As in the author's first book, Beasts made of night, a great concept which originally caught my attention falls short in the execution. Many people will enjoy his books but for me something doesn't click

From what I read.  I wish I can read more of this book. Thank you  to NetGalley  for allowing me to read it.

Sci-fi, for as long as I can remember, especially in the early 2010's, has been populated and dominated by white narrators. I'm SO GLAD that this time round, more and more POC writers and protagonists are taking the helm! This sneak peek was another one that made me fall in love with sci-fi all over again. I'll definitely buy this book.

I received a teaser of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***TEASER COPY - NOT FULL BOOK REVIEW***.
3.5 stars.
From the short teaser I read, the book sounds quite confusing and very tech filled. I enjoyed the full cast of females who seem to be warriors and am interested in how the book will progress, unfold and lead to. I'm curious to know if there are any males in this book and why there isn't if there is not.
This is a book I want to read all of just the find out these things at some point.

[Since this was just a sampler, I will not be posting this review on any of my social accounts.]

I was intrigued by this excerpt, but I'll be honest--I expected better, given how high the praise this book received was. The world Onyebuchi created was fascinating, and on a factual level, I was invested enough that I would like to see how the story continues to play out. However, I was underwhelmed by the writing itself; it did not feel propulsive or organic, in a way that seemed a glaring contrast to the book's actual content.

Will I read the rest? I suppose that remains to be determined.

I thought that this was a promising start. It was written well and definitely peaked my interest in this book. Would definitely purchase, but I cannot say that I would recommend without reading the full book.

This sampler was very exciting! The story starts right in the middle of a normal day is this very different version of our world, which allows us to meet the characters while also learning more about this futuristic world in peril. The main characters are resilient, determined, which makes them incredibly likable, and it made me want to keep reading to see if they were going to be okay! I love the sister relationship, which is emphasized by the unforgiving environment and that fact that these girls have to grow up so fast. I look forward to reading a full copy of this book very soon!

Given this was one of my most anticipated releases, this sampler didn’t disappoint! Definitely gave me a taste of what I’m getting into and I’m excited to read the full thing!

I really enjoyed this sampler. The setting of the book so far was really unique and the characters seemed well developed. I was especially interested in the technology which was introduced. I will definitely be continuing the book.

So I only got a sample up to chapter 4 from NetGalley. Let me tell you that it hooked me in and now I am going to have to put it on my TBR. The book takes place in futuristic times and the war girls are part cyborg. The main character finds a woman in the woods and .... I hope I got some of you intrigued enough to find out more. I rated low because I only read a sample of the book but I bet the rest is just as good.

While I typically don't read science fiction, I did enjoy the short interactions each of the characters had with each other. Onyii's care for the other girls, especially Ify, really comes through. Some of the paragraphs in the beginning did repeat throughout chapter 1, for instance when Onyii was narrating about girls sleeping without their limbs. This fact was a bit repetitive and while I understand the need for world building and setting the stage their were a few things that could have been said rather than shown.

The excerpt ending on a cliffhanger, however the parts I did read didn't captivate me as much as I hoped they would. For this I give the sampler a 3 out of 5 star rating. This book doesn't seem to be for me, but when I feel in the mood for sci-fy, I may purchase this on Kindle for a evening read.

*** I was offered an opportunity to preview an excerpt from this title, then I checked out the full digital version from my library ***

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi has a different writing style that is hard to describe.... so it reads different than many books. That being said... I like the writing style. The characters, especially the sisters are well developed, written so that they come to life on the page. The story line is set in 2172 in Nigeria and there is plenty of action to keep the reader engaged in the story.

I love the descriptions of the technology and how it works, the hopes and dreams of the sisters, and the action!!! I have requested a hold on this book from my library and will definitely update my review once I have read the whole book... 

Thank you to NetGalley for offering a temporary, digital advance review sneak peak of War Girls. I also checked out the book from my local library and read the e-version. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

This four chapter sampler certainly did it’s job, as I went out and put a hold on the book at my library immediately! The world building was unique and immersive, and the relationship between Onyii and Ify was well done.

The four-chapter sampler was definitely enough to catch my interest. I’ve already requested the full book from my library to see if I need to be pre-ordering book 2.


(I don’t post reviewers for samplers on good reads,)

This sampler was an interesting read. The world was suspenseful, and imaginative which has made me excited to read more. I will be adding this to my every growing TBR list. What a great start!

I received a sampler ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest opinion. 

