"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 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. ( )

Fun story with amazing world building. Kind of solarpunk. ( )

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 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. ( )

Zahrah the Windseeker was a selection made to fill a bingo card square: a book with a Z. Written for an older elementary audience, the books tells the story of Zahrah, who lives with her family in the Ooni Kingdom on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Zahrah is just discovering her secret powers that are tied to her unusual hair. She and her best friend decide to explore the forest and quickly encounter almost deadly danger. In order to save her friend, Zahrah must return to the forest. I loved the book: the forest is filled with fantastical creatures that set the imagination alive. But, the characters are very real human beings living in this world and we get to know them and love them even as Zahrah learns to love herself.

I find this book on Goodreads. I read the description and was intrigued by the world base on plants. Everything is made from plants even the technology. Computers grow right from seeds. As someone who is studying horticulture and is passionate about plants. You can tell I pick up this book mainly for the plants but, the story is just as good.

Unlike books with a girl as main character that has magical powers and there an over baring government. The girl (usually a girl) learns to use her powers and take down the government. Zahrah has the power to fly instead taking down the government as the plot. The story is simple and grounded. Zahrah goes off in the forbidden Greeny Jungle to save her friend and overcome her fears.

The friendship between Zahrah and Dari is strongly bonded. I like how they balances each other out. Zahrah is quiet and likes to think long and deeply about things (like myself). Dari is loud and popular. This is a boy-girl friendship that doesn’t become romantic at all.
During Zahrah journey through the jungle she meets some interesting characters. I’m pretty sure that some of them come from African folklore.

The world build leaves me want to know more about this world. It will be nice to have more stories set in this world. Maybe about Nsibidi and where she come from. This is not the only stand alone book I read this year that made me feel this way. I appreciate these author putting some much in their works but, leaving so little at the same time. ( )