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Womb City
Nelah seems to have it all: fame, wealth, and a long-awaited daughter growing in a government lab. But, trapped in a loveless marriage to a policeman who uses a microchip to monitor her every move, Nelah’s perfect life is precarious. After a drug-fueled evening culminates in an eerie car accident, Nelah commits a desperate crime and buries the body, daring to hope that she can keep one last secret.
The truth claws its way into Nelah’s life from the grave.
As the ghost of her victim viciously hunts down the people Nelah holds dear, she is thrust into a race against the in order to save any of her remaining loved ones, Nelah must unravel the political conspiracy her victim was on the verge of exposing—or risk losing everyone.
Set in a cruel futuristic surveillance state where bodies are a government-issued resource, this harrowing story is a twisty, nail-biting commentary on power, monstrosity, and bodily autonomy. In sickeningly evocative prose, Womb City interrogates how patriarchy pits women against each other as unwitting collaborators in their own oppression. In this devastatingly timely debut novel, acclaimed short fiction writer Tlotlo Tsamaase brings a searing intelligence and Botswana’s cultural sensibility to the just how far must a woman go to bring the whole system crashing down?
The truth claws its way into Nelah’s life from the grave.
As the ghost of her victim viciously hunts down the people Nelah holds dear, she is thrust into a race against the in order to save any of her remaining loved ones, Nelah must unravel the political conspiracy her victim was on the verge of exposing—or risk losing everyone.
Set in a cruel futuristic surveillance state where bodies are a government-issued resource, this harrowing story is a twisty, nail-biting commentary on power, monstrosity, and bodily autonomy. In sickeningly evocative prose, Womb City interrogates how patriarchy pits women against each other as unwitting collaborators in their own oppression. In this devastatingly timely debut novel, acclaimed short fiction writer Tlotlo Tsamaase brings a searing intelligence and Botswana’s cultural sensibility to the just how far must a woman go to bring the whole system crashing down?
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,021 reviews
May 22, 2024
5.0 Stars
Video Review https://youtu.be/qj5TdWBysZU
This book absolutely destroyed me.
I was not prepared for this read. I almost did read this book. I feel like it hasn’t gotten a lot of new release buzz, but I want to change that.
This is a dark science fiction dystopian with serious horror elements. The book paints a dark picture of an imagined future and I loved it. The science is not particularly grounded in our current understanding of technology, but I didn’t mind. This is a science fiction novel to read for the ideas, not hard science.
This book is compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, which completely holds up. Usually that particular marketing comparison leaves me sorely disappointed, but that’s not the case here. This is by no means a copycat, but it leans into the same tone, themes and dread that I experience when I reread Atwood’s iconic novel.
This book hit me in a personal way at the beginning with the depictions of infertility with the societal shame that is placed on women who can’t produce children through “acceptable” methods. This story is cutting and emotional. At times, this book was hard to read. But in a good way, if you know what I mean. I like a book that makes me feel something and that was definitely the case here. This book handles a lot of potentially triggering contents so be sure to do your research if you avoid certain topics. This book pulls no punches.
If you are looking for a powerful story that explores the topics surrounding female body and mental autonomy in a future where those rights have been strips, this is a must read. I understand this book may not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me.
Video Review https://youtu.be/qj5TdWBysZU
This book absolutely destroyed me.
I was not prepared for this read. I almost did read this book. I feel like it hasn’t gotten a lot of new release buzz, but I want to change that.
This is a dark science fiction dystopian with serious horror elements. The book paints a dark picture of an imagined future and I loved it. The science is not particularly grounded in our current understanding of technology, but I didn’t mind. This is a science fiction novel to read for the ideas, not hard science.
This book is compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, which completely holds up. Usually that particular marketing comparison leaves me sorely disappointed, but that’s not the case here. This is by no means a copycat, but it leans into the same tone, themes and dread that I experience when I reread Atwood’s iconic novel.
This book hit me in a personal way at the beginning with the depictions of infertility with the societal shame that is placed on women who can’t produce children through “acceptable” methods. This story is cutting and emotional. At times, this book was hard to read. But in a good way, if you know what I mean. I like a book that makes me feel something and that was definitely the case here. This book handles a lot of potentially triggering contents so be sure to do your research if you avoid certain topics. This book pulls no punches.
If you are looking for a powerful story that explores the topics surrounding female body and mental autonomy in a future where those rights have been strips, this is a must read. I understand this book may not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me.
Read
September 14, 2023I'm sorry to say I abandoned reading this book about 20% in. What I've read, is beautifully written, just on the right side of poetic, of lyrical. What made me stop reading the book was that it (at least up to that point) didn't have much of a narrative drive. There's a lot of worldbuilding, and it's interesting, and I have quite a lot of patience for more experimental writing, but at some point I do need something to hold on to. Characters directly talk about the book's themes, which is kind of clunky.
A very interesting experiment, certainly a writer to keep an eye on.
(Thanks to Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
A very interesting experiment, certainly a writer to keep an eye on.
(Thanks to Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
January 2, 2024
Initial Thoughts:
This was such a creative story! But ultimately, it was bogged down by convoluted ideas that didn't quite seem to connect with each other without extensive explanations and talking at the reader.
Detailed Review:
There were way too many elements and influences from various media (Minority Report, a bit of Handmaid's Tale if you squint, The Final Cut [that Robin Williams sci-fi movie], insert generic horror story with a Final Girl, insert another horror story with an evil sentient creature) which, when combined together, came to create a Frankenstein's monster of a novel.
With that being said, I was pretty disappointed with this novel. It started out well enough, with familiar sci-fi elements such as an overarching government/police state that's patriarchal in nature. The misogyny was disgusting. I felt terrible for the FMC, Nelah, and was rooting for her for the first quarter to one-third of the book.
But then, everything went downhill after that. The author threw in so many ideas all at once that it was really difficult to keep track of each sci-fi concept. The explanation for the body hopping scheme went on and on.
