WHAT!?!?!? WHAT!??!?! HOW CAN YOU JUST END IT THERE!? I'm so glad I am getting a copy of this book because where this sampler ended is NOT NICE. Not nice at all!

Okay, love the writing. Love the world. I think this is a super cool science fiction novel and I'm really curious what happens to these sisters. One thing I really like is how technology has mixed with biology. Bionic arms and legs, nanobots, this stuff is so cool and I really want to know more about the technology too. This preview has gotten me really excited for this book and I can't wait to read the rest of it!

I was very excited to see this preview of War Girls on Netgalley because this book is one I want to read, but I've been hesitant to buy it because its not my preferred genre. Now I am seriously considering doing so. This preview to War Girls was full of heart, strong and feminist Black girl protagonists, and some cool sci-fi worldbuilding. It is clear, even after reading a short excerpt of this book, that Onyebuchi's writing style is electric. I enjoyed this sneak peak very much.

I have had <em>War Girls </em>on my TBR for a <em>long</em> time now. It's been one of those books that I've been anticipating pretty strongly, but haven't had the chance to open up. Well, I got my hands on a sneak peek copy from NetGalley recently and, initially, I was ecstatic. By all accounts, I should have immediately fallen in love with this book and moved it to the top of my to-read list. And I very much would have were it not for this one <em>perpetually</em> irritating piece that I could just not get past.

I want to preface this by saying that I find everything about the plot of this book incredibly enticing. It features strong female leads with vastly different skill sets, one that of war and fighting and the other of education and intellectualism. The book educates its readers about the history of civil wars in Africa, specifically Nigeria, in an incredibly exciting and commendable way. I loved the premise and the plot, I loved what I saw of the characters and I genuinely do not have any complaints about a single piece of them.

Why, then, do I feel like reading this book would be a massive chore that I, frankly, have a seriously difficult time getting past?

<b>Everything, and I do literally mean <em>everything</em>, is written in the <em>present-effing-tense</em>.</b>

I don't know if you've noticed, but the vast majority of books published these days are written in the past tense. Sentences flow in a manner such as, "Seff ranted vehemently about her hatred of present tense in novels," not "Steff rants vehemently about her hatred of present tense in novels."

And while you might look at those examples and wonder, well, what's wrong with it?

To be fair, nothing.

But I personally <em>cannot</em> stand to read books in the present tense. I spent a good portion of this sample <em>hating</em> the writing so much that I nearly put the book down after I finished the second chapter. And I remember thinking to myself, wondering why I was so utterly <em>jarred </em>by the writing that I genuinely felt as though I couldn't carry on. Present tense writing is <em>immensely </em>distracting.

<b>I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.</b>

And I'm <em>so majorly </em>disappointed because this book genuinely sounds <em>amazing</em>. I feel like <em>War Girls</em> has so much to offer and I <em>hate </em>that it feels like a chore to read each page. I don't want to impose my opinions for how a book should be written on other authors, but damn...why present tense? Maybe I'm a minority on this one, but I just cannot stand it. It more or less killed my ability to read this book.

Part of me feels like I should try to just power through it, read the novel anyway, and get over my absolute hatred of this style of writing. And considering the fact that I feel this book would be an important one to read I feel even more guilty about how difficult it was for me to get past. So, maybe one day I'll pick it up and try again. But I dunno.

This was one of the hardest books to get into and it's the first time I can say that it's entirely due to one minor choice that could be fixed <em>super</em> easily. It's the first time I can say that I couldn't get through a book based on something that is related to the writing style but isn't reflective of poor writing. The writing is <em>good</em>, the book appears to me, by all measures, brilliant. It's just that stupid present tense.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

After finishing this, I can't wait to read the full book. Unlike anything I've ever read with a distinct voice, I want more. And the way the sneak peak ended made me more than excited to finish the book.

A very interesting sneak peek of the book War Girls. I'm inmediatly adding it to my wishlist cause I'm so intrigued!

It is fascinating reading about this sci-fi technology, I really liked it. I also loved the characters. The whole situation they were in was so interesting and also heartbreaking.

For a sneak peek this was amazing, these first chapters are filled with empathy, world (and technology) building, character introductions and even a bit of action.

Tochi Onyebuchi's writing is as gorgeous as always, and had me hooked from page one! So stoked for this one!

Intriguing sneak peek that includes the first three chapters of War Girls.
It's perfect as a sneak peek, giving just enough information to draw you in but not so much that you're satisfied.
It was engaging from the very beginning, despite being a bit info-dumpy. The worldbuilding is intriguing but leaves a lot of questions open, and I'm honestly not quite sure where the plot is heading.
I liked the two protagonists, though i was surprised by their youth. Onyii is only 15,and Ify even younger.
This definitely raised my interest and I'll be keeping the book in mind for the future.

Content warning inlcude: amputation and prosthetic limbs, cybernetic augmentation, civil war, child soldiers, bullying, animal death, mentions of violence and injury.

Wow!! This is one of the best chapter samplers that I’ve read. I was instantly hooked by the writing, the world-building, and felt a strong connection to these sisters. One of the things I appreciated the most was how information about the world is communicated via showing and not telling. I loved meeting both sisters and learning about their goals and frustrations. To set up such a vivid world, create memorable characters, and tease the start of an engaging plot? Pretty difficult to do in a short amount of pages, but Tochi Onyebuchi nailed it. I will definitely be buying this book to find out what happens next, because what a cliffhanger!! Thank you to Tochi Onyebuchi, Razorbill, and Netgalley for a free chapter sampler in exchange for honest feedback.