Member Reviews
Tlotlo Tsamaase’s debut novel, *Womb City*, unfolds in a dystopian Botswana where the intertwining of science fiction and horror offers a haunting exploration of societal oppression, identity, and the struggle for autonomy. Drawing comparisons to Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale*, this novel tackles themes of female oppression, racial injustice, and the complexities of motherhood in a meticulously crafted, albeit grim, future.
The narrative centers on Nelah, a successful architect navigating a world steeped in technological surveillance and societal expectations. Living in a society where individuals can pay to extend their lives by transferring their consciousness into new bodies, Nelah grapples with infertility and an unhappy marriage to a controlling police officer. The stakes rise when she and her partner opt to use an artificial womb to conceive, leading to a tumultuous series of events following a tragic accident that forces Nelah to confront her fears and fight for survival.
*Womb City* shines in its thematic richness, particularly in its portrayal of female autonomy. Tsamaase poignantly depicts the societal shame placed on women who cannot conceive through “acceptable” methods, creating a visceral connection with readers who may relate to these struggles. The novel’s portrayal of a world where women's bodies are controlled and surveilled reflects deep-seated misogyny, classism, and colorism, echoing contemporary concerns about bodily autonomy and reproductive rights.
The intersectionality in Tsamaase's work is notable; the author thoughtfully incorporates race, gender identity, and sexuality into the narrative. Nelah is not just a woman facing societal pressures; she is a multifaceted character who embodies the complexities of identity in a world that often reduces individuals to their perceived societal roles.
Tsamaase's writing style is a blend of vivid imagery and emotional resonance, though it occasionally suffers from heavy-handed exposition. While the initial passages are beautifully crafted, establishing the novel's dark and oppressive tone, the narrative sometimes devolves into lengthy information dumps that disrupt the pacing. This could be attributed to the challenges of debut novel writing, where an author is still honing their craft.
The pacing issues detract from an otherwise gripping plot. As the story escalates into chaos following the pivotal accident, the tension builds effectively, leading to a climax that ties together the narrative threads. However, the foundation of world-building can feel overwhelming at times, with an encyclopedic approach that may alienate readers seeking a more streamlined experience.
Nelah is a deeply flawed protagonist, making her relatable despite her imperfections. The complexities of her character—her ambitions, insecurities, and desires—paint a portrait of a woman navigating an unjust society. Some readers may find her difficult to empathize with, but Tsamaase does not shy away from portraying the messiness of humanity. The supporting characters, including Nelah’s husband and her colleagues, add depth to the narrative, embodying various facets of the oppressive systems at play.
*Womb City* is a thought-provoking debut that challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about society, identity, and bodily autonomy. While it may not be perfect—grappling with pacing issues and occasionally uneven writing—the novel's exploration of profound themes, coupled with its imaginative world-building, makes it a compelling read. Tsamaase’s ability to weave together personal struggles with broader societal critiques is commendable, and this book will resonate with those who appreciate speculative fiction that doesn't shy away from hard truths.
For readers interested in dark dystopian narratives that tackle significant social issues through a speculative lens, *Womb City* is a must-read. Its emotional depth and challenging themes ensure that it will linger in the minds of its audience long after the final page is turned.
This one fell in the good not great range for me sadly. Will give this author another shot in the future though as the writing was pretty strong
Ebook received for free through Netgalley
I wanted to like the book and love the premise but I just couldn't get into it. I got 32% through the ebook before finding the audiobook and hoping that would let me continue the story. It stalled out at 50%. I like it but just keep putting it down and forgetting about it.... though I do hope to finish the story but can't keep holding the review hostage.
Tlotlo Tsamaase’s Womb City is a dark dive into dystopian science fiction, drenched in horror elements that unsettle and disturb. Set in a future where women are reduced to mere vessels for reproduction, the novel explores themes of infertility and societal acceptance of various fertilization methods. Fans of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale will find echoes of its grim vision here, as Tsamaase paints a world where autonomy is a distant memory, and humanity is a concept twisted beyond recognition.
The science in Womb City isn't grounded in reality as we know it, but that’s not the point. This isn’t hard science fiction. Instead, Tsamaase uses a blend of speculative concepts to craft a narrative that’s more concerned with the implications of its world than the mechanics. The speculative technology and biology serve as a backdrop to a story that’s more about control, power, and the crushing weight of a dystopian regime.
However, the story’s pacing is an issue. It takes until almost halfway through the book for the narrative to truly take off. The world-building, while rich and immersive, dominates the first half to such an extent that it often feels like not much is happening. This slow burn might turn off some readers, as the plot takes a backseat to the detailed but sometimes overwhelming setting. Additionally, much of the world-building is conveyed through character dialogue, which can become tedious and disrupt the flow of the story.
The main character is another contentious point. She’s not designed to be likable, and many readers might find her difficult to connect with. But that seems intentional—Tsamaase doesn’t want us to admire her protagonist; she wants us to understand the crushing reality of her existence. This choice, while bold, may leave readers divided.
In conclusion, Womb City is a harrowing exploration of a dystopian future that will resonate with readers who appreciate dark, thought-provoking narratives. However, the slow start and heavy reliance on dialogue for world-building might make it a challenging read for some. Despite its flaws, it’s a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, a chilling reminder of what could be.
Really neat concept, but I could not really follow the plot. So many different themes came up and it felt like the story switched every 1/4 of the book. I unfortunately spent a lot of time generally confused. I did appreciate the diversity in characters, but also felt that so many of the themes about racism, classism, misogyny, etc were so bluntly and repeatedly stated it felt like it took away from dialogue or plot.
Womb City is a dystopian horror about a woman being haunted by the woman she killed.