I thought I understood the basics of body hopping (souls are transferred to another body when their "life" expires for a total of ~200 years on Earth; criminal souls/minds are imprisoned forever; etc.), but the author kept adding more and more details to the point where I had no idea what the purpose of body hopping was anymore.
Nelah was also an irritating FMC. I stopped having any sympathy for her after I realized that she wanted so badly to prescribe to traditional societal values (having a husband and child) while having an affair on the side.
She kept complaining about her husband's misogyny, and the society's misogyny in general, but not once did she think about leaving her husband. They're an excellent example of that couple who has a baby to fix their relationship. I was sick and tired of it less than halfway into the story.
As a masochist, I love reading about futuristic misogynist societies in sci-fi stories, but this was done so inexpertly without any subtlety that it was hard to root for the FMC and her terrible situation. She seemed privileged enough that she could've just left her marriage and strike out on her own. But nope. All she did was complain and cheat.
After the midpoint, the story's ideas seriously became too convoluted to the point where Nelah and her lover, Jan, seemed to talk at the reader to explain what was going on. It felt really patronizing and just plain odd to read.
The story does pick up after the 30% mark though, but the first 30% felt like such an uphill slog. After that, the tone changes completely and at times becomes a horror thriller, with strange lulls in between for exposition and character building.
And the explanation for why Moremi wanted revenge? The entire thing plunged right into straight up fantasy that it took me out of the story. I was expecting to stay strictly within the sci-fi horror genre, so it felt like the author couldn't come up with a logical explanation for why certain things were happening.
And honestly, Moremi's story sounded way more interesting than Nelah's story. At least I could sympathize with her.
I don't know. This entire story was very creative, but ultimately, it ended up being a frustrating read.
Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this arc.
This was such a creative story! But ultimately, it was bogged down by convoluted ideas that didn't quite seem to connect with each other without extensive explanations and talking at the reader.
Detailed Review:
There were way too many elements and influences from various media (Minority Report, a bit of Handmaid's Tale if you squint, The Final Cut [that Robin Williams sci-fi movie], insert generic horror story with a Final Girl, insert another horror story with an evil sentient creature) which, when combined together, came to create a Frankenstein's monster of a novel.
With that being said, I was pretty disappointed with this novel. It started out well enough, with familiar sci-fi elements such as an overarching government/police state that's patriarchal in nature. The misogyny was disgusting. I felt terrible for the FMC, Nelah, and was rooting for her for the first quarter to one-third of the book.
But then, everything went downhill after that. The author threw in so many ideas all at once that it was really difficult to keep track of each sci-fi concept. The explanation for the body hopping scheme went on and on.
I thought I understood the basics of body hopping (souls are transferred to another body when their "life" expires for a total of ~200 years on Earth; criminal souls/minds are imprisoned forever; etc.), but the author kept adding more and more details to the point where I had no idea what the purpose of body hopping was anymore.
Nelah was also an irritating FMC. I stopped having any sympathy for her after I realized that she wanted so badly to prescribe to traditional societal values (having a husband and child) while having an affair on the side.
She kept complaining about her husband's misogyny, and the society's misogyny in general, but not once did she think about leaving her husband. They're an excellent example of that couple who has a baby to fix their relationship. I was sick and tired of it less than halfway into the story.
As a masochist, I love reading about futuristic misogynist societies in sci-fi stories, but this was done so inexpertly without any subtlety that it was hard to root for the FMC and her terrible situation. She seemed privileged enough that she could've just left her marriage and strike out on her own. But nope. All she did was complain and cheat.
After the midpoint, the story's ideas seriously became too convoluted to the point where Nelah and her lover, Jan, seemed to talk at the reader to explain what was going on. It felt really patronizing and just plain odd to read.
The story does pick up after the 30% mark though, but the first 30% felt like such an uphill slog. After that, the tone changes completely and at times becomes a horror thriller, with strange lulls in between for exposition and character building.
And the explanation for why Moremi wanted revenge? The entire thing plunged right into straight up fantasy that it took me out of the story. I was expecting to stay strictly within the sci-fi horror genre, so it felt like the author couldn't come up with a logical explanation for why certain things were happening.
And honestly, Moremi's story sounded way more interesting than Nelah's story. At least I could sympathize with her.
I don't know. This entire story was very creative, but ultimately, it ended up being a frustrating read.
Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this arc.
January 26, 2024
While this author has published many short stories, I think this is her first novel. Which you can tell in some ways, but overall I found this to be very impressive, imaginative, and engaging. There are quite a few very negative reviews, but personally I think this is well worth the read.
Womb City is a blend of science fiction and horror set in a futuristic Botswana where people can pay to extend their lifespans by having their consciousness moved into a new body. But of course misogyny, classism, colorism, and power hungry people make this a dystopian world to live in. Supposedly they can prevent crimes by using technology to read people's brains and assess their risk of committing a crime in the following year. Women are always assumed to be higher risk and more likely to have an implanted microchip that monitors their thoughts and behavior. The novel follows Nelah, a professionally successful woman (possibly non-binary person?) living in a body she wasn't born with, married to a controlling and just generally terrible police officer, and struggling with infertility. Eventually they decide to use an artificial womb to grow a baby despite the high expense. But Nelah is unhappy in her marriage and begins an affair. Everything spirals out of control when a drug-fueled night and a hit and run force her to fight for her survival and that of her unborn child.
I really liked this. It's smart with really interesting and creative world-building that blends the authors own heritage and mythology with futuristic science fiction. It's feminist in an intersectional way that takes into account race, gender identity, and sexuality. The message about the oppression of women doesn't erase non-binary and trans people. I don't think the pacing is perfect and especially towards the end we get some kind of clunky info-dumps to quickly fill us in on important information. This feels like a debut writing craft thing that could be finessed in future books.
