Reviewed by Jaye Winmilawe Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: Adeyemi’s ashe or power as a writer is expressed in the success of her debut novel Children of Blood and Bone. She was awarded a groundbreaking seven figure YA book contract and a movie deal, at 23 years old. The book has been well received, […]
We Kiss Them with Rain
Reviewed by: Africa Access Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: Life wasn’t always hard for fourteen-year-old Mvelo. There were good times living with her mother and her mother’s lawyer boyfriend. Now her mother is dying of AIDS and the terrible thing that stole Mvelo’s song remains unspoken, despite its growing presence in their shack. But […]
One Shadow on the Wall
Reviewed by Marame Gueye, Ph.D. Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: Set in present day Senegal, One Shadow on the Wall is about an interrupted childhood, one’s resolve to keep promises in spite of temptations, as well as a community’s daily struggle to make life meaningful. Told in the third person point of view, Leah Henderson’s debut novel take […]
The Banana-Leaf Ball
Reviewed by Breeanna Elliott Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: Although the value of collaborative play to overcome conflict is highlighted throughout the book, The Banana-Leaf Ball may reinforce the stereotype of Africa as overwhelmed by unexplained warfare and riddled with refugee camps. The story begins when the protagonist, Deo Rukundo, suddenly has to flee his family home […]
Solo
Reviewed by Anastasia Shown Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: I enjoyed Solo. The emotions expressed by Blade are true to the teen experience. Rock legends, including Nigerian Fela Kuti, are woven throughout the story and help to push the narrative along. My favorite character is Joy. She is the person who teaches us the most about Ghana. […]
The World Beneath
Reviewed by: Marylee Crofts Review Source: Africa Access Book Author: This young adult novel is riveted with suspense and fear, providing the reader with a realistic view of the danger and unpredictability of life in urban South Africa during the period of school boycotts and armed conflict, in the mid 1970s. The main character is […]
