Annaka

Annaka has always hated her first name. That’s why, when her mother packed her up at age seven and moved from Yarmouth to Halifax, she decided she would go by Anna. Now Anna is back in Yarmouth after the death of her beloved Grampy, and sorting through memories from her younger self. She discovers a journal Grampy gifted her years ago; it is filled with snapshots of a happy childhood: sketches of Nan braiding Anna’s hair on the porch, stories about road trips Anna and Grampy took in his antique truck, and memories of her best-kept secret, who also happened to be her best friend.

When she finds out her childhood imaginary friend, Clay, is not only real but waiting for her to return to Yarmouth, Anna also discovers that Clay can transport her into those journal entries. Maybe physically reliving memories can help with her Nan’s Alzheimer’s. Maybe Anna will finally piece together who her absent father is. Maybe she will discover the identity of the mysterious “other Annaka” scribbled in her Grampy’s handwriting.

With more questions than answers, Anna learns the danger of dwelling in the past—especially when it forces her to confront some uncomfortable truths. If there’s one thing this bittersweet homecoming has forced her to do, it’s reconcile who she was with who she is becoming. It turns out that’s hard to do when you have changed a lot, but the place that raised you remains unchanged.

From the celebrated spoken-word poet and author of Worthy of Love comes a YA novel about family, identity, and reclaiming the past.

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average rating is 4.3 out of 5, based on 3 votes, book lovers sharing their thoughts

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Alicia Maheux

Location:

Nova Scotia

average rating is 4 out of 5

Time Published

Annaka By Andre Fenton

The book is about a young 16 year old girl named Annaka (who goes by Anna), taking place in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Anna deals with a lot of things, like the death of her grandfather, her grandmother losing her memories, being back in her hometown, her old imaginary friend Clay, and her real friends from high school, and much more.

Annaka by Andre Fenton, was a beautiful read. It's very nicely written, and very heartfelt. The ending was beautiful and sad. I did notice some grammatical mistakes and editing errors, but besides that the book was an amazing heartfelt read with a beautiful plot. I recommend this book to anyone who hasn't given it a try.

I rate this book a 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I recommend this book.

arielaonthego

Location:

Saint John N.B.

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Annaka

Annaka is a 16 year old girl from Halifax Nova Scotia, who moves back to her home town after 9 years. When she gets back, she finds herself attending the funeral of her Grampy, and looking after her Nan who is slowly starting to lose her memory. She also has two friends back in Yarmouth. Her best friend Tia… and her imaginary friend, Clay, who came to life through the journal entries she wrote all those years ago. Clay can take her back to those journal entries, back to happier times. Annaka’s journey through self-discovery takes her all the back to the past, where she finds out about another Annaka from her Grampy’s memories.

“This is me-finally learning to loosen my grip of the past, and create something new. I knew these moments would become memories, and I would never be alone. Even if we are temporary, I was going to live in this moment, and allow myself to seek something new. I let those thoughts guide me, as we ran beneath the bleeding sky, we knew the stars would heal.” ~Annaka Brooks

Annaka is a really great read, full of emotions, and flashbacks, and imagination. There are a few swear words though, I don’t see why people feel the need to use swear words in a normal everyday conversation, but here we are.

I recommend this book.

Moriya Boyle

Location:

New Brunswick

average rating is 4 out of 5

Time Published

Annaka

"What an inspiring read.. Annaka by Andre Fenton was an absolute work of art!

This book focused on hard-hitting topics such as spiritual beliefs, rehashing the past, losing a loved one and growing up without a father. While still having a fantasy aspect! The amount of detail and emotional development gave me an overwhelming feeling of empathy for— the main character— Annaka.

A big takeaway from this book is that sometimes it’s best to leave things as you left it. It’s easier to walk into the unknown and begin the next chapter of your life rather than stepping into the past and realizing things aren’t the same.

I appreciated the subtle metaphor of growth within the development of her name. Transitioning from preferring Anna to Annaka.

The plot twist towards the end of the book left a gulp in my throat. The amount of emotion and passion put in this book speaks for itself. Although I found the end of the book was a bit rushed to wrap it up it was overall a great book!

I recommend this book.