I'm sure some readers won't like Nelah, but I don't think she's intended to be likeable. She's very flawed, as are all the other characters in the book, but being flawed doesn't mean people deserve to be treated the way this society treats them. It's exploring interesting ideas about guilt, assumed criminality, and how powerful people always find ways to game the system. The audio narration is excellent, giving different voices for different characters and creating a sense of tension when it makes sense to have it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Womb City is a blend of science fiction and horror set in a futuristic Botswana where people can pay to extend their lifespans by having their consciousness moved into a new body. But of course misogyny, classism, colorism, and power hungry people make this a dystopian world to live in. Supposedly they can prevent crimes by using technology to read people's brains and assess their risk of committing a crime in the following year. Women are always assumed to be higher risk and more likely to have an implanted microchip that monitors their thoughts and behavior. The novel follows Nelah, a professionally successful woman (possibly non-binary person?) living in a body she wasn't born with, married to a controlling and just generally terrible police officer, and struggling with infertility. Eventually they decide to use an artificial womb to grow a baby despite the high expense. But Nelah is unhappy in her marriage and begins an affair. Everything spirals out of control when a drug-fueled night and a hit and run force her to fight for her survival and that of her unborn child.
I really liked this. It's smart with really interesting and creative world-building that blends the authors own heritage and mythology with futuristic science fiction. It's feminist in an intersectional way that takes into account race, gender identity, and sexuality. The message about the oppression of women doesn't erase non-binary and trans people. I don't think the pacing is perfect and especially towards the end we get some kind of clunky info-dumps to quickly fill us in on important information. This feels like a debut writing craft thing that could be finessed in future books.
I'm sure some readers won't like Nelah, but I don't think she's intended to be likeable. She's very flawed, as are all the other characters in the book, but being flawed doesn't mean people deserve to be treated the way this society treats them. It's exploring interesting ideas about guilt, assumed criminality, and how powerful people always find ways to game the system. The audio narration is excellent, giving different voices for different characters and creating a sense of tension when it makes sense to have it. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
September 1, 2023
nothing serious, i just did not like it. i hate to say it and i wish i didn't have to, but i was bored!
the premise was good and you'd think being able to transfer your consciousness to another body would make for an exciting novel, but it explored the idea in such a mediocre and banal way. i wanted things to go more political, perhaps a little psychological, and more.. just More. i wanted more. the murder thing and running around bored me to tears. the microchip and the politics of her body were interesting at first but it got so repetitive that i got sick of it. i wanted it to say something more, i wanted it to add something new to the discourse, especially with this novel's concept, but it just did not go that way. if anything, i think the writing was decent and very distinct from other voices in the genre.
this novel reminded me a lot of the Netflix series Altered Carbon (which i like) and i just wish this book plagiarized the political conflicts and the practical implications of the show. however, the novel put more importance on the body rather than on the mind. this fact, cemented early on, made most of the main character's decisions odd. i don't want to say much because i don't want to spoil but shit just did not make sense at some point. i just kept reading because i had to review this.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
the premise was good and you'd think being able to transfer your consciousness to another body would make for an exciting novel, but it explored the idea in such a mediocre and banal way. i wanted things to go more political, perhaps a little psychological, and more.. just More. i wanted more. the murder thing and running around bored me to tears. the microchip and the politics of her body were interesting at first but it got so repetitive that i got sick of it. i wanted it to say something more, i wanted it to add something new to the discourse, especially with this novel's concept, but it just did not go that way. if anything, i think the writing was decent and very distinct from other voices in the genre.
this novel reminded me a lot of the Netflix series Altered Carbon (which i like) and i just wish this book plagiarized the political conflicts and the practical implications of the show. however, the novel put more importance on the body rather than on the mind. this fact, cemented early on, made most of the main character's decisions odd. i don't want to say much because i don't want to spoil but shit just did not make sense at some point. i just kept reading because i had to review this.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
January 27, 2024
reading around the world one book at a time 2024: botswana
I wanted to read Womb City and ran to request it on Netgalley as soon as I read the summary, it sounded like such an interesting book! A dystopian surveillance state in a future cyberpunk Botswana dealing with themes such as bodily autonomy, motherhood and folklore? Sign me up!
That’s what I said before I realised what I was getting into. The themes explored by the book were too many, or weren’t handled with enough care. I saw what the author was trying to do, of course oppression comes in every shade and form and a Black nonbinary person in a female body, as it’s called in the novel, will feel it effects in reverberations that last all throughout their life more so than any other person in the world — but even though everything is connected it did not feel cohesive, it just felt like things were thrown together to see what stuck.
The book wanted to underline the fate of all women in a patriarcal society but it felt too personal because the author kept adding things that could go wrong for the protagonist. If you add to that the complicated feelings of motherhood in a universe where bodies are hatched to perpetuate eternal life… well. As the sages say, it got lost in the sauce.
The pacing all throughout the book was weird, mostly because instead of a book with a plot it reads like a convoluted worldbuilding draft — the whole novel is intersped with lengthy paragraphs of information the narrator is relating, an encyclopedia of knowledge that keeps being reiterated for four hundred and so pages. Sometimes the information was different from one chapter to the next (harmless things mostly, like the years the protagonist’s parents spent together, or the name of the unborn child, but still, these are things that should have jumped to the eye of an editor); some other times the information was too coincidental and convenient to be believable, which made the book feel like a soap opera by the end.
The writing style is heavy with purple prose, which is not my favourite thing to read, but among all the other things I’m bashing it should probably be commended. The first few paragraphs of the book set the tone of the book extremely well — the narrator uses an asettic and violent language to talk about common things, like the “probing, UV-forensic sunrays” that wake the protagonist up, or a ray of light that “knives its way” across the husband’s face. The language helps in making us understand how Nelah, our protagonist, feels a bone deep desperation when it comes to the lack of agency she has over her body, and the constant assessment over her purity through the microchip implanted in her neck.
But just a couple sentences later you start to notice the heavy handedness of the exposition, taking away the pleasure of finding out things for yourself.
I don’t want to go too deep into the connection with Botwana’s folklore because I’m not super knowledgeable about it, but I will say that the way it ties to the ending of the book feels extremly rushed.
