The Hero of Numbani

February 15, 2020
Young roboticist Efi dreams of creating a better life for her community, where omnics and humans live peacefully, in this novel inspired by the video game "Overwatch." Efi spends so many hours in her workshop ironing out bugs in her robots that her mother worries she isn't connecting enough with best friends Naade and Hassana. But her work pays off when Efi wins the Genius Grant given out by her idol, Gabrielle Adawe, who founded both the organization Overwatch and the African city of Numbani. On the way to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate, Doomfist, who should be in prison, attacks the airport. The destruction left in Doomfist's wake spurs Efi to put her grant money toward developing Orisa, a compassionate robot that can protect the city she loves. The immense pressure of this project strains the three friends' relationship, forcing Efi to go it alone. While Efi teaches Orisa to integrate into Numbani, Orisa teaches her about responsibility and friendship--and as Doomfist provokes discord between omnics and humans, Efi, Naade, and Hassana must come together to save Numbani. Drayden (Escaping Exodus, 2019, etc.) gives Efi a clear voice in this engrossing read with smooth pacing and action-packed scenes. The main storyline is tied up enough to keep readers satisfied but interested in the sequel; readers don't need to be familiar with the video game to understand the book. All characters are black. Readers will root for this STEM-focused girl hero. (Science fiction. 12-14)

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April 15, 2020
Grades 4-8 Drayden's Overwatch tie-in novel takes place in Numbani, a high-tech African city where humans and omnics, humanlike robots, live alongside each other. Efi is a young girl and a genius robot engineer who wants to improve the quality of life of those in her community. When a terrorist attack by the villain Doomfist targets Numbani's security bots and pits humans against omnics, Efi works to build a machine to counter this threat. She creates Orisa, a lovable and benevolent robot that Efi hopes will mend the rift between humans and omnics. Drayden writes an inspiring hero in Efi and delivers a thrilling story that lovers of the Overwatch game and nonenthusiasts alike will devour. Science fiction and fantasy stories for youth need more POC protagonists and Black-identifying protagonists in particular, making Efi a welcome addition to the genre. This story gifts readers a hero that all can learn from and aspire to be like, and they'll have a blast reading about Efi's journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)