*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: War Girls
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
ISBN: 9780451481672
Synopsis from Goodreads:
The year is 2172. Climate change and nuclear disasters have rendered much of earth unlivable. Only the lucky ones have escaped to space colonies in the sky. In a war-torn Nigeria, battles are fought using flying, deadly mechs and soldiers are outfitted with bionic limbs and artificial organs meant to protect them from the harsh, radiation-heavy climate. Across the nation, as the years-long civil war wages on, survival becomes the only way of life. Two sisters, Onyii and Ify, dream of more. Their lives have been marked by violence and political unrest. Still, they dream of peace, of hope, of a future together. And they’re willing to fight an entire war to get there.
War has torn Nigeria apart and political strife wracks the country year after year. War Girls, told in the perspective of sisters not in blood, but through choice, introduces us to Ify and Onyii. Onyii is little more than a weapon. She has lived and breathed war for as long as she can remember. In this futuristic world, she has become part human and part machine–an augment. Her life has been destroyed and put back together again and again. Ify, on the other hand, is a red-blood. She does not have a single element of machinery on her. When Ify and Onyii’s precarious world is ripped apart, an insurmountable wedge is driven between them and they find themselves on opposite ends of the violence.
I really enjoyed how this tale was broken down into the perspectives of these two women. So closely intertwined, yet so far apart, their stories run parallel to one another, shedding a light on where they came from and where they’re headed. No matter the distance and the rage that builds between them, their love for one another is always there. Although it is hard to remember sometimes that they are human, beneath the unforgiving exteriors are the souls of girls who just want freedom.
Drawing on history of civil war, this story will have you on the edge of your seat. Onyebuchi weaves an intricate tale that builds upon itself, growing stronger and more intense as it moves along. It’s full of strong female characters, loss, and self-discovery, as these characters come to understand themselves and each other in the stark light of war. My only criticism is that this book should not be a series and Goodreads has it listed as book #1. I’d definitely recommend this one, however, especially if you need something to read over the holidays.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 