joining her on this journey is her estranged sister, now a member of the mysterious magical elite known as dibias, and Uwafulamiro, Somadina and Jaiyake’s best friend, who has been similarly ostracized. Together, the group must find Jaiyake and uncover the truth of Somadina’s strange power before it is too late.

Emezi developed nuanced and vivid characters that navigated challenges with emotion and authenticity that made it impossible not to care for them. Through the characters’ experiences, the novel explores universal themes of platonic love, rejection, loss, and identity. Somadina, Jayaike, and Uwafulamiro all face rejection and otherization that affects their interactions with each other and the world, presenting a powerful and critical look at how society treats people deemed “different.” While some circumstances that separate these protagonists from their peers are rather exceptional, the feelings this estrangement evokes are not. I admired Emezi’s ability to weave these themes and social messages into a vibrant world filled with magic. Even in a place drastically different from our own, readers can identify with the tribulations faced by the characters and their society at large. Something I take issue with in many fantasy novels is the rushed feeling at the end, when major conflict occurs and so much is revealed in the final pages. While the last section of this book moved at a rapid pace not reflected earlier in the story, this did not impact my understanding of the plot. Emezi wrapped up this part of Somadina’s story well; not everything ended perfectly for the characters, who all have far more to do and learn, but I saw satisfying growth for each character throughout the novel. I loved Emezi’s beautiful prose and compelling world, and I look forward to reading more of their work.

Somadina must save her twin brother in a fantasy book set in West Africa. I liked the setting and the characters, I'm just not a fantasy fan so it's hard for me to review it. I read it because I've read Emezi's adult books but I hadn't read one of Emezi's young adult books before.

This West African-inspired fantasy (Igbo culture) takes place on a group of islands that has been isolated from the rest of the world ever since the Split was created to end the Starvation War. The dịbịas—“masters of medicine and spirit … guides to our primordial mother, the deity Ala”—made the Split, which is far from where Sọmadịna (15) lives with her parents and twin brother, Jayaike. But Sọmadịna’s grandmother, Ahụdi, whose late husband was a dịbịa, tells stories about the past.

Sọmadịna’s older sister, Nkadi, and their other grandfather, Zerenjọ, are also dịbịas. Dịbịas train for years in the Sacred Forest. People who are not dịbịas have only one magical gift each, which appears during puberty and is registered with the town’s Elders. But when Sọmadịna’s and Jayaike’s gifts appear, they have an unusual experience: They see a chasm open up beneath them, but within it they see different things. While Jayaike sees life, Sọmadịna sees terrifying images of death.

And then, a man with black eyes (“the hunter”) who has been appearing in Sọmadịna’s dreams steals Jayaike away in the middle of the night. Desperate to get him back, , Sọmadịna goes with Nkadi, Zerenjọ, and her best friend/crush, Ụwafụlamiro, into the Sacred Forest. Sọmadịna is still discovering the extent of her powers. She learns that she can call up an “emptiness” inside her that causes death to others. She must learn what is needed to harness her powers before it is too late for her and Jayaike.

Emezi is a great writer—their sentences and grammar are perfect, and every word feels well and carefully chosen. I found the plot complicated enough that it wasn’t simplistic, but not difficult to follow. I liked the cultural elements and appreciated that the world of the book is queernormative. I do wish the ending hadn’t felt so rushed. This is a short book that could’ve been made a bit longer, in my opinion, and I would’ve liked more time in the Sacred Forest or more world-building in general. It's such an interesting world! I thought the themes of the story (being afraid of what/who you don’t understand, not fitting into your community, general coming of age) are universal but placed in a really unique world.

My crazy self stayed up all night to finish this book. I started late. This was a ride! There was such an amazing world built for this story, the magic system was amazing. I really don't know what to say!

I could relate to watching others mature physically and wondering when it would be my turn..lol. I was so annoying!

Akwaeke Emezi is a phenomenal storyteller! She stuffed so much into these 200 pages, my goodness! There was a sweet enemies to lovers type situation going on, family drama, twin speech, mental illness. This book honestly had it all!

I feel the spoilers fighting my teeth to get out,... GO GET THIS BOOK

I do not really know what I expected but this went beyound!

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Children's | Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Akwaeke Emezi for the ARC of Somadina!

Somadina is Emezi's latest YA fantasy novel. Although I've read a few of their books, I haven't read any of their YA fantasy yet. I was blown away by their writing and imagination, which wasn't surprising. I'm amazed by the fact Emezi can so tactfully write in so many genres. I don't want to say too much about this novel because I think the less you know going in the better it will be. There is a lot to be taken from this novel about acceptance, or lack thereof, from a community that feels like home when you're viewed as "different" or what isn't expected. Emezi mentions in the acknowledgements that this was her way of going home to Nigeria, a place she can't safely go due to her sexual orientation. It's sad we live in a world where that is the case.

Somadina is a novel that can be easily enjoyed by teenage and adult readers. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my Emezi collection. Now to read the other YA fantasy novels by them that are on my shelf.

Thank you to Underlined and Netgalley for a copy in exchanged for review consideration.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I love this author’s writing every time I get to read one of their books. In this story we are thrown into a fantastical West Africa. I loved learning about the magic system here as well as learning about the gifts that everyone had.

Somadina is such a strong MC and we see the world through her eyes. I was so angry for her through most of this book. If it wasn’t her parents being the worst it was the people in town. I’m glad they have a solid friend who was there for them. This was a very queer normative world and I was happy to see a married couple just be a couple in everyone’s eyes.

