Shakti

Powerful and enthralling.

In Lambda Award-winner Sindu's first graphic novel, myth and magic illuminate a young girl's path to self-awareness. Swirling, richly saturated illustrations by Ali convey captivating magic in both the world of Hindu legend and Shakti's everyday world. Angled panels and dramatic perspectives ramp up tension as Shakti scrambles to undo her inadvertent chaos. This feminist fantasy affirms that all emotions are valid--and valuable--in maintaining a life of balance.

In this vibrantly illustrated graphic novel by Sindu (Blue-Skinned Gods, for adults) and Ali (Babajoon's Treasure), Indian American witch Shakti must harness her ancestral magic to defeat the dark spells plaguing her town. Shakti's mothers--Indian American witch Rita and pregnant, magicless Terri, who reads as Black--have always warned Shakti that her magic is more volatile than Rita's. In addition to Shakti's connection to Durga Ma, the Hindu goddess of strength and protection, she has a special kinship to Durga Ma's twin Kali Ma, the goddess of destruction and liberation. Though initially wary of teaching Shakti how to use her magic, they recognize she needs to learn how to defend herself after classmates inexplicably begin using dark spells to bully Shakti, her friends, and even the teachers. Alongside new best friend Xi, who is queer and cues as East Asian, Shakti learns protection spells, but the duo will need more than that to stop the dark magic. Ali's richly colored art teems with cultural and naturalistic patterns and texture, and immersive interludes and brief asides provide expansive context into how Shakti's nature-based magic functions. Fiercely courageous characters and a gripping narrative further elevate this exhilarating fantastical adventure. Ages 8-12. (May)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-7--Indian American tween Shakti, 12, and her moms just moved to Amherst, Massachusetts. Used to moving, Shakti hopes her family will finally stay so she can make friends. On her first day of seventh grade, she meets Xi, who shares her love for manga, and both start to notice that strange things are happening at the school. A group of mean girls--Harini, Emily, and Kelly (HEK)--seem to have control over everyone. Shakti and Xi soon learn HEK are a coven of witches putting a curse on the school and the town. The friends enlist the help of Shakti's mom Rita (Amma), who is a witch. Shakti calls on the Hindu goddess of protection and strength, Durga Ma, to stop the coven's spell, but without peace in her heart, Shakti also summons Kali Ma, who represents destruction. Shakti works with Amma to learn how to find peace and tame Kali Ma before she destroys Mom Terri, her unborn baby brother, the town, and everyone in it. VERDICT Vibrantly illustrated by Ali, Sindu's debut graphic novel braids Hindu mythology with the importance of family and friendship, creating an accessible book that will be of interest to many readers.--Rebekah J. Buchanan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Lush and bright oil paint and graphite illustrations tell as much of the story in this graphic novel as the text, as colors and perspective shift to convey moods, memories, or religious context that would be more difficult to capture in Shakti's first-person narration. The mythology and history of the Hindu goddesses are detailed in chapter interludes, giving them their own focus while still incorporating them into Shakti's story. This trim graphic novel offers all the right elements of magic, school struggles, and family negotiations to satisfy young readers." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)