Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do.
Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But as she’s finding her footing, Sunny and her friends are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a career criminal who knows magic, too. Will their training be enough to help them combat a threat whose powers greatly outnumber theirs?
World Fantasy Award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor blends magic and adventure to create a lush world. Her writing has been called “stunning” by The New York Times and her fans include Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, John Green, Ursula K. Le Guin, and many more!
ISBN: 9780142420911
by Panhuman Books
Who wouldn't be drawn in by the story of a Nigerian American 12-year-old girl, who, despite having albinism, digs up dormant magical skills and helps rescue the world? After spending the first nine years of her life in New York City, Sunny makes Nigeria her home. She claims that "being albino makes the sun my adversary," which is why she cannot play football with the guys at school. Furthermore, she has no friends there. Sunny is drawn to a mysterious place she didn't know about after a student named Orlu saves her from getting beat up. Sunny is a Leopard, one of the magical people living in a world that ignorant Lambs mostly inhabit. Now, she attends a regular school for lambs during the day, but she stays up late at night to study magic with a group of her leopard friends. These friends include an attractive American guy, an arrogant female who was Orlu's childhood buddy, and Orlu himself.
The world building for Leopard Society is excellent, full of details that enchant readers weary of the same old magical worlds. Although Sunny's effort is lacking—she is forced into making most of her decisions by her friends and by adults in the Leopard Society—this will not detract from the fact that readers will be fascinated by the story. However, those yearning for a taste of the familiar will find it in Sunny's greatest wins, which are completely non-magical (the intricate and dynamic action of Sunny's football match is more exciting than her magical world-saving). Innovative to the extreme.
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