I’d be curious to read some of the author’s short fiction, for which xe’s won prizes before, because maybe less space to develop xir ideas leads to more evocative stories? Who knows, I’ll try to find out! I wish Tlotlo a long career that will provide xem with the chances to improve xir writing in a way that gives justice to xir incredible ideas!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to read Womb City and ran to request it on Netgalley as soon as I read the summary, it sounded like such an interesting book! A dystopian surveillance state in a future cyberpunk Botswana dealing with themes such as bodily autonomy, motherhood and folklore? Sign me up!
That’s what I said before I realised what I was getting into. The themes explored by the book were too many, or weren’t handled with enough care. I saw what the author was trying to do, of course oppression comes in every shade and form and a Black nonbinary person in a female body, as it’s called in the novel, will feel it effects in reverberations that last all throughout their life more so than any other person in the world — but even though everything is connected it did not feel cohesive, it just felt like things were thrown together to see what stuck.
The book wanted to underline the fate of all women in a patriarcal society but it felt too personal because the author kept adding things that could go wrong for the protagonist. If you add to that the complicated feelings of motherhood in a universe where bodies are hatched to perpetuate eternal life… well. As the sages say, it got lost in the sauce.
The pacing all throughout the book was weird, mostly because instead of a book with a plot it reads like a convoluted worldbuilding draft — the whole novel is intersped with lengthy paragraphs of information the narrator is relating, an encyclopedia of knowledge that keeps being reiterated for four hundred and so pages. Sometimes the information was different from one chapter to the next (harmless things mostly, like the years the protagonist’s parents spent together, or the name of the unborn child, but still, these are things that should have jumped to the eye of an editor); some other times the information was too coincidental and convenient to be believable, which made the book feel like a soap opera by the end.
The writing style is heavy with purple prose, which is not my favourite thing to read, but among all the other things I’m bashing it should probably be commended. The first few paragraphs of the book set the tone of the book extremely well — the narrator uses an asettic and violent language to talk about common things, like the “probing, UV-forensic sunrays” that wake the protagonist up, or a ray of light that “knives its way” across the husband’s face. The language helps in making us understand how Nelah, our protagonist, feels a bone deep desperation when it comes to the lack of agency she has over her body, and the constant assessment over her purity through the microchip implanted in her neck.
But just a couple sentences later you start to notice the heavy handedness of the exposition, taking away the pleasure of finding out things for yourself.
I don’t want to go too deep into the connection with Botwana’s folklore because I’m not super knowledgeable about it, but I will say that the way it ties to the ending of the book feels extremly rushed.
I’d be curious to read some of the author’s short fiction, for which xe’s won prizes before, because maybe less space to develop xir ideas leads to more evocative stories? Who knows, I’ll try to find out! I wish Tlotlo a long career that will provide xem with the chances to improve xir writing in a way that gives justice to xir incredible ideas!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2024
This was oe of the most intense and suspenseful book I've read in the whole year. I don't usually listen to an audiobook but I'm glad I did.
February 18, 2024
I have mixed feelings about Womb City. The premise of the book is extremely interesting for any Sci-Fi lover, and it covers important topics such as race, identity, misogyny, classism, and motherhood. But something fell flat for me. The writing itself was good, but the pacing was good/slow/lost/fast, in that order.
The perspective being from one character in a full-length novel was not the best choice, but Tlotlo Tsamaase seems to write short stories primarily so I can't fault that. Since you're singularly immersed in the consciousness of one personality, though they are complexly layered from living different lives in different bodies, the narrative became almost narrow-minded. I know that sounds SILLY, but this narration style, being largely stream of consciousness from our main character made the world-building suffer. There was a lot of repetition of things that felt unimportant. It was an information dump without providing descriptive world-building. There's advanced technology where artificial intelligence can predict who might commit a crime, yet after 450 pages, I couldn't visualize anything?? What a waste of an interesting book concept! I struggled to imagine the setting, and while I could partially visualize the characters and some objects described, overall, it was lacking except where a vengeful ghost-like entity kept making threats to fry and munch penises off (GRL PWR?).
On the positive side, the cover art is SO GOOD, and I never felt like giving up on the book. Despite some rather obvious (to me) foreshadowing that predicted a few plot points, I remained curious about the ending. And then the ending came, and it felt rushed and convoluted. LOL. I think if you're someone that reads the description for this book and feels any interest, it might be for you. Just don't quote me on that if it isn't.
The perspective being from one character in a full-length novel was not the best choice, but Tlotlo Tsamaase seems to write short stories primarily so I can't fault that. Since you're singularly immersed in the consciousness of one personality, though they are complexly layered from living different lives in different bodies, the narrative became almost narrow-minded. I know that sounds SILLY, but this narration style, being largely stream of consciousness from our main character made the world-building suffer. There was a lot of repetition of things that felt unimportant. It was an information dump without providing descriptive world-building. There's advanced technology where artificial intelligence can predict who might commit a crime, yet after 450 pages, I couldn't visualize anything?? What a waste of an interesting book concept! I struggled to imagine the setting, and while I could partially visualize the characters and some objects described, overall, it was lacking except where a vengeful ghost-like entity kept making threats to fry and munch penises off (GRL PWR?).
On the positive side, the cover art is SO GOOD, and I never felt like giving up on the book. Despite some rather obvious (to me) foreshadowing that predicted a few plot points, I remained curious about the ending. And then the ending came, and it felt rushed and convoluted. LOL. I think if you're someone that reads the description for this book and feels any interest, it might be for you. Just don't quote me on that if it isn't.
November 14, 2023
Full disclosure: I won a free ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Nelah is an architect in Botswana whose star is on the rise. Her marriage has seen better days, but it's hoped that her long-awaited daughter growing in a government lab may help patch things up. But then there's a terrible accident, a crime to cover it up, and a vengeful ghost … And that's just the beginning.
