This is a futuristic sci-fi dystopia, but also a bit of historical fiction. War Girls tells the story of the Nigerian/Biafran civil war, but framed in a future conflict. Climate change has wrecked the world, and only the lucky people have escaped to space. Radiation poisons the land, and people commonly gain bionic limbs and artificial organs in order to combat that. Two siblings: Onyii and Ify lived peacefully in the forest, with the other War Girls until they're separated. Onyii joins a military effort, while Ify, who is gifted with tech abilities, goes to a prestigious university.
It took me a while to get into and orient myself with the different sides of the conflict presented in this book. It was more complicated than I thought it would be, and the narrator sped up did not say Biafra in a way I recognized it (but that's a me problem). But what I loved about this was the relationship between these sisters, and how much they loved each other, even from different sides of a war. We see what the years of violence and war can do to people, and this trauma is brought several different times. Onyii talks about it at one point about how she has nothing else, she knows nothing else except violence, and that it probably the most severe casualty of war.
There was so much going on in this book, and I freaking loved it. I kind of want to reread it, because I'm sure there's a ton of information I missed. If you're new to learning about Nigerian/Africa history, I would highly recommend reading the Author's Note first! It will help you frame a lot of the events in the book. Or google the Nigeria/Biafran conflict. Either works.
Ify was my brain child. I loved her yearning for knowledge, I could really relate to it myself as a PhD student in science. She was so curious and it made me so happy. Her relationship with her foster brother, kind of bothered me though. I didn't like he was constantly trying to control her movements, or shelter her from stuff he deemed "too challenging" to her. Onyii is my sword arm. Her physical prowess was nothing short of amazing. But damn did it take a toll on her. Onyii deals with so much, from PTSD, drug addiction to generalized depression/anxiety, and I just wanted to hug her and protect her from the world. I also pictured her as 5-10 years older than Ify, but I'm not certain how much older she is.
This book takes place over several years which I really loved, because we got to see a lot of the consequences of war and how it can change a country. There are two really great F/F relationships in here too and my queer heart was super happy. I cannot wait for the sequel!!
It took me a while to get into and orient myself with the different sides of the conflict presented in this book. It was more complicated than I thought it would be, and the narrator sped up did not say Biafra in a way I recognized it (but that's a me problem). But what I loved about this was the relationship between these sisters, and how much they loved each other, even from different sides of a war. We see what the years of violence and war can do to people, and this trauma is brought several different times. Onyii talks about it at one point about how she has nothing else, she knows nothing else except violence, and that it probably the most severe casualty of war.
There was so much going on in this book, and I freaking loved it. I kind of want to reread it, because I'm sure there's a ton of information I missed. If you're new to learning about Nigerian/Africa history, I would highly recommend reading the Author's Note first! It will help you frame a lot of the events in the book. Or google the Nigeria/Biafran conflict. Either works.
Ify was my brain child. I loved her yearning for knowledge, I could really relate to it myself as a PhD student in science. She was so curious and it made me so happy. Her relationship with her foster brother, kind of bothered me though. I didn't like he was constantly trying to control her movements, or shelter her from stuff he deemed "too challenging" to her. Onyii is my sword arm. Her physical prowess was nothing short of amazing. But damn did it take a toll on her. Onyii deals with so much, from PTSD, drug addiction to generalized depression/anxiety, and I just wanted to hug her and protect her from the world. I also pictured her as 5-10 years older than Ify, but I'm not certain how much older she is.
This book takes place over several years which I really loved, because we got to see a lot of the consequences of war and how it can change a country. There are two really great F/F relationships in here too and my queer heart was super happy. I cannot wait for the sequel!!