After the Rain

November 1, 2020

A Chicago cop visiting her Nigerian grandmother submits to a terrifying initiation she doesn't understand. But she comes to realize it will augment powers she hasn't recognized in herself, integrating her Nigerian and American heritages. This is a horror story involving body changes, a monstrous bush deity, and a grotesque supernatural pervading everything. Rich, fantastic colors emphasize purple, rose, fiery gold, and aquamarine, defined by urgent, slashing black strokes.

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 4, 2021
Upon Chioma’s arrival to the remote Nigerian village where her great-aunt and grandma live, heavy, unseasonable rain begins to fall, in this vibrant, succinct graphic adaptation by Jennings (Kindred) and Brame (Baaaad Muthaz) of Okorafor’s short story “On the Road.” On the third night of rainfall, a boy with brains busting out of his broken skull calls on Chioma and declares her “it.” A Chicago detective, Chioma isn’t easily shaken by gore, but even she isn’t able to grasp the strange happenings that follow, the unknowable entity that stalks her, and what that entity will do when it catches her. Though, the original is open to interpretation, the adaptation, which was created in conjunction with Okorafor, outright states a moral to the story: “I am Nigermerican... and where those two parts meet is where I am whole again,” slightly marring the enigma of the ending. But Brame’s bold and arresting use of color and shading lends an unnerving atmosphere to the setting, while his attention to facial expressions injects the panels with emotion. This mostly faithful adaptation honors Okorafor’s voice and paints a potent portrait of Nigeria and its folklore. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary Agency

January 1, 2021
Through a visit to her grandma and grand-aunt in a small Nigerian village, hard-edged Chicago cop Chioma connects to her past and her Nigerian heritage. In this comics adaptation of a short story by Okorafor, the descriptions of environmental horror and healing come alive through a harrowing visual interpretation. After witnessing intense violence against a young boy in Chicago, Chioma is with her family and readjusting to the rhythms of her family's village in Nigeria. She continually comes across strange fauna, even falling into a portal between worlds on her walk home from the market. Hinting at this slipperiness between worlds, Jennings uses the negative space of panel borders to include drawings of Chioma's current location and mental state, from the plants and animals of the rural Nigerian village to the dark cityscape of Chicago. The unusual force that gets lizards to follow Chioma catches up with her and forces her to confront memories long buried. This exploration of trauma and family history through the body is perfectly adapted to the graphic medium.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Nigerian American Chioma's first mistake was not trusting her instincts; her second was opening the door. While she is visiting her Igbo relatives in Nigeria, a wounded child knocks on the door. She's horrified; she's never seen anything this gruesome, not even in five years working as a cop on Chicago's South Side. The boy passes something on to her, a dark energy that she can't quite articulate. Its sulfuric stench lingers in every room of her grandmother's house and seeps into the dark corners of her mind. Chioma turns to her relatives for help, but they tell her what comes must come. In Jennings's adaptation of Nigerian American author Okorafor's short story "On the Road," a woman haunted by her past finds healing in her ancestral home. Brame's artistry is bold; no space on the page is left untouched. Vines and flowers weave menacingly around the minimal panels, heightening the suspense. Jennings and Brame draw attention to the margins and backgrounds, where Chioma's spiritual transformation evolves in a brilliant showcase of West African traditional folklore. VERDICT Jennings paints an initially terrifying reality, highlighting the vulnerability of self-discovery and the tension of being from two different worlds and cultures. Part horror, part magical realism, this #OwnVoices story is a worthwhile addition to any collection.-Elise Martinez, Racine, WI

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.