This book had me feeling off-balance at first, but turned into quite the ride. Nelah's emotions and fears come through with crystal clarity. Her life is under constant technological surveillance, with her very thoughts periodically examined for criminal tendencies. The world of Womb City is something of a Utopia, but only for a privileged few. And over the course of the book, we see the cost of its maintenance.
Once the Accident happens, the book becomes a thrill ride. Things keep escalating, and I was constantly wondering where it was all going and how Tsamaase was going to end it. I needn't have worried. All of the threads come together nicely, and the ending was everything I hoped it would be.
I gather, from the author bio, that this is Tsamaase's first novel. It's an impressive debut, and makes me want to check out xer short fiction. Highly recommended!
Nelah is an architect in Botswana whose star is on the rise. Her marriage has seen better days, but it's hoped that her long-awaited daughter growing in a government lab may help patch things up. But then there's a terrible accident, a crime to cover it up, and a vengeful ghost … And that's just the beginning.
This book had me feeling off-balance at first, but turned into quite the ride. Nelah's emotions and fears come through with crystal clarity. Her life is under constant technological surveillance, with her very thoughts periodically examined for criminal tendencies. The world of Womb City is something of a Utopia, but only for a privileged few. And over the course of the book, we see the cost of its maintenance.
Once the Accident happens, the book becomes a thrill ride. Things keep escalating, and I was constantly wondering where it was all going and how Tsamaase was going to end it. I needn't have worried. All of the threads come together nicely, and the ending was everything I hoped it would be.
I gather, from the author bio, that this is Tsamaase's first novel. It's an impressive debut, and makes me want to check out xer short fiction. Highly recommended!
May 21, 2024
DNF @ 65%
Usually if I am going to DNF a book, it will be before the 50% mark.
This book has way too many things going on, which just ends up being a befuddling mess. When you create rules for your world then you kinda gotta stick to them. Nothing in this makes any kind of logical sense, nor is it good enough to suspend disbelief for. If you live in a futuristic world where you can choose to body hop into any kind of body - and that world is misogynistic, patriarchal, racist, classist, etc... Wouldn't everyone come back as a white man?!? Seriously, why would anyone want to be a woman, let alone a woman of color? Add in, none of the characters are likable. Then throw in ghosts, HEAVY religious tones and sin this, sin that, sin sin sin.
I stopped at 65% and then read the last chapter, which really just confirmed that there is no need to continue with this story. It's not going to get any better, things are not going to be explained, and ultimately, I have to wonder where the beta readers, arc readers, and/or editors were for this? It's terrible.
Usually if I am going to DNF a book, it will be before the 50% mark.
This book has way too many things going on, which just ends up being a befuddling mess. When you create rules for your world then you kinda gotta stick to them. Nothing in this makes any kind of logical sense, nor is it good enough to suspend disbelief for. If you live in a futuristic world where you can choose to body hop into any kind of body - and that world is misogynistic, patriarchal, racist, classist, etc... Wouldn't everyone come back as a white man?!? Seriously, why would anyone want to be a woman, let alone a woman of color? Add in, none of the characters are likable. Then throw in ghosts, HEAVY religious tones and sin this, sin that, sin sin sin.
I stopped at 65% and then read the last chapter, which really just confirmed that there is no need to continue with this story. It's not going to get any better, things are not going to be explained, and ultimately, I have to wonder where the beta readers, arc readers, and/or editors were for this? It's terrible.
June 3, 2025
I didn't think I would end up enjoying this book nearly as much as I did. It took its sweet time to really get going and the world building was kind of frustrating. It's also far longer than I like my books to be. But when things started moving and falling into place it all paid off and I fell in love with it. The techno and folk horror mix was amazing. The way the character grows through what's happening and the way you can't be certain of anything until the end it was just really well done.
Nelah is not an aspirational figure, she doesn't have it all figured out, her "feminism" isn't aspirational, she's a woman who's been handed a shoddy hand and she's trying to make it through a confusing situation where the stakes are high with a whole lot of bitterness, spite, copium and a sprinkle of love, she felt very real and I loved her for it.
Nelah is not an aspirational figure, she doesn't have it all figured out, her "feminism" isn't aspirational, she's a woman who's been handed a shoddy hand and she's trying to make it through a confusing situation where the stakes are high with a whole lot of bitterness, spite, copium and a sprinkle of love, she felt very real and I loved her for it.
June 21, 2024
While I liked the story and world overall, I can't help but admit that Womb City is an absolute mess.
This book is, somehow, both confusing and over-expository. It's long winded, repetitive, and at times, boring.
But there's a cool future here and I liked the commentary. The end was excellent, though I didn't quite like how long and winding the path was to get there.
I'll read more from this author for sure.
3 out of 5 stars
This book is, somehow, both confusing and over-expository. It's long winded, repetitive, and at times, boring.
But there's a cool future here and I liked the commentary. The end was excellent, though I didn't quite like how long and winding the path was to get there.
I'll read more from this author for sure.
3 out of 5 stars
December 12, 2023
2.5 stars
I felt very disappointed because I was so excited to read this book. However, it’s been hugely let down by what I believe to be a massive failure on the part of the editing team that’s made it almost completely unreadable. The premise is ingenious: with consciousness-transplanting technology, people are able to live multiple lifetimes by switching bodies, meaning that possessing a body is a commodity. People inhabiting bodies that have previously committed crimes are microchipped, like our protagonist Nelah. The interplay of family, identity, consciousness, and relationships within this societal framework is fascinating.
