Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
by Tọlá OkogwuPublished by: Margaret K. McElderry Books on June 14, 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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…
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- Magical fast-paced adventure
- Black girl magic
- Boarding school for gifted children
- Superpowers!
- Alternate Nigeria as a setting
- A compelling mystery that’ll keep you reading
Many thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I feel like it should come as no surprise by now that I will always read books that, one, feature Black protagonists, and/or, two, involve superpowers. The fact that Onyeka’s superpower is her hair (which she hates) immediately grabbed my attention! As a biracial kid with pretty unique hair that no one in my family or friend circle knew how to handle, this caught my attention right off the bat.
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun is a fun adventure fantasy set in Nigeria featuring Black girl magic, superpowers, a hero school, and some coming-of-age and big hair love.
Onyeka was so relatable to me as a character. There’s a huge focus on her hair that was a little overboard at times (passing frustration and moving more into obsession), but I was so excited for a middle grade book that talks about a Black character learning to love her hair and I wasn’t disappointed on that part, at least. The big bad was pretty easy to guess early on, but I didn’t mind that much because the mystery absolutely hooked me!
This book focuses heavily on Black girl magic, which I’m always a fan of. Introducing Onyeka: a Black girl who hates her hair, loves her family, and oh, by the way, has a superpower.
Onyeka is such a relatable character on so many different levels. First, she hates her unmanageable, unruly hair, which is a sentiment I think a lot of little girls can maybe relate to. I sure did at that age. As I mentioned, Onyeka takes it maybe a step farther into a weird obsession, where everything relates back to her hair-hate, so it’s maybe a little heavy handed on that front. But the thing I loved the most is that Onyeka doesn’t really hate her hair; she just has never learned how to properly take care of it, and that makes all the difference.
Onyeka has one best friend, Cheyenne, and is raised by her mother, as her father is out of the picture for reasons she doesn’t quite understand that her mother refuses to elaborate on. Needless to say, her world view is kind of small. Which is probably why it’s so shocking when she learns she has superpowers. Specifically, she can move her hair with her mind, which isn’t the worst superpower ever. Despite knowing this, Onyeka doesn’t let it go to her head or immediately decide she needs to be some super spy, which I thought was a unique approach to the superpower thing. Instead, the story really ends up being a journey of learning and growth for her.
‘It won’t fit,’ I say. ‘I tried already. My hair’s too big.’
Cheyenne makes a noise that sounds both like a sigh and a grunt . . . a srunt. ‘Can’t you just ditch it?’
I snort back. ‘You know what Mum will do if my hair gets loose or wet.’
‘She won’t find out,’ Cheyenne replies. But we both hear the lie in her voice. Mum always finds out. It’s her superpower.
This story is part fantasy, part sci-fi tech, a smidge of mystery, and all adventure.
It’s set in an alternate, slightly futuristic Nigeria that is run completely on solar power and is thriving. They also have advanced technology and, you know, a school for kids with superpowers. Like you do. I’m sure you can see, at this point, how this lends itself well to an adventure story, though I’ll admit that it took a good portion of the book before the adventure really ramped up. Still, once it got under way, the action was pretty much nonstop.
The mystery is the part that I loved the most! What happened to Onyeka’s father? What created all these superpowered kids? There are so many big questions that come up that I absolutely needed answered that made me keep reading until I could find out more.
I suddenly have so many more questions.
‘Not a problem, Niyi. though you may want to buckle up, given what happened last time.’
Niyi looks embarrassed.
‘I thought I wiped your memory processors.’
‘You know how Adanna likes her backups,’ the voice replies. ‘She asked me to remind you not to touch my processors again or she’ll be very displeased.’
Niyi’s short bark of laughter is loud. ‘Abeg o. I know she did not say that!’
‘I believe her precise words were: “If he touches you again, I’ll break his head for him.'”
This squad of characters is sarcastic, superpowered, and absolutely a ton of fun.
What struck me the most is that these kids have baggage. Having superpowers isn’t all it’s cut out to be, necessarily. Despite having sometimes heavy backstories, these kids are thriving, which is what I loved the most. Not in a way that downplays what they’ve been through but rather one that highlights their ability to overcome (especially together). I do wish a little more time had been spent forging some of the friendships, which sometimes seemed to happen off-page out of nowhere, but I did enjoy this squad all the same.
‘But you have so much in common,’ Adanna replies sweetly, earning herself a dirty look.
Okogwu transports the reader to Nigeria, providing some insight about the country, culture, and language.
It may not come as much of a surprise, but I’ve never been to Nigeria. I have a very vague, 10,000-foot-view sort of understanding of the country. So it was extremely interesting reading Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun and learning more about the country. I think there’s lots of great things in the book for kids to pick up about another country (which I’m betting most of them also haven’t visited). Being sci-fi/fantasy, there are obviously parts that are fabricated (duh!), but there are so many other things that aren’t. Like some of the locale that Onyeka and her squad visits. I was super curious about these places, so I ended up googling them and learning more about the different places mentioned in the book. Plus, Hassan also speaks in Pidgin, which I absolutely loved!
‘Moving mad?’ says Hassan, reappearing next to me. ‘Oya, you dey teach me more cockney.’
‘You’re such a chicken,’ I reply with a smirk. He always disappears when Adanna and I get into it. ‘And I already told you, I no dey speak cockney.’
About Tọlá Okogwu
Tọlá Okogwu is a British-Nigerian children’s author, journalist and hair care educator. Born in Nigeria, but raised in London, she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She has written for several publications, including Refinery29, Huffington Post and Black Ballad. Tọlá’s work as an afro hair care educator has given her a unique insight into the key issues surrounding Black women and their hair and through her online coaching services and courses, she has empowered and taught women all over the world, how to improve the health of their hair.
Tọlá believes it’s important for children to read books that are reflective of their own experiences, as well as other cultures and she seeks to create these opportunities through her books and wider writing. Her self-published picture book series, DADDY DO MY HAIR is a firm family favourite. The books were inspired by the relationship between her husband and daughters and are designed to celebrate the special bond between father and child, whilst also showcasing the beauty of Afro textured hair.
Tọlá’s debut middle grade series with Simon & Schuster is set in a futuristic Nigeria, powered by solar energy. The first book, ONYEKA AND THE ACADEMY OF THE SUN will be published in June 2022. She also writes as part of the dynamic duo, Lola Morayo with four books in the, AZIZA’S SECRET FAIRY DOOR series already published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Tọlá lives in Kent, England with her husband and two daughters.
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I really loved this one.
So glad to hear it!
Ha! I liked this book, as well, but also mentioned that the discussion of her hair was a bit much. It’s like every give pages! I think the author could have made the point with slightly more subtlety, but overall the book was a win for me!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one! At least as far as complaints go, it’s a pretty minor one and didn’t keep us from enjoying it.
After reading “Wildseed Witch” (I know it’s not the SAME subgenre, per se), I’m really interested in reading this book! Everyone whose read it has enjoyed it a lot!
I haven’t read “Wildseed Witch”, but you should definitely give Onyeka a try! Seems like it’d be something you enjoy.
This sounds like a really cute book!
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