▁both ▁artists . ▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁French ▁graph ic ▁novel ist ▁Mar j ane ▁Sat ra pi , ▁Ab ou et ▁has ▁created ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁normal ity ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire . ▁Although ▁Ab ou et ▁has ▁denied ▁that ▁the ▁stories ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁her ▁own ▁life , ▁she ▁adm its ▁it ▁is ▁strongly ▁based ▁on ▁people ▁in ▁her ▁child hood ▁in ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire . ▁The ▁quot id ian ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁stories ▁in ▁A ya ▁of ▁Y op ▁City ▁coun ters ▁heavily ▁with ▁common ▁conception s ▁and ▁representation ▁of ▁African ▁life , ▁such ▁as ▁fam ine , ▁civil ▁war ▁and ▁un hing ed ▁w ilder ness . ▁Ab ou et ' s ▁dep iction ▁of ▁every day ▁African ▁life ▁through ▁humor ▁gave ▁western ▁view ers ▁a ▁very ▁different ▁view point ▁of ▁Africa ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁acc ustom ed ▁to ▁seeing . ▁Through ▁this ▁dep iction , ▁A ya ▁of ▁Y op ▁City ▁sub ver ts ▁negative ▁s tere ot ypes ▁that ▁pl ague ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ▁and ▁Africa ▁in ▁general . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁A ya ▁of ▁Y op ▁City ▁is ▁a ▁novel ▁that ▁follows ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁many ▁different ▁people ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁connected ▁by ▁the ▁main ▁character , ▁A ya , ▁as ▁she ▁ass ists ▁and ▁helps ▁them ▁through