There were so many good messages here about family and love. About knowing who’s in your corner no matter what and being able to harness the magic inside you to embrace yourself. This book was so powerful and I enjoyed it very much.

Emezi has such a way with their writing, so I was expecting a lot from this book. And it was great! I really enjoyed the plot points and I was pleasantly surprised at the twist. There were some elements of the book which I didn't like, mostly due to the content warning. But overall, a very strong book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this ARC.

A quick and captivating read about a girl coming into her own power, finding her own voice, and — with her twin — saving the world. As a twin, cursed or blessed with the magic of a god, Somadina has never been apart from her brother. They shared a womb and now share a room, they eat out of the same bowl, sleep in the same bed, and live as if they are one person in two bodies, but as they grow there begin to be differences between them. Somadina develops a crush on their friend, Uwafulamiro who returns her affection. It’s something that isn’t shared with Jayaike. It’s a small separation, but as their powers make themselves known, it’s one of many small deviations.

Somadina not only has to save her twin, who is kidnapped, she has to deal with being alone without him, with being wholly herself rather than half of a pair. Her bond with her brother is powerful, a bond of love that is strong enough to change the world for the better. I love seeing stories from different cultures, drawing on different magics and religions, but the family relationships were my favorite part as Somadina has to deal with her mother’s conflicted emotions on having her children grow and leave her, meeting her grandfather, her big sister, and even her relationship with her twin.

This is a great book, well written and easy to read. I highly recommend it! Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a fun, good time! The representation!! This book touched on the different types of relationships.

Received e-ARC courtesy of NetGalley (:

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC.

Akwaeke Emezi is one of my favorites. Their books are always so beautiful and tragic in so many different ways. Somadina was way more than I expected and yet I should have known. My only wish is that I had more resolution for Somadina at the end with a very specific person. I do not want to spoil it for any other readers, but I just want to know where it landed.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, and superb. Everything I have come to expect from an Akwaeke Emezi book.

WOWWWW! What a gorgeous story, Akwaeke Emezi never disappoints. I loved every moment of this story and I would even love a sequel where the characters travel beyond The Split. I read Somadina in 2 days and cried multiple times. The writing is so beautiful, it paints a vivid picture for you to follow along. I love the way Akwaeke writes YA and the manner in which they speak to and about young adults. The world building is magnificent and stunning similar to all of their other works. Somadina is an inspiring coming of age story worth every moment of reading. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and buy it for the young people in my life. I plan to get a hard copy and add it to my library. A wonderful addition to my Emezi collection and a must read for all!

I really enjoyed the magical, fantasy aspect of this book. As someone who has siblings, I could definitely relate to do whatever I can to help them. I was happy that Somadina was able to finally find the course and come into her own power when the time came. This book touches on on great topics like being accepted for who you are and not what others think you should’ve or shouldn’t have been in this world. One quote I really like is "Lies are for people who are afraid." He smiled at me, almost kindly. "There is nothing I fear.“

Stand in your truth!!

Oh Akwaeke Emezi, they will never make me hate you!!

They have done it again with this luscious and heart bending book - a fantastical coming of age story situated in rich Nigerian culture and folklore.

Ultimately, this book is about family and the bonds that hold us together even when it feels like the world (and the otherworldly) is trying it’s best to pull you apart.

What an urgent and important story for young readers and adult readers alike. The idea that what we are born into doesn’t have to define who we are, that the journey of our siblings doesn’t have to be the journey we take as well, that our parents can be flawed and we can still be strong, and that by holding true to what we know is right we will survive what feels unsurvivable.

The journey of Somadina as she seeks her beloved twin, all the while surrounded in so many expectations of her (whether intended to be encouraging or disparaging) is familiar to those of us who have experienced the best friend that is a sibling. But the other members of her family and community are each deeply rich with clear focus that drives the plot of this book forward as well as the relationships.

I have never read a book by Emezi that I wasn’t moved by and this is no exception. They have an unmatched way of capturing their readers in their stories and keeping us focused that is uniquely theirs.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy, what a joy and privilege to read!

Akwaeke Emezi is such an inspiring writer, and her forthcoming book Somadina is a ❕phenomenal❕addition to the world of young adult literature. Somadina is what Emezi calls “village girl fantasy.” Inspired by precolonial Igboland—Somadina is full of spirituality, deities, dibịas, and of course magic✨The book follows Somadina, a young girl on a journey to save her twin as their newfound gifts present unforeseen dangers—familially, communally, & spiritually.

I adore the connection Emezi creates between Somadina and her twin Jayaike, the depth & beauty in their relationship alone had me hooked. There is something so profound & beautiful about the idea of sharing your soul with another, and Emezi deepens that with magic and twin connections. I love the magic system, I love learning more about Igbo spirituality, I love the limitless love and power between Somadina & Jayaike.

I find this book beautifully illustrates the idea of people being fearful of what they don’t understand, and the dangerous effects that has on our world. The world is too big and beautiful to contain ourselves to small boxes, and this book prompts us to look for more, to consume other perspectives, cultures, & ways of being. Such a magical piece of work, and I’m SO excited for its release!

My one critique is I felt the section after the oracle began to feel a bit rushed and found myself wishing there was a little bit more in between there and Somadina running from Nkadi. I felt like what the oracle said and the subsequent manifestation of it happened too quickly for my reader brain.

Overall, my rating is 4 1/2 stars, phenomenal read!