Shakti
A Graphic Novel
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A fierce, feminist, and fun middle grade fantasy graphic novel about a twelve-year-old Indian American girl named Shakti who must learn the power of her ancestral magic if she wants to save her family and town from a dangerous curse. Written by Stonewall Honor Book recipient and Lambda Literary Fellow SJ Sindu and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali.
Shakti is used to being the new girl at school. She and her two moms have moved more times than she can count. With her unborn baby brother on the way, Shakti hopes her family has found their forever home in Amherst, Massachusetts, and that she can finally make friends.
On her first day of seventh grade, she meets Xi and they bond over their shared passion for manga (and pizza with mayo). But the three meanest girls in school—Harini, Emily, and Kelly (aka “HEK”)—are determined to make life miserable for Shakti and her new friends.
When Shakti and Xi discover HEK casting spells in the woods, they fear what might happen to the other kids at school. Drawing on ancient Indian magic, Shakti seeks the aid of Durga Ma to stop HEK. But instead, Shakti accidentally conjures Kali Ma, the destroyer—Durga Ma's dangerous twin. Kali Ma punishes HEK by transforming them into monsters and curses the entire town. As more and more people begin to fall ill, including Shakti’s mom, will Shakti be able to harness her own strength, power, and empathy to save those she loves—and put an end to all the hate?
A 2023 School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of 2023!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
