Zahrah the Windseeker

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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 Very shy, withdrawn with low self confidence and a deadly fear of heights she is about to fin Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is a wonderfully written fairytale. Very shy, withdrawn with low self confidence and a deadly fear of heights she is about to find herself doing things she never would have remotely considered.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. May 15, Jim rated it it was amazing. This is a YA novel which, in some respects, follows a very familiar storyline. Zahrah is different from the other kids. She has a popular friend named Dari who encourages her to be more daring and explore with him. Zahrah This is a YA novel which, in some respects, follows a very familiar storyline.

Zahrah was born dada, with vines growing within her thick locks, vines that twined themselves to her hair while she was still in the womb. She lives on a planet colonized ages ago and developed with biological technology, a world rooted in African culture and folklore. Zahrah grew her own computer from a seed. Shots are given using insects, and the patient is swabbed with sugar water so the insect will bite and inject the medicine.

And oh yes — Zahrah can fly. I loved the animals, the talking gorillas and the trickster frog and even the poor, confused war snake. I loved the details, from the mirror-adorned fashion to the glitchy electronic guidebook to the background history of the library to the underlying theme of rebellion against ignorance. I loved Papa Grip and his pink caftans, and the rhythm beetles who were drawn to the music.

There were times during her quest in the forbidden jungle when it felt like Zahrah was a little too lucky such as her encounter the whip scorpion , when other animals and characters conveniently arrived to help her. It felt right for this kind of story, which blends the flavors of science fiction and folklore and fairy tale and makes it work. The writing sucked me into the story, but it was the world-building which kept me there. The world felt familiar and strange all at once, but once Zahrah started exploring the jungle, the sense of danger and thrill of discovery made me fly through the book.

Apr 07, Cherie rated it really liked it. Zahrah lives in the northern Ooni Kingdom, where fear of the unknown runs deep. She is born dada, with vines growing through her hair and believed to have special powers. Besides their fear of dada, the people of the Ooni Kingdom also gravely fear the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, which begins on the outskirts of their small village. But when Zahrah notices changes going on within her and is then faced with having to save Dari's life, she's ready to confront all her fears head on, and challenge every Zahrah lives in the northern Ooni Kingdom, where fear of the unknown runs deep.

But when Zahrah notices changes going on within her and is then faced with having to save Dari's life, she's ready to confront all her fears head on, and challenge everything she's been taught. This was a fun adventure. I enjoyed Zahrah's trek through the jungle and the various creatures she met therein. Because this is a children's book ages 9—12 , it also teaches a few important lessons, many which I believe strongly in to this very day.

That one being to not believe everything you're told if you don't feel comfortable with it. It's okay to challenge old, outdated beliefs to forge the way for the future. Another is that you are definitely stronger than you think when faced with seemingly impossible odds. This is such a fun, lighthearted read! My only other experience with Ms.

This one, though, is at the lower end of the YA scale and the closest thing to an "issue" it deals with is Zahrah being teased over her dada hair a sort of supernatural but natural dreadlocks which, I assume, would sound really familiar to any girl who wears her hair naturally curly while those around her either have naturally or c This is such a fun, lighthearted read!

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This one, though, is at the lower end of the YA scale and the closest thing to an "issue" it deals with is Zahrah being teased over her dada hair a sort of supernatural but natural dreadlocks which, I assume, would sound really familiar to any girl who wears her hair naturally curly while those around her either have naturally or chemically straight hair.

It was a very refreshing change of pace! Every time I placed this book down, my mind was flooded with the vivid imagery of the Ooni Kingdom and the surrounding jungle. This was almost surprising since as I was reading the writing often felt simple and straightforward. I enjoyed following Zahrah as she learned more about herself and her abilities as a dada girl. I especially enjoyed many of the quirky jungle creatures, my favorite being the Speculating Speckled Frog!

