You and everyone I know including me has gone through that moment where we feel left out or singled out because web are different. Apart from the authors short view where she describes it a coming of age novel, I for one can relate to Sunny’s excitement upon finding out her ability to make the juju charm ‘Etuk Nwan’ in the third paragraph of page 67 of the book,
‘ Oh my God…I did it! I turned invisible!” Sunny exclaimed, jogging up to her. She started shaking uncontrollably. ” I did something called Etuk Nwan.” She laughed, tears falling from her eyes.’
It is not so much the juju charm but the relief at knowing that different can be used for good and also can liberating especially with the right set of people who in the book are Sasha, Orlu and Chichi and can be adapted to our own individual lives too as ‘lambs’.
What one can also take away from the book is that being different from every other person will open you to criticism, ridicule, disappointment but in the long run can prove to be a valuable asset in difficult times or situations. Nnedi Okorafor writes like a being from another planet who has been lent to planet Earth but she always leaves us wanting more and more of her beautiful storytelling…
Lively and lovely weekend, folks…
