"The first thing Onyii does every morning is take off her arm."
From the first line of War Girls, it’s immediately clear that this story will pull no punches. And since author Tochi Onyebuchi is referencing the Biafran War, the Nigerian Civil War, that began in 1967, it’s important that the narrative be explicit – raw, real, and uncensored. After all, nothing is clean or uncomplicated about war.
War Girls is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Nigeria. Climate change and nuclear fallout have ravaged the landscape, and sisters Onyii and Ify are living together in a camp populated entirely by young women and girls. The older females are already battle tested, and many are “augments” like Onyii, with mechanized parts and tech replacing lost limbs or organs. When their camp is attacked, Onyii and her sister are separated.
War Girls is fully immersive, right from the get go. Though the landscape is harrowingly bleak, part of a futuristic world filled with gadgets, technology, mechanized flying robots, augmented humans, and artificial intelligence, the novel’s heartbeat remains human. So, yeah, you’re going to get “Black Panther,” or more accurately, “Gundam” vibes with all the action, tech, and mech fights. But make no mistake, War Girls is about humanity and the effects of war. It’s a story about sisters (chosen, born, of shared experience, etc.), love, hope, and freedom. While the war and action propel the plot (and believe me, it’s some pretty intense stuff), it’s the characters, what they are feeling, and your ultimate concern and care for them that will keep you turning the pages.
Onyii is perhaps the strongest female character I’ve ever read. Think Katniss and then increase the kick-ass exponentially. And Ify is equally strong, albeit in a different way. She’s super intelligent. But as she grows, she comes into a strength and independence that is worth witnessing. Interestingly, though, some of my favorite characters in War Girls aren’t human but AI. And I’ve never been moved more by people who weren’t flesh and blood. Onyebuchi breathes life into his complete cast of characters, showing goodness, strength, and dignity, while also casting light on the darker side of life. It’s the balance between strong and tender that makes War Girls special. This is raw and gritty stuff. But inside it, there in unspeakable tenderness and beauty.
Onyebuchi employs an alternating third-person narration giving us a view from each side, from the Biafran rebel side where Onyii fights, and from the Nigerian viewpoint where Ify finds herself. The author’s shifting focus forces the reader to integrate the two sides and come to an informed synthesis. It can be disorienting, and I believe this is purposeful, as you have Ify, who according to how you look at it, was either “rescued” or “kidnapped” by the Nigerians who attacked their rebel camp. One reviewer on Goodreads even talks about being embarrassed that she chose the wrong side! Onyebuchi does a wonderful job not being simplistic but portraying each side in all of its complexity, even exposing the blemishes of those who you might call the “good guys”. Let’s face it, war forces folks to do ugly things. And when those folks are children, it’s even harder not to flinch.
“There is no Demon of Biafra,” Onyii wants to tell them. “There’s just a War Girl.”
This is an important and much needed work. As Onyebuchi explains in his Author’s Note, when he was researching the Biafran War for this project, finding source material was not easy. With War Girl, he hopes to help make up for the lack of literature on the war. Let me stress something here: If you, like me, did not know about the Biafran War, don’t let that deter you from experiencing the power and beauty of War Girls. Prior knowledge need not preclude you. I recommend you first go to the back of the book and read the Author’s Note for a succinct overview on the historical aspect, then dig in and enjoy the novel.
I’ve already gone on longer than I intended. Yet I am torn because I feel there is so much I haven’t said. Even though I finished it a week ago, I’m still digesting War Girls. Though it’s infinitely readable and you’ll likely gobble it straight up like a tub of popcorn at the theater, you’ll be chewing on it later. Since it will have a sequel, I’ll happily revisit the text just before the next installment releases. But I can guarantee you that my second reading won’t be needed as a memory refresher because War Girls is the kind of novel that stays with you because it taught you something and made you feel something. That’s precisely what good literature does.
Verdict: 5 of 5 Hearts: A Raw and Gritty, Yet Unspeakably Tender, Futuristic Nigeria!