A fantasy novel written by a woman of co Every time I placed this book down, my mind was flooded with the vivid imagery of the Ooni Kingdom and the surrounding jungle. A fantasy novel written by a woman of color May 20, Bridget Mckinney rated it it was amazing Shelves: Zahrah the Windseeker is another book I'm adding to the pile of things that I can't wait for my daughter to read.

It's definitely the most imaginative and interesting fantasy novel that I've read in a long time. Zahrah is a girl born with "dadalocks," basically thick dreadlocks with vines growing in them, but at 13 she tries very hard to be otherwise normal. Her best friend, Dari, however, wants to explore the Forbidden Greeny Jungle that lies outside the borders of their town.

When Dari is injur Zahrah the Windseeker is another book I'm adding to the pile of things that I can't wait for my daughter to read. When Dari is injured by one of the animals there, Zahrah goes on a quest to find a cure for his illness and travels through the jungle alone where she has to use all her resourcefulness--and her newly-discovered ability to fly--to survive and save her friend. There's just so much to love about this book. Zahrah is a great character, and her journey to self-acceptance and self-love is one that I think basically anyone who has been through puberty can understand.

Zahrah is clever and tough and determined, and while I don't generally enjoy first-person narratives from the perspective of teenagers Nnedi Okorafor does a wonderful job writing Zahrah's words. Zahrah sounds like a teenager, but one I'd love to get to know. The setting, the Ooni Kingdom, is beautifully described, and I loved the melding of nature and technology. Flowers are used as currency and everything from computers to library buildings are grown.

The Greeny Jungle is filled to the brim with dangerous snakes, two-heading turtles, deadly scorpions, friendly bees, tree spirits, talking panthers, helpful gorillas, and more. There is definitely an Alice in Wonderland-like quality to Zahrah's journey through the jungle, and it's consistently lovely.

There's even a frog who makes a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference that delighted me. Finally, the cover artwork for the US hardcover edition is just gorgeous.

Winner of the The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature

Zahrah reads a little on the young end of young adult, so it might be more suited to middle-grade readers, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys imaginative fantasy adventure stories. She quickly discovers that she has hidden powers she's afraid of using, but is pushed to exercise them - and to venture into the infamous Green Jungle - when her best friend Dari is threatened.

It's a very standard story made unique but some great world building. The story is set in the Ooni Kingdom, where technology is plant-based and fairly advanced there are Kindles and Plant Internet but where the culture is very closed-off. The Greeny Jungle is where most of the author's inventiveness shines through. Even though the middle chunk of the book turns into "what magical creature will Zahrah meet this time!

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I was caught a little off guard with this book being YA I had recently come off of Okorafor's Kabu Kabu , which I really really loved , and that may be reflected in my review. I know that I shouldn't hold that against it for any reason, and it's silly to blame a book for being something it never promised to be. But the emotional beats of the story are a little simplistic and well-worn, and that stands in stark contrast to all of the inventiveness surrounding it. Feb 15, Rhea rated it liked it Shelves: Zahrah the windseeker takes a basic formula - a monomyth crossed with a quest for a MacGuffin - and paints all over it.

So while the story is basic, the world is not - it is an explosion of wonders, ranging from the plant-based technology skyscrapers are living plants which are grown to the Greeny Jungle life the pink speckled frog! The world itself has an internal logic, helping readers suspend their belief. Reading this story is like falling into Alice's Wonderland, except it's ten times c Zahrah the windseeker takes a basic formula - a monomyth crossed with a quest for a MacGuffin - and paints all over it.

Reading this story is like falling into Alice's Wonderland, except it's ten times cooler. There are other mentionable aspects of the novel: Zahrah's culture is dark skinned, something you rarely see in fantasy. Zahrah the Windseeker is a good book for children. Feb 15, Dorothy D. Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I first encountered her writing in a Scifi anthology that I reviewed for StaticMulitmedia.

