Afia in the Land of Wonders

In this Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland retelling set in a West Africa–inspired locale, 16-year-old Afia leaves her everyday life behind to embark on fantastical adventures in a magical forest. Though Afia and her twin sister Aya are preparing to enter their family’s diamond-selling business, Afia yearns for more than the boring life she expects to live in the isolated cliffside city of Dafra. Then she meets Bakame, a mysterious shape-shifter who claims he can show her wonderful things if she goes with him. At first, he makes good on his promise, traveling with Afia to Ijábù, “the land of wonders,” and home to charming Queen Ukiwa. But Afia soon learns that the queen and her land are not all they seem to be. Afia’s longing to free herself from her family’s expectations chafes against her love and loyalty to them, adding a nuanced layer of emotional tumult to this freewheeling debut. Araujo’s tender depictions of siblinghood ground theatrical plotting, while painterly illustrations peppered throughout evoke ethereal atmosphere and enhance the novel’s whimsical and enigmatic elements. Ages 9–12. Agent: Regina Brooks, Serendipity Literary. (Apr.)