The problems I have with this book are primarily writing problems that were never fixed in the editing process. Horribly incorrect sentence structure and punctuation lead to lack of clarity in plot points. Informational dumping lasts for pages and is strangely placed in the middle of people’s conversations. The worldbuilding is extremely interesting but very clunky in its delivery. The main character continually rehashed plot points in her mind and how they made her feel, which became unbelievably repetitive. I think this book would have been a lot more effective if the worldbuilding and relationships were delivered more along the lines of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go,” where the reader is sort of forced to guess at why and how societal structures came to be, instead of being force-fed clumsy exposition. Again I think this could have been an absolutely incredible novel with some sentence-level edits and trimming, so it’s very disappointing to see such a promising novel under-deliver.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt very disappointed because I was so excited to read this book. However, it’s been hugely let down by what I believe to be a massive failure on the part of the editing team that’s made it almost completely unreadable. The premise is ingenious: with consciousness-transplanting technology, people are able to live multiple lifetimes by switching bodies, meaning that possessing a body is a commodity. People inhabiting bodies that have previously committed crimes are microchipped, like our protagonist Nelah. The interplay of family, identity, consciousness, and relationships within this societal framework is fascinating.
The problems I have with this book are primarily writing problems that were never fixed in the editing process. Horribly incorrect sentence structure and punctuation lead to lack of clarity in plot points. Informational dumping lasts for pages and is strangely placed in the middle of people’s conversations. The worldbuilding is extremely interesting but very clunky in its delivery. The main character continually rehashed plot points in her mind and how they made her feel, which became unbelievably repetitive. I think this book would have been a lot more effective if the worldbuilding and relationships were delivered more along the lines of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go,” where the reader is sort of forced to guess at why and how societal structures came to be, instead of being force-fed clumsy exposition. Again I think this could have been an absolutely incredible novel with some sentence-level edits and trimming, so it’s very disappointing to see such a promising novel under-deliver.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2024
Okay, I have just finished 400 pages and have no fucking clue what I just read. This is going to take some processing. Which I just realised is an AI joke.
My initial takeaway is that the hard SF elements (body-hopping, microchipped citizens, surveillance state) do not gel with the Afrofuturist elements (ancestral memory, primal feminine deities, non-binary pluralism) in a nearly coherent enough manner. Or maybe I am not leaning into its synthesis of AI and jujutech nearly hard enough?
If you're interested in the curveballs African speculative fiction continues to throw at the American dominated genre, Tsamaase is definitely a writer to watch.
My initial takeaway is that the hard SF elements (body-hopping, microchipped citizens, surveillance state) do not gel with the Afrofuturist elements (ancestral memory, primal feminine deities, non-binary pluralism) in a nearly coherent enough manner. Or maybe I am not leaning into its synthesis of AI and jujutech nearly hard enough?
If you're interested in the curveballs African speculative fiction continues to throw at the American dominated genre, Tsamaase is definitely a writer to watch.
March 7, 2024
رمان خوبیه که علمیتخیلی و فانتزی (فولکور و اسطورههای آفریقایی) رو با وحشت آمیخته و معجون خواندنیای در آورده. کار خیلی قویای نیست، ولی نسبتاً جذابه.
یه یادداشت خیلی مختصر هم در موردش تو اینستاگرام نوشتهام.
صفحه اینستاگرام
یه یادداشت خیلی مختصر هم در موردش تو اینستاگرام نوشتهام.
صفحه اینستاگرام
February 15, 2024
Something about this new batch of sci-fi coming out these days is just ..not good! The premise is always better than the execution and unfortunately this continued with that trend.
The premise makes you think this book is about a society where they can swap bodies with chip implants (think altered carbon) but this has caused women to be reduced back to a chattel status (if I’m understanding correctly). The main character hates her husband because he’s both controlling her and invading her privacy while she’s on her # whatever body that she’s been implanted into to have a child and start a family with him.
It IS about that and that isn’t bad but also??? There was just so much that was confusing about this and left on loose threads waiting to be explaining. If this man can read her memory, why is she cheating on him? To make matters worse, the man she’s cheating with ?? You’d think that this would be explained but it never is and it just goes downhill from there.
The fmc engages in so many idiotic decisions that it’s hard to understand why she’s doing any of the things she’s doing. It also gets hard to give a fuck when her life starts spiraling down the drain. She says it’s to break free of her life with her husband but is it???
If that wasn’t bad enough, the science that this is built on doesn’t make sense. Their bodies have time limits, and they’re essentially able to live forever if they have the money to continually swap bodies but that somehow has never impacted society? That’s continuing to reproduce???? With these bodies ??? Nor is it ever explained the mental issues that would probably arise from that.
The body swapping isn’t even the only issue in the story which is more of the problem. There’s too many social issues the author was trying to tackle and it ended up making ALL of them bad. We can’t be a jack of all trades in a stand alone story!
I get this was supposed to be a feminist …whatever but the mic got hijacked by social justice issue #2-5. It had too much over explaining of the world that it ended up not making a single shred of sense. Just when you felt like you nailed a concept, wrong! It’s actually this! Combined with this! It was exhausting and again made me not care by the end of it all.
I’m not saying everything has to make sense to make a good book bc I’m an adult and can suspend belief, but this book WASNT good and it definitely needed to pick a struggle!!
The premise makes you think this book is about a society where they can swap bodies with chip implants (think altered carbon) but this has caused women to be reduced back to a chattel status (if I’m understanding correctly). The main character hates her husband because he’s both controlling her and invading her privacy while she’s on her # whatever body that she’s been implanted into to have a child and start a family with him.
It IS about that and that isn’t bad but also??? There was just so much that was confusing about this and left on loose threads waiting to be explaining. If this man can read her memory, why is she cheating on him? To make matters worse, the man she’s cheating with ?? You’d think that this would be explained but it never is and it just goes downhill from there.
The fmc engages in so many idiotic decisions that it’s hard to understand why she’s doing any of the things she’s doing. It also gets hard to give a fuck when her life starts spiraling down the drain. She says it’s to break free of her life with her husband but is it???
If that wasn’t bad enough, the science that this is built on doesn’t make sense. Their bodies have time limits, and they’re essentially able to live forever if they have the money to continually swap bodies but that somehow has never impacted society? That’s continuing to reproduce???? With these bodies ??? Nor is it ever explained the mental issues that would probably arise from that.
