Remote Control

A young girl known as “the adopted daughter of death” comes of age in the electrifying latest from Okorafor (Akata Witch). As a child, Sankofa discovers a mysterious, glowing green seed, which, before her father sells it to the government, gives her the power to take away life. Sankofa is initially unable to control this dangerous ability and accidentally kills her entire hometown, including her parents and brother. This tragedy sends her on a quest to understand her powers and recover the mystical seed from the government. Sankofa’s reputation precedes her as she moves through towns and villages of a near-future, technologically advanced Ghana. Protected by her supernatural powers, Sankofa is able to evade the dangers faced by young women traveling alone, allowing her to claim a level of agency and freedom that is usually limited to men. Following a common trend in Okorafor’s work, this imaginative, thought-provoking story uses elements of the fantastic to investigate the complexities of gender and community outside of a European, colonial imagination. Readers will be blown away. [em]Agent: Donald Maas, Maass Literary. (Jan.) [/em]