I have to say, the worldbuilding is unlike anything I've seen before in such a fascinating way. Personally, it was interesting without dumping a bunch of information at a time, but still gave enough to understand along the way. I didn't feel like there were any gaps or things that were particularly abstract to work my mind around, which helped because the characters themselves are complex themselves. 

I absolutely loved the characters. Their emotional development was refreshing as well as how they developed in this environment. I think the added complexity of Enyemaka, the android who takes care of Ify, is especially interesting because of its relationship with Ify. Ify often believes Enyemaka to have feelings or facial expressions when she talks, and I think for a child, it's reminiscent of having a friend who helps sort through learning to understand more abstract ideas of perception. This relationship in particular was very clever and made me really excited to read the finished product.

War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi is perfect for fans of dystopian books, and Black Panther! It would be super compatible for those who love Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi or A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown!
The paperback version will be released on Amazon on September 8th. 

This book is set in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria, in which young girls are fighting for survival in a world torn by war and its aftermath: widespread nuclear fallout.

Based on the excerpt I got to read (up to the end of Chapter 4), this book is set up so uniquely in points of view from multiple characters. Onyii is the eldest of her survivalist community at only 15. She may have to get used to her bionic body, but at least the world is advanced enough for her now to stay alive...for now. Ify, "little one", is the young girl Onyii has taken under her wing. She is BRILLIANT with technology, and might just be the key to bringing their community a better way of life. 
I did NOT see that cliff-hanger at the end of my excerpt at Chapter 4 coming!! I am interested to see where the story goes from there on out! 

I encourage all to take a look into what is sure to be a unique, and deeply moving, dystopian sci-fi that touches on the important topics of war (paralleled to the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960's), climate change, technology advancement, and equality for all.

Received a sampler of War Girls on behalf of Netgalley. After reading the first four chapters of the book I can say that it has my attention to want to know more about the story.  Since I was not provided with the entire book, I will give this book a rating of 3 stars. I do plan to read the entire book and provide an overall rating and review.

This book is a dystopia sci-fi novel based in Africa, and it's centered around the Nigerian and Biafra Civil War of the 60s (a part of history that I'd never heard about, in all honesty). The year is 2172 and the world has been ravaged by climate change catastrophies. Some lucky people have managed to escape Earth in favor of life in space. Others are struggling to survive on the dying planet. We follow two girls, Onyii and Ify, who are sisters, and we see how their relationship with each other develops and changes when Ify is captured by Nigerians after an attack and both sisters end up split on different sides of the war.

As mentioned, the Nigerian-Biafra war is a part of history I was never aware of, and so the education this book gave me was well worth the read. It was a very brutal time for the people of Nigeria and Biafra, and it's something that still affects many people today. The author explained at the end of the book how his mother had grown up during that time, and her experiences influenced his writing in this book. He also mentioned how he took inspiration from other wars in Africa's history, especially recent ones in the early 2000s, and included the use of child soldiers and slaves in his story to really highlight how horrific those wars were.

As much as I enjoyed this story, there are elements in it that left me underwhelmed. The sci-fi elements weren't really explained. They have synths, mechs, all this different technology, and I struggled to find the context as to why these things now exist in this world. Yeah, okay, it's set in the future, but I would have liked a little backstory into that. For that reason, those elements felt rather misplaced in this story.

The first half of the book was great. Fast paced. Captivating. But it kind of fell apart by the end. The plot isn't simple, lots of things going on, but sometimes I found it was rather repetitive and meandered about too much to keep me hooked. I became disengaged in the middle, and that's a shame. I didn't feel as emotionally invested in the story or as emotionally connected to the characters as I would have liked. I really liked the characters of Onyii and Ify - both very strong, female characters and it's refreshing to see a male author write women so honestly and respectfully. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed over time, but it lacked some emotion and I was left underwhelmed by the end.

That's not to say this isn't a good book. The first 100 or so pages are some of the best action scenes I've read in a while. Again, it's educational and I think it's something everyone should read and know about. It has some fun dialogue. And, that cover is to die for! If that's not a fantastic representation of black female power, then I don't know what is.

I must have this book in its entirety immediately. The worldbuilding is absolutely stunning. I need this Nigerian inspired dystopian in my life. Onyebuchi immediately pulls you in with her writing and her unique world. I have to know more. This sampler ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm so curious as to what happens next. 

The characters also immediately pulled me in. I love the relationship between Onyii and Ify, and I can't wait to see how their bond grows. The only slight issue I have is the age of the characters. They were a lot older in my brain, but it doesn't make the book less great. It's a YA book, so I'm not complaining too much. 

This book deserves so much more hype and I will be giving it that hype. READ THIS.