The body swapping isn’t even the only issue in the story which is more of the problem. There’s too many social issues the author was trying to tackle and it ended up making ALL of them bad. We can’t be a jack of all trades in a stand alone story!
I get this was supposed to be a feminist …whatever but the mic got hijacked by social justice issue #2-5. It had too much over explaining of the world that it ended up not making a single shred of sense. Just when you felt like you nailed a concept, wrong! It’s actually this! Combined with this! It was exhausting and again made me not care by the end of it all.
I’m not saying everything has to make sense to make a good book bc I’m an adult and can suspend belief, but this book WASNT good and it definitely needed to pick a struggle!!
December 23, 2024
This is a dark & gory SF dystopia, with heavy accents of feminism, racism, culturalism.
Even though it has the potential to be great, I was bothered by the lack of world building, especially by the fact that the whole body-hopping/switching system was not very clear/coherent, at least for me, and also by the extensive unexplained use of Afrikaans, plus the big amounts of exposition/info dumps.
Triggers: rape, sexual and non-sexual exploitation.
Even though it has the potential to be great, I was bothered by the lack of world building, especially by the fact that the whole body-hopping/switching system was not very clear/coherent, at least for me, and also by the extensive unexplained use of Afrikaans, plus the big amounts of exposition/info dumps.
Triggers: rape, sexual and non-sexual exploitation.
July 8, 2023
Womb City, by Tlotlo Tsamaase, is definitely out of this world or, in our world, in the far, far, future- where consciousnesses can be floated between bodies. However when it (the body or, more definitively, the person in the body) has committed a crime, the worth of it (the body), is much less to the person going into it. Whether you are the original owner of the body or the next person in it (or the third or fourth user), the government has you keep the family of the original owner, no matter who exactly is in it now- be it man, woman, elder, or youth. And it seems like you have a few cycles which last around sixty or seventy years in each body you get. A very unique tale indeed-
In the time and place of Womb City, women are locked up, outpacing men at a rate. They are also subject to daily reviews by their husbands of everything they do and say- unable to have any secrets, made to be the "perfect" woman, something that, in the end, I am sure, most can never live up to. Men can choose to have their consciousness put into a woman’s body, if it is their choice (or if one thinks that kind of thing is even a choice), but they are then subject to their thoughts, everything they do, to be seen and used against them.
Then there is the yearly review which is how the main character of Womb City, Nelah, how her world finally crumbles. Because while Nelah has done everything she can to be perfect, especially after being in a body used twice before her, the first owner having been a convicted criminal, with a bionic arm that no one will tell her about (why it was lost from the previous owner), it is her future crimes that get her into trouble. And all this happens right as Nelah and her husband have obtained an artificial womb and their baby is to be born in several months. But, without Nelah’s freedom, who will pay for the rental of the artificial womb for her child? And if her husband won’t or can’t, will her child lose the perfect body she has been given only to be subject to a body that, like her own, has many things wrong with it and is judged harshly for it by the establishment? Have her consciousness ejected and subjected to something lesser because of parents who couldn't give her what she is due? Her own body?
Womb City is definitely a book set apart from others, an exciting and compelling read, set in future Botswana- where privacy is forgotten, forbidden for women, and bodies are interchangeable, but only for the wealthy. Womb City leaves readers with many questions and helps them find answers, as the book proceeds. Also, it deals with the issues of putting the cart before the horse when Nelah is deemed criminal because of a crime she would commit in the future, well, how can anyone say what a person might or might not do? Especially after it is made known to them that they could commit a future offense?
Thought provoking and adventurous, Womb City is a definite must read!
In the time and place of Womb City, women are locked up, outpacing men at a rate. They are also subject to daily reviews by their husbands of everything they do and say- unable to have any secrets, made to be the "perfect" woman, something that, in the end, I am sure, most can never live up to. Men can choose to have their consciousness put into a woman’s body, if it is their choice (or if one thinks that kind of thing is even a choice), but they are then subject to their thoughts, everything they do, to be seen and used against them.
Then there is the yearly review which is how the main character of Womb City, Nelah, how her world finally crumbles. Because while Nelah has done everything she can to be perfect, especially after being in a body used twice before her, the first owner having been a convicted criminal, with a bionic arm that no one will tell her about (why it was lost from the previous owner), it is her future crimes that get her into trouble. And all this happens right as Nelah and her husband have obtained an artificial womb and their baby is to be born in several months. But, without Nelah’s freedom, who will pay for the rental of the artificial womb for her child? And if her husband won’t or can’t, will her child lose the perfect body she has been given only to be subject to a body that, like her own, has many things wrong with it and is judged harshly for it by the establishment? Have her consciousness ejected and subjected to something lesser because of parents who couldn't give her what she is due? Her own body?
Womb City is definitely a book set apart from others, an exciting and compelling read, set in future Botswana- where privacy is forgotten, forbidden for women, and bodies are interchangeable, but only for the wealthy. Womb City leaves readers with many questions and helps them find answers, as the book proceeds. Also, it deals with the issues of putting the cart before the horse when Nelah is deemed criminal because of a crime she would commit in the future, well, how can anyone say what a person might or might not do? Especially after it is made known to them that they could commit a future offense?
Thought provoking and adventurous, Womb City is a definite must read!
July 8, 2023
"Why is it so easy to die?"
I really wanted to love this book, and while it was good, it didn't fully live up to what it could've been, in my opinion. For instance, this book makes many great points about the reality of womanhood today, but I wish it was told in a story I could love more.
The book is billed as "genre-bending" horror, but the first third of the book is whole-heartedly sci-fi, which makes the subsequent horror feel rather jarring in terms of readjusting to the narrative. In that purely sci-fi part, the exposition feels bumpy, to the point of being unclear, and does not allow you to really care about the characters. The character-building is what ultimately disappointed me the most. For example, it's hard for me to buy into a few of the main character's relationships. In fact, Nelah, the main character, feels a bit two-dimensional and sometimes her decisions don't feel authentic to the character; I actually found myself wishing the book was instead about a character we don't meet until halfway through.
