The mystery is the part that I loved the most! What happened to Onyeka’s father? What created all these superpowered kids? There are so many big questions that come up that I absolutely needed answered that made me keep reading until I could find out more.

Onyeka hates her wild mass of out-of-control hair. Everywhere she goes it attracts unwanted attention and unasked for comments. Just one more thing that makes her feel different and left out.

It was a lot of fun to be in a magic school setting. There were a lot of interesting characters and Onyeka learned so much about herself from interacting with the others. She made some close friends and was able to really be herself for the first time.

So here I am, trying to fit the ugly thing over my hair, and all Cheyenne can do is laugh. She finally stops spluttering long enough for me to get a word in. However while they are both playing in the water something happens and Cheyenne ends up in distress. Onyeka, not a strong swimmer to begin with, cannot sit by while her best friend drowns. She has to help her, thus she learns the magic power of her hair. Crazier still is that she's one of them and she's powerful. Her hair, that has always been a nuisance to her and a frustration for her mother, is actually her greatest strength. Summary: Timid Onyeka is doing exactly what her mother asks of her. Until her best friend has a pool party that changes everything. With her friend in danger, she jumps to her rescue. Only her hair is the one to save her in the end. Leading to even bigger reveals Onyeka is now headed to a school of magic that is a world away from her own. Will she be strong enough to embrace this new journey and new powers? With the help of new friends and old family history she is willing to give it her best shot. Stripped down to its fundamentals, the setting of ONYEKA's universe is not wholly unique either, but the secret superhero school is located in an oft-forgotten area in children's literature, Africa, specifically the city of Lagos in Nigeria. Technologically advanced, Lagos is given the spotlight as Onyeka and her friends explore the local areas, giving the book an original flavour of set pieces and places of interest.The Reader gets to go along with Onyeka as she learns all about the Solari, their history and challenges. She trains with other students, who although all Solari, have very different powers from one another. This story is part fantasy, part sci-fi tech, a smidge of mystery, and all adventure. It’s set in an alternate, slightly futuristic Nigeria that is run completely on solar power and is thriving. They also have advanced technology and, you know, a school for kids with superpowers. Like you do. I’m sure you can see, at this point, how this lends itself well to an adventure story, though I’ll admit that it took a good portion of the book before the adventure really ramped up. Still, once it got under way, the action was pretty much nonstop. Children's and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels | Children and teenagers | The Guardian". theguardian.com . Retrieved 2022-12-10.

Jones |, Iyana. "What's the Buzz?: 'Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun' ". PublishersWeekly.com . Retrieved 2022-12-10. Again, as with book one, the action is fast and you are left desperate to keep reading to know what’s happening next. If you’ve already read book 1 you must read this one and I was delighted to see that there will be a book 3 in 2024! Onyeka is a British Nigerian girl who has a head of long hair that she just can't tame. She doesn't understand why her mother is always harping on managing her hair and controlling her temper. Until one day there's an incident at a pool where she saves her friend from drowning. Her mother reveals to her she has special powers and is a member of a group of super-powered non humans called Solari. She then ends her away to a magic boarding school in Nigeria. Brilliant, witty writing and spot-on characterisation.’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being GoodFans of superhero movies will enjoy the spectacular fight scenes, the ethical conundrums and the timeless clash between good and evil. The only objective issue I can highlight is that the characters, aside from Onyeka, fell a bit flat. They all had one main characteristic each and that was that; I couldn’t tell them apart from time to time and that was a shame, because I liked Onyeka as a main character. She was extremely flawed and a bit too stubborn, but she was a strong MC and I would have liked all the other characters to be as well built as she was. Seeing as this is just the first book in a series, maybe they will be more developed in later instalments.

Why do you two want to go swimming anyway when Cheyenne gets all those ear infections?” she continued. “You can’t even swim very well.” Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for an eARC of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun in exchange for an honest review.

There are a million reasons to fall for this high-spirited adventure, from the exciting magic and technology it showcases to Onyeka’s compelling journey to find empowerment through her relationship with her hair.” An empowering and fast-paced adventure, albeit not an entirely original one, ONYEKA AND THE ACADEMY OF THE SUN is a book of self-acceptance of superheroic proportions. This is a great book for late tweens and teens. Onyeka is a good role model for kids to learn to believe in themselves and grow in confidence. Good dialogue and exciting action without much violence. The students at the school Onyeka attends are taught self defense, so there was a bloody nose at one point. No substance use and I don't recall any swearing. Male and female students are friends, but no one is dating. Interesting superpowers and compelling characters, set in Nigeria. Two thumbs up, from my teen and me. Onyeka has always felt conscious about her hair, which is exuberant and often difficult to manage. She feels it draws unwanted attention which enhances her feeling that she does not quite fit in. She and her mother left Nigeria to come to England and her mother, although loving, is overprotective and unwilling to discuss Onyeka's father. When Onyeka goes to the pool with her best friend, Cheyenne, things go very wrong and Cheyenne nearly drowns; however, somehow Onyeka - and her hair - manage to save Cheyenne, leading to the discovery that Onyeka is not entirely human and her father was Solari, someone with amazing powers, and who is now missing. Together, they leave for Nigeria to get help from Dr. Dòyìnbó, her father's mentor and there, Onyeka meets other Solari children, notably Niyì, Hassan and Adanna, at a school where Solari children are trained. When her mother goes missing, Onyeka finds herself embroiled in a battle for the truth.