Trying to prevent her family from being hunted and killed, she must first determine why and how this is happening.
This was a creepy read. It had the potential of being really good, but the pacing was off for me.
I found the beginning slow and a little boring, then a lot started happening all at once, and then the ending slowed right down again.
There were some twists that redeemed it a bit, but in the end I didn't think this was an amazing read.
Thank you for the copy of this title. This one was a hard one for me to finish only because I am not a fan of domestic issues I should have thought of that before. I can appreciate this book for its uniqueness and the concepts. If your wanting a book different from anything you read this is a great book to pick up.
In recent years I dnfed very few books. Unfortunately this storyline wasn't just for me. The pace, the non linear narrative everything I just didn't enjoyed from the very first. As i haven't finished the book, I am not giving it lower than three but I wished so. Whatever. But there was promise in the beginning. Maybe it could be better for other readers.
This book was sadly not as I had hoped it would be based on the amazing cover art. The book started of very very slow, where we were just bombarded with lots of world-building for the first 20-30% I wanna say. Then once we got more into it and certain things happened it got more interesting. However, at about 60% in I felt like it was starting to drag a bit too much.
The author also started throwing so much different things and stories and plots into the book after dragging us through all the world-building. It was as if the author wanted to tell us so many different things and instead of narrowing it down, it was just all thrown in there.
A lot of the writing was unnecessarily convoluted and felt dense in a way. I’d say a lot of the writing was not that reader friendly. If this book was 100 pages shorter, and instead of having long convoluted passages this could’ve been a really interesting dystopian book that would have me sitting by the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
The ending was also very rushed in my opinion and just absolutely insane but not in a good way. Had it not been as rushed and maybe a bit more “realistic” it would have been more satisfactory.
DNF, but I am rating based on what I read.
The premise of this book was fantastic, but ultimately what I read did not live up to it. There were too many things going on and it was hard to keep track of. It felt disjointed and, as much as I tried to get into it, I had to give up.
3.75
I've read several of Tlotlo Tsamaase's short stories so I thought I knew what to expect with this debut novel but wow did it still take me by surprise. The book starts slowly, dropping the reader into this dystopian futuristic Botswana and then transitions into a thriller-esque paced story where Nelah (and the reader) are constantly questioning what's real and what's not.
This is a fascinating world where people can pay to move their consciousness into new bodies, and I loved how this technology highlighted the colorism and classism that still exists in this future world. Nelah is also micro-chipped to record her every thought and interaction, which her husband can review, and there is interesting commentary on family through Nelah's relationship's with her host body's biological family. There is a lot going on here, and to be completely honest, I think I need to reread to fully digest everything I read because there are so many interconnected concepts in this world but I loved the imagination.
The writing is beautiful, which contrasts with the dystopian nature of the world in a really interesting way. This definitely won't be a book for everyone, and I have mixed feelings on it, but I think it'll be a book that really strikes a chord with certain readers.
I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The concept of body hopping by use of microchips and body monitoring was really interesting and made me want to read it. But the plot got very convoluted at times and I found myself skimming through a lot of the book.
Three stars for the intriguing synopsis. I may try to reread this in the future.
Female Rage. It was so satisfying at the end, and for the inner turmoil this book put me through from monitoring a woman's body, to fertility issues, to abusive relationships, that ending had to be satisfying to make the suffering worth it. Blood and rage.
I was disappointed in this book and I think that says more about me than it does about the book. I try over and over to read and love sci-fi. Theoretically, it should be a home run for me. I love technology and politics and epic stories.... but I can never get into it. This book was no different. It felt almost too complicated and maybe would've been better as a series or even a series of graphic novels.
A very fascinating concept that was not executed well. The rules of this world was very confusing, even though they kept be constantly explained.
I enjoyed reading this book but I have to say it is a lot. This book is science fiction with some horror elements and takes place in futuristic Botswana. It is a place where a person's consciousness can body hop to extend that their life and some are controlled with microchips to eliminate crime. The story follows Nelah, a successful woman living in a new body and controlled by a microchip because the body had previously committed a crime. Nelah and her husband have not been able to have a child and opt to buy an artificial womb. Nelah is not happy in her marriage and has an affair, a choice that will change her life forever.
I like that the book dealt with gender roles, classism, racism, motherhood and women's issues while navigating this future world. There were many twists in the story that surprised me and worked well. I did think that there was a lot of information especially about the rules of body hopping and microchipping. A few times I was rather confused. Definitely check out this book if you are looking for a sci-fi/horror read.
I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Although the premise and cover of this book initially grabbed my attention, I have made the confident decision to discontinue reading it after several attempts. I acknowledge that this book is not to my taste. I appreciated the chance to have read it and I am confident that other readers with different preferences may find this book enjoyable.
The concept of this book was super interesting to me; a world where people can body hop and live hundreds of years while simultaneously, everything women do is controlled, even down to pregnancy. But unfortunately, I think most of it went right over my head. Things were a lot deeper than they originally seemed and it just confused me every time new information was given to the reader. I did enjoy the social conversations this book had throughout about wealth, race, sex vs. gender, and the overall struggles of being a woman, and I think that's what saved this book for me. I was super excited about this novel and I'm only slightly disappointed that I didn't love it.
I was very confused throughout most of the story, so how i managed to still be entertained is beyond me. I guess i enjoyed the parts I could understand what was going on. I think it was just a lot of informational plot stuffed into the story, probably could have benefited from a longer book or split into series.
That was one insanely macabre book. I think the author tried to put too many things, from AI to supernaturals and critiques to racism, capitalism, classims, etc etc. It was rather too much for me.