The language also comes across very flowery at times, which is just not my cup of tea. There were times when it seemed to slow the plot down, and that really frustrated me. A lot of times, mundane descriptions are directly at odds with the urgency the main character should be experiencing. Finally, the main plot doesn't really start until roughly a third of the way through the book, which is something to consider if pacing is a concern for you.
There is a lot in this book that could be upsetting, so please check trigger warnings ahead of time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
I really wanted to love this book, and while it was good, it didn't fully live up to what it could've been, in my opinion. For instance, this book makes many great points about the reality of womanhood today, but I wish it was told in a story I could love more.
The book is billed as "genre-bending" horror, but the first third of the book is whole-heartedly sci-fi, which makes the subsequent horror feel rather jarring in terms of readjusting to the narrative. In that purely sci-fi part, the exposition feels bumpy, to the point of being unclear, and does not allow you to really care about the characters. The character-building is what ultimately disappointed me the most. For example, it's hard for me to buy into a few of the main character's relationships. In fact, Nelah, the main character, feels a bit two-dimensional and sometimes her decisions don't feel authentic to the character; I actually found myself wishing the book was instead about a character we don't meet until halfway through.
The language also comes across very flowery at times, which is just not my cup of tea. There were times when it seemed to slow the plot down, and that really frustrated me. A lot of times, mundane descriptions are directly at odds with the urgency the main character should be experiencing. Finally, the main plot doesn't really start until roughly a third of the way through the book, which is something to consider if pacing is a concern for you.
There is a lot in this book that could be upsetting, so please check trigger warnings ahead of time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
January 15, 2025
What a ride this was. I picked this up because of the description that said it was a mix of The Handmaid's Tale and Get Out, and that intrigued me. I don't know if I would say it is entirely accurate after finishing it, but I can see what I think they were going for in that comparison.
This book is a LOT. It's incredibly dense and detailed and just the societal structure and laws and rules felt overwhelming at times. Which, I'm assuming is intentional. If I felt overwhelmed by explanations of how suffocating and controlling and manipulative this society and technology is, how much worse is it to live in? Very effective.
But it's also very densely plotted, and EXCELLENTLY done. I listened to the audiobook for this, but also snagged the ebook so that I could read along at times when I need to really GET what was going on. This was set in a future Botswana, with technology that blends cultural/religious/ancestral beliefs with modern implants and functionality and bio-engineering, and the technological terminology mixed with local words/terms that I'm not familiar with, so the ebook really helped there. I loved listening to this, and the reader's narration was top notch, but seeing it was very helpful. I think immersive reading is the best way to experience this, honestly.
A LOT happens in this book, and I never knew where it was going to go. I never knew what to believe, I never knew what was real or what to trust, and that is all by design and expertly done. The characters were in the exact same boat with me, and seeing this all through Nelah's eyes was the perfect choice. She's both trustworthy and untrustworthy at the same time, and I loved loved loved the nuance and blending of what the reader could believe from her. Neither of us ever knew what was real. It was great.
The central plot of this book is centered around horrific misogyny and abuse and control, so it is not for the faint of heart. I don't recall if there was a trigger warning section for this, but if so, it should be a mile long. This was brutal and violent and gory as well as socially violent, so I cannot recommend it for everyone, but at the same time, I feel like this should be read by everyone.
The ending, meaning the resolution, is a bit of a toss-up for me. On the one hand, I think it was really good, and apt, and an appropriate ending for the story that built up to it. But on the other hand, it was a little rushed and wish-fulfillment-y. I would have liked a bit more of a realistic humanist ending. Honestly, I think that's all I'll say on that. I don't want to give anything away.
Still, this was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it... with caveats.
This book is a LOT. It's incredibly dense and detailed and just the societal structure and laws and rules felt overwhelming at times. Which, I'm assuming is intentional. If I felt overwhelmed by explanations of how suffocating and controlling and manipulative this society and technology is, how much worse is it to live in? Very effective.
But it's also very densely plotted, and EXCELLENTLY done. I listened to the audiobook for this, but also snagged the ebook so that I could read along at times when I need to really GET what was going on. This was set in a future Botswana, with technology that blends cultural/religious/ancestral beliefs with modern implants and functionality and bio-engineering, and the technological terminology mixed with local words/terms that I'm not familiar with, so the ebook really helped there. I loved listening to this, and the reader's narration was top notch, but seeing it was very helpful. I think immersive reading is the best way to experience this, honestly.
A LOT happens in this book, and I never knew where it was going to go. I never knew what to believe, I never knew what was real or what to trust, and that is all by design and expertly done. The characters were in the exact same boat with me, and seeing this all through Nelah's eyes was the perfect choice. She's both trustworthy and untrustworthy at the same time, and I loved loved loved the nuance and blending of what the reader could believe from her. Neither of us ever knew what was real. It was great.
The central plot of this book is centered around horrific misogyny and abuse and control, so it is not for the faint of heart. I don't recall if there was a trigger warning section for this, but if so, it should be a mile long. This was brutal and violent and gory as well as socially violent, so I cannot recommend it for everyone, but at the same time, I feel like this should be read by everyone.
The ending, meaning the resolution, is a bit of a toss-up for me. On the one hand, I think it was really good, and apt, and an appropriate ending for the story that built up to it. But on the other hand, it was a little rushed and wish-fulfillment-y. I would have liked a bit more of a realistic humanist ending. Honestly, I think that's all I'll say on that. I don't want to give anything away.
Still, this was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it... with caveats.
December 7, 2024
What just happened... That was one insanely macabre book. Ok need to recover.
February 23, 2025
I've never read a genre pivot quite like this. Womb City begins in an engrossing and uncomfortably familiar gender dystopia, somewhere between Minority Report and Handmaid's Tale. But soon enough it jumps tracks, pivoting into a digital haunting, with a vengeful spirit who tracks by DNA and your online paper trail. One of the coolest books I've read in a long time.
January 9, 2024
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2024 - in fