ARC Review: War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Title: War Girls (War Girls #1)
Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: BookExpo 2019
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 15th 2019

Summary: 

Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther–inspired Nigeria. 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. Acclaimed author Tochi Onyebuchi has written an immersive, action-packed, deeply personal novel perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Marie Lu, and Paolo Bacigalupi.

I met Tochi ass BookExpo this year and though I wasn't familiar with his previous works he was incredibly fun to talk to and was down to earth. He was also super excited to talk with everyone who was on his signing line and made sure that everyone was able to have their moment to talk to him. I didn't know about War Girls until the cover reveal and ever since then I KNEW that I just had to read this book. Though I didn't love War Girls as much as I hoped I was going too, I still did enjoy the story can't wait to see where Tochi is going to take these girls next. 

I read a lot of science fiction and having a person of color as the main character isn't something I have seen often, so it was really nice to see the representation in this novel and I hope it is something we start seeing more of in science fiction. Some of Tochi's inspiration for War Girls came from the Nigerian Civil War. I admit, I know almost nothing about the Nigerian Civil War and this novel opened my eyes to a horrible period of time in the worlds history. 

I enjoyed most of War Girls but I do feel like there were things that could have used a lot more development. The novel takes place in a ravaged country in 2172, there has been nuclear fall out, war, famine the landscape is radically different as well as technology. War Girls falls heavily on technology and the advances it makes in becoming one with humans. Every concept in War Girls was interesting and cool but I had a hard time picturing it. I feel like there needed to be more description and explanation to what things are. I went back a few times to make sure that I didn't miss a description, but there really wasn't one. 

There is a lot that I wasn't to talk about but I can't because I don't want to spoil any of War Girls for those who are looking forward to it. Though I did have my few issues with War Girls I did really enjoy Onyii and Ify's story and can't wait to see what Tochi has in store for these girls next. 

(3.5 Stars!)