Customer Reviews

Zahrah the Windseeker

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A real rarity, this book has a brain, a heart, and a soul. What I mean is this: it's intelegent without being boring, emotional without being sappy, and moral without being preachy.

If that weren't enough, it's also got a strong, smart female main character, which is a pleasant surprise in YA fantasy. The world that Zarah explores is unique and exciting. It reminded me of the books I enjoyed back when I was still a kid. Best of all, I enjoyed reading it, even though I am, technically, an adult these days.

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu's book ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER introduces readers to the Ooni Kingdom and one of its residents, a young girl named Zahrah who becomes famous. Zahrah is a unique girl, she was born "dada." People who are dada have hair known as dada locks, which are similar to dreadlocks with vines that attach themselves to the locks and grow along with the hair. Zahrah considers her hair a curse, but, because it grows that way, there isn't much, aside from cutting them off, that she can do about it. People who are dada are also known to have special gifts; Zahrah's gift is that she is a Windseeker but she doesn't initially embrace or develop the gift. She is teased in school because she is dada, and her only real friend is a boy named Dari. Dari and Zahrah are always involved in one drama or another, but in an effort to help Zahrah cultivate her gift as a Windseeker, the two friends decide to go into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, which of course they were not allowed to do. Their visits to the jungle eventually result in a tragedy that only Zahrah can fix, but she must find strength and courage in order to do so.

ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER is a wonderful book that teaches important lessons by example rather than explicitly. The plot is fast moving, unpredictable and engrossing. I love the way Zahrah transforms over the course of the story. In the beginning she was somewhat shy, afraid to take risks or stand up for herself, crippled by fear, and ashamed of the fact that she is dada. The journeys into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle change her; she learns to trust herself, appreciate her strengths, and most importantly she learns to have courage. Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu has a fluid writing style that is filled with rich descriptions and vivid details. Her words brought the scenes to life and made it easy to visualize the events as they took place. I enjoyed the prominent role nature played in the book; from the dada locks (vines and all), to talking animals and buildings made entirely of plants. ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER is a unique book that young readers will enjoy, relate to, and be inspired by and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I flew through this novel in two days! I've never read a fantasy book like this. I think the author is African and she (I think) created this fantastical world using African cultures and folklore. I've read Virginia Hamilton's "The People Could Fly," maybe she got some of the myth from that. But I also noticed elements from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (it has a similar kind of humor) and Harry Potter. This is definitely something new and I really enjoyed it! I especially loved all the crazy creatures, the realistic characters and the plant technology. It read smooth and fast. I'm glad I found this book. Very unique.

Magical...creative...imaginative!!! In the traditional of exceptional young adult fantasy writers, Okorafor-Mbachu's debut novel represents the next generation of fantastical heroines. Okorafor-Mbachu creates a world where nothing is exactly what it appears to be, teaching us all that anything is possible and a young girl is capable of the wondrous. I urge every parent to share this treasure with their children and everyone else to share the fantasy too. Trust me folks, there is a lesson to be learned here!

I am 10 years old and i read this book when I was 9 years old. I could not stop reading! The things I look for in a book are magic,creativity and well. . . something diffreent than the classic princess gets saved by prince and prince kills dragon. It is very rare to find a book that is for kids and is not silly or too inappropriate. I loved this book immensely! Couldn't get my head out, when I finished Zahrah I felt like crying, when i found out there was another book I also felt like crying... tears of joy. The creativity of this book lets your imagiation soar! Never before have I been so eager to read a book(littaraly!) i can't imagine how good it felt to have created this book.Being my age it can be hard to find a book that is apprpriate and not so silly! I really hope that another book is written by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. P.S. I LOVED HER SECOND BOOK ALSO. From a 10 year old fan(#1 fan)

Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is a wonderfully written fairytale. This story is for anyone who would like to escape reality and jump back into their childhood made up of dreams and fantasies.

Zahrah is a thirteen year old girl with a rare gift which no one is entirely sure what she will be able to do. Born with vines growing in her hair, she has bee taunted beyond tears most of her life. Very shy, withdrawn with low self confidence and a deadly fear of heights she is about to find herself doing things she never would have remotely considered.

Dari is a fifteen year old boy and quite the daring adventurer. Always wanting to do the forbidden, his insatiable curiosity leads him into a life and death situation that will change forever how the people in his city look at life and what it has to offer.

The story starts off with our two characters supporting each other with their problems and how to deal with them. They are the best of friends and can share anything with each other without fear of ridicule or chance of gossip. They are indeed true friends beyond the sense of the word.

After Dari is attacked and left in a coma it is up to Zahrah to go into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle to find the one item that may save her friend from a possible permenant coma to quite likely death. Does she have the courage and stamina to accomplish such a task. This is something she is about to find out the hard way.

Relying on an out dated field guide Zahrah sets off to find her way through the Jungle braving all kinds of horrible creatures and plants, eating what is available and taking chances that she will not be poisoned in the process. She soon finds out that the field guide has only the basic information when it decides to give it and she must rely on her on intuition to help her accomplish something that has not been done by an adult in many years and has never been tried by a child.

The author has given us an amazing story of love, devotion and courage that it was a true delight to read. I can actually envision being a child in a village at dusk with an elder sitting there telling all the children of this marvelous tale. It is highly colorful, intriguing and encouraging to say the least. A delight for teens and adults this tale should not be missed.

I bought this for my 12 y.o. niece last year and it was a hit - this year she'll be getting Okorafor-Mbachu's new novel for Christmas. I love that the main character is female. The themes and images in this book are strong and beautiful - reading it will stimulate your imagination.

This book is excellent for any age group. The character's are well thought out and put together. The story is very different and done wonderfully.

I found this book randomly wandering around the library one afternoon after work. Something about it called to me, and I guess you could say I trusted my instincts.

This is really an incredible new turn for the modern fantasy novel. It has a perfect balance of mythology (we're talking African here, not Greek or Roman), technology, and a thoughtful storyline. I was completely blown away and moved by Zahrah's journey, it very much mirrors my life now (though maybe without the Elgorts) and I think I am better for reading it.

These days there is a lot of wonderful young adult fantasy in bookstores. Nevertheless, Zahrah the Windseeker is still one of a kind, for it is the only young adult fantasy novel out there that is African from its very center. In the world of Ginen (which in Voodoo, is the name of what slaves imagined Africa to be...since many could not remember...but in this novel, Ginen is a whole other world), Zahrah is dada (in Nigerian culture, this is a child literally born with dreadlocked hair- these children are believed to hold special powers). When Zahrah learns that she has special powers, this realization leads her to the adventure of her life.

Okorafor-Mbachu takes from the myth of the flying Africans. In this case, it goes even father because Okorafor-Mbachu is Igbo, just as those Africans of the flying Africans myth of South Carolina were. The fascinating thing is that aside from African American and African myth and culture, Okorafor-Mbachu blends in elements of the fantasy genre. There's a hilarious homage to Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the novel's got magical creatures and beasts that easily rival those in the worlds of Star Wars, and there are science fictional elements that are really fascinating- like computers that grow from seeds.

Zahrah the Windseeker is a fresh and new type of fantasy and Zahrah's adventure is will definitely raise your heart rate! I can't wait to read her next novel.