We have another book review to share from one of our teen volunteers. Here is Adharsha’s review of Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

A beautiful and poignant novel written partly in verse, Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree highlights the injustices occurring in Nigeria and stars a young, intelligent Nigerian girl, fondly called “Ya-Ta” by her friends. Ya-ta works hard both at home and in school, and despite the poor conditions of her town, she has big dreams for herself. However, her entire world turns upside down when she is captured and comes face to face with the cruelty of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that causes Ya-Ta to face unspeakable struggles and horrors.

Ya-Ta’s story of struggle and perseverance is one that inspires and never fails to move the reader. The admirable personality of Ya-Ta combined with the beautiful and poetic format in which Nwaubani has written this novel has produced a riveting piece of literature. I was also surprised and saddened to see that it is based on the stories of real escapees from Boko Haram; the novel truly exposed me to the reality of the violence and cruelty that Boko Haram incites upon innocent people, especially on women. Nwaubani combines fiction with reality, hitting many serious topics while providing a gripping story that is a must-read for all young adults. I would recommend this to any enthusiastic reader, as I was hooked from beginning to end, and I know anyone who reads this will be too.

Rating: 20/10

If you’re in grades 7-12, love to read & share your thoughts on books, and would like to earn some community service hours writing book reviews for our blog, sign up for our next Virtual Volunteer Training!