War Girls

By: Tochi Onyebuchi

Narrated by: Adepero Oduye

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.

©2019 Tochi Onyebuchi (P)2019 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"A brilliant novel about sisters, war, and freedom." (Booklist, starred review)

"Set amid the horrors of war in a world ravaged by climate change and nuclear disaster, this heart-wrenching and complex page-turner, drawn from the 1960s Nigerian civil war, will leave readers stunned and awaiting the second installment." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"The intense plot is narrated in alternating third-person perspectives, and the author explores themes surrounding colonization, family, and the injustices of war. The story culminates in an unexpected, heart-wrenching end. An exhilarating series opener." (Kirkus Reviews)

Excellent Performance of Interesting Material

The performance here was top-notch. The reader balanced the detachment of a narrator with the perfect quantity of emotion. The story and setting were well-envisioned, and I definitely learned a lot about the 20th and 21st centuries, both implicitly in the text and in the afterward. There were some neat little steampunk pieces and other innovations in this decidedly soft-SF universe.

Without giving too much away, the denouement was overlong, as if the author wanted to stay with the characters for as long as possible. I certainly understand that emotion, but the reason for many of the final chapters treats them worse than if the band-aid had come off more quickly.

good listen

mostly enjoyable listen. I found some sections a bit slow but all in all pretty good

War Girls OMG

This book was amazing, I couldn’t stop listening to it, imagining how all of the fight scenes would be choreographed, to trying to envision how all of the characters would look from the descriptions given to me! I would love to see this on a screen rather it be a movie or a anime type of film!

can't wait for book2

Without knowing the history of what transpired I will say this book had me hooked. it was a slow start for me but soon after it all made sense. it has perfect balance of real life issues mixed with sci-fi additives that you wonder if this could all happen. Loved this one.

I wasn't expecting this level of AWESOME

This book was EVERYTHING! Great storyline, wonderful characters, amazing imagery... I'm very pleased with every aspect of this book.

Gripping!

Don't think it's a work of fiction. Millions have died. Do your own research. Fantastic rendition of what a nation endured. Thank you Tochi for opening my eyes.

Beautiful prose

What a lovely story - beautifully written! The action was so real and so descriptive...

Finally a sci-fi book focused in Nigeria

The author did a fantastic job depicting a war thorn Nigeria in 2172. I liked how he showed war is destructive and there are no heroes. War Girls is the first novel I have read from Tochi and I look forward to reading more of his books.😊

Totally Loved it

Adepero Oduye's voice lend's itself to an amazing story. She brings it to life in a way that made me almost finish the book in one day! Great story.

The Mecha Story Set In Africa I've Always Craved

As an avid fan of Mecha anime and Cyberpunk stories this was a read that brought to life the very things I used to day dream about as a child. It's not a story that has characters of African descent plastered in it to add a flare of diversity. It is a whole world built drawing on the mythologies, religions, traditions, and cultures of Africa. All beautifully interwoven into a cyberpunk dystooia set on the African west coast, with cyborgs, hackers, and jet boosted, laser toting, sword wielding mechs.