From the first line of War Girls, it’s immediately clear that this story will pull no punches. And since author Tochi Onyebuchi is referencing the Biafran War, the Nigerian Civil War, that began in 1967, it’s important that the narrative be explicit – raw, real, and uncensored. After all, nothing is clean or uncomplicated about war.
War Girls is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Nigeria. Climate change and nuclear fallout have ravaged the landscape, and sisters Onyii and Ify are living together in a camp populated entirely by young women and girls. The older females are already battle tested, and many are “augments” like Onyii, with mechanized parts and tech replacing lost limbs or organs. When their camp is attacked, Onyii and her sister are separated.
War Girls is fully immersive, right from the get go. Though the landscape is harrowingly bleak, part of a futuristic world filled with gadgets, technology, mechanized flying robots, augmented humans, and artificial intelligence, the novel’s heartbeat remains human. So, yeah, you’re going to get “Black Panther,” or more accurately, “Gundam” vibes with all the action, tech, and mech fights. But make no mistake, War Girls is about humanity and the effects of war. It’s a story about sisters (chosen, born, of shared experience, etc.), love, hope, and freedom. While the war and action propel the plot (and believe me, it’s some pretty intense stuff), it’s the characters, what they are feeling, and your ultimate concern and care for them that will keep you turning the pages.
Onyii is perhaps the strongest female character I’ve ever read. Think Katniss and then increase the kick-ass exponentially. And Ify is equally strong, albeit in a different way. She’s super intelligent. But as she grows, she comes into a strength and independence that is worth witnessing. Interestingly, though, some of my favorite characters in War Girls aren’t human but AI. And I’ve never been moved more by people who weren’t flesh and blood. Onyebuchi breathes life into his complete cast of characters, showing goodness, strength, and dignity, while also casting light on the darker side of life. It’s the balance between strong and tender that makes War Girls special. This is raw and gritty stuff. But inside it, there in unspeakable tenderness and beauty.
Onyebuchi employs an alternating third-person narration giving us a view from each side, from the Biafran rebel side where Onyii fights, and from the Nigerian viewpoint where Ify finds herself. The author’s shifting focus forces the reader to integrate the two sides and come to an informed synthesis. It can be disorienting, and I believe this is purposeful, as you have Ify, who according to how you look at it, was either “rescued” or “kidnapped” by the Nigerians who attacked their rebel camp. One reviewer on Goodreads even talks about being embarrassed that she chose the wrong side! Onyebuchi does a wonderful job not being simplistic but portraying each side in all of its complexity, even exposing the blemishes of those who you might call the “good guys”. Let’s face it, war forces folks to do ugly things. And when those folks are children, it’s even harder not to flinch.
“There is no Demon of Biafra,” Onyii wants to tell them. “There’s just a War Girl.”
This is an important and much needed work. As Onyebuchi explains in his Author’s Note, when he was researching the Biafran War for this project, finding source material was not easy. With War Girl, he hopes to help make up for the lack of literature on the war. Let me stress something here: If you, like me, did not know about the Biafran War, don’t let that deter you from experiencing the power and beauty of War Girls. Prior knowledge need not preclude you. I recommend you first go to the back of the book and read the Author’s Note for a succinct overview on the historical aspect, then dig in and enjoy the novel.
I’ve already gone on longer than I intended. Yet I am torn because I feel there is so much I haven’t said. Even though I finished it a week ago, I’m still digesting War Girls. Though it’s infinitely readable and you’ll likely gobble it straight up like a tub of popcorn at the theater, you’ll be chewing on it later. Since it will have a sequel, I’ll happily revisit the text just before the next installment releases. But I can guarantee you that my second reading won’t be needed as a memory refresher because War Girls is the kind of novel that stays with you because it taught you something and made you feel something. That’s precisely what good literature does.
Verdict: 5 of 5 Hearts: A Raw and Gritty, Yet Unspeakably Tender, Futuristic Nigeria!