Powerful futuristic world highlights our current follies
This story really blew me away. I was expecting a fun, action-packed YA fantasy, and while it can certainly fall under that category, it is so much more. Onyebuchi uses history of the real Biafran War (also known as the Nigerian Civil War) in the 1960s as inspiration for a story set in the 2170s when Nigeria and Biafra are again at war. We are introduced to two sisters, Onyii and Ify, who find themselves on opposite sides of the war and must fight their way back to each other amidst shocking revelations and fluctuating allegiances. All of the intricate ways Onyebuchi mirrors history in his future world are very clever.
His writing masterfully depicts the horrors that both sides of the war inflict upon each other and upon innocent civilians. The real message here is the folly of war and hate, especially the power of propaganda when groups perpetuate harmful stereotypes of other groups. Onyebuchi is also clearly commenting on other significant issues, including the use of child soldiers, women's participation in peace processes, modern colonialism, LGBTQ love, and so many more.
The only thing keeping this from being a five star read for me was that the sci-fi/tech pieces were hard to follow, though I'm not sure if this was due to unclear descriptions or my own lack of imagination. I'm very excited to see that this is the first in a series!
His writing masterfully depicts the horrors that both sides of the war inflict upon each other and upon innocent civilians. The real message here is the folly of war and hate, especially the power of propaganda when groups perpetuate harmful stereotypes of other groups. Onyebuchi is also clearly commenting on other significant issues, including the use of child soldiers, women's participation in peace processes, modern colonialism, LGBTQ love, and so many more.
The only thing keeping this from being a five star read for me was that the sci-fi/tech pieces were hard to follow, though I'm not sure if this was due to unclear descriptions or my own lack of imagination. I'm very excited to see that this is the first in a series!