by Ibi Zoboi. Published by Balzer & Bray/ Harper Collins, May 9, 2023. ARC accessed on NetGalley.
Ibi Zoboi, a New York Times Best Seller and National Book Awards Finalist hails from the shores of Port au Prince, Haiti and New York. As an author of fiction middle grade, young adult and a new picture book, Ibi Zoboi’s works feature rich, cultural ties that emanate the political, economic and social unrest of society through the fragile stories of lived, real or imagined characters seeking self knowledge and liberation. Ibi’s career profile includes employment at a newspaper and a bookstore honing her writing talent as the recipient of grants and eventually a Master in Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Liberation. Freedom. Grievance. Amendments. Emancipation.
Each of these words tells the story of Nigeria Jones, a black female teen, coming of age in Philadelphia, in The Village. The Village, a black utopia or a activist community shepherded by Kofi Sankofa, a famed black nationalist, Nigeria’s father. Nigeria’s entire world was the Village, or the Movement… but that was a year ago, before… Freedom. Now, coming to terms with the absence of her mother, Nigeria experiences a rash of emotional upheaval commenced by the opening of a letter written to the Philadelphia Friends School. It was her mother’s intent for her to be educated at a school. Nigeria was never meant to just be a Warrior Princess for The Movement. Now, she wondered, who was she and how would she ever discover in her moms absence… until, the euphoria, the scents, calling of the past and finally, revolution. Amidst the confusion, Nigeria’s world clashes between the woes of misogyny, racialization, retaliation, and reconciliation. As Nigeria evolves through the birth of her own constitution; principles by which SHE chooses to live, emotions give way to gratitude.
Written in true Ibi Zoboi style, this fiction text pours authentic, searing heartfelt prose on the page giving voice to the invisible and powerful.
Fiction, African American, Young Adult, coming of age
What works: The author’s use of first person perspective allows the reader to experience the unraveling and unveiling of the characters emotions in tandem divulging the underlying truth written but unwritten. For example, At one point, in the story, Nigeria encounters a moment of self-judgment amongst friends. This moment sweeps her back in time as she says, My heart falls to the ground, and my feet lead me to her, demonstrating a moment of unraveling in the character’s life, yet revealing a hard truth through the ascent to reclamation. Ibi seamlessly explores and uncovers intersectionalities existing within the cultural and societal threads of relationships within the story.
What doesn’t work: As a reader, be open to consider the written text’s ability to intertwine a host of beliefs, customs, religious and historical elements, to solidify the intersectionalities that exist within and around the main character.
Grab It? I recommend this book for teens seeking to just ‘be me’. If you are searching for an anthem, motto, or a guiding light to usher you towards the goal of evolving, this read is for YOU. Claim your true self, read Nigeria Jones
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