Her short story "Spider, the Artist" in Seeds of Change stands out through the juxtaposition of African mythology and the near future setting. She has created an enchanting world in this book - the forbidden Greeny Jungle and the town of Kirki - one that unfolds as natur Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu is fast becoming one of my favorite authors.

She has created an enchanting world in this book - the forbidden Greeny Jungle and the town of Kirki - one that unfolds as naturally as any just outside our doors, but then leads down magical pathways such as those we imagine should be real when we our children. Zarah's coming-of-age story takes her from overly cautious girl to adventurous, self confident young woman through twists and turns that any Harry Potter fan would appreciate. Both Okorafor-Mbachu and Zarah are women to keep tabs on Feb 09, Jasmine rated it it was amazing Shelves: Oh, this one is a joy.

It's written with so much compassion and affection for everyone, from the war snake that puts her best friend in a coma, to the bossy pink frog, to the judgey neighbours. A sweet and entertaining middle grade fantasy rooted in African culture and featuring an imperfect but very lovable dark-skinned heroine. Although the fantasy world in Zahrah the Windseeker is very imaginative and VERY green buildings and technology are literally grown, not built , I wished there were more explanations for the way things were.

Sep 19, Elizabeth Hunter rated it liked it Shelves: This is a fun YA coming-of-age story set in a beautifully realized world of Africa-based culture and characters. Zahrah's adventures in the Forbidden Greeny Jungle and the creatures she meets there are fantastically imagined. I wish that the author had spent more time exploring Zahrah's dada-nature, but perhaps that's for another book.

May 17, Amelia rated it liked it. This was a nice story but I never did get used to the narrator's voice.

Akata Witch might be too much for her. Anyone know of a book that is similar to Zharah the Windseeker? I great story for tweens! A wonderful escape from reality. This story delivers wonderfully crafted life lessons in a refreshing and creative story, that even the most reluctant reader will find hard to put down.

I read another book by this author, Akata Witch, and was so impressed that I bought this one right away. It did not disappoint! The world Okorafor created is so lush and the Africa-based setting was really well developed. Everything is plant based, even computers, and it makes for an interestingly fantastic world.

I loved Zahrah's transformation from a shy, frightened girl to proud and courageous young woman. Zahrah and Dari are just best friends - it doesn't need to be more than that. This isn't a romance, it's an adventure. I very much liked this book, but the e-book transfer left something to be desired. Tons of typos, some of them recurrent Dan instead of Dari was a particular problem. There were eventually so many typos that I couldn't highlight and submit them anymore.

I hope they get fixed! I highly recommend this if you love coming-of-age stories, stories with strong female leads, fantasy stories, adventures stories and everything between. Everything about this book is perfect!!! An engaging young heroine ventures deep into forbidden territory to save her friend - I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

The setting is truly imaginative, and I'd have liked even a bit more of the bio-techno-magic of CPU seeds and plant-buildings. Zahrah is helped and hindered by a succession of memorable characters, including a village of talking Gorillas where we are given a glimpse of a fascinating history. There is a real depth to the supporting cast and places, helped by a device unashamedly borrowed from Douglas Adams and the author gives an amusing nod to the source of Zahrah's fallible encyclopedia.

The Kindle version has a number of editing issues - it didn't spoil the read, but should be cleaned up. I read this over three days, easily enjoying this perfectly lovely, uniquely imaginative, scifi adventure. I am beyond pleased that I discovered Nnedi Okorafor. I am running out of her books to read! See all 69 reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. Customers who viewed this item also viewed.

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Zahrah is a 13 year old girl born dada, when you are born dada, you have hair made of plants. She lives in the Ooni Kingdom and is often bullied because of her appearance. She only has one friend, Dari, who is nothing like her. Dari is adventurous and would rather stand out in a crowd, while Zahrah is quiet and would rather blend in with a crowd. In the book, Zahrah finds out she has the ability to float. She tells Dari and they try to figure out what this means. From researching in a library, they find out about a myth that dada people who can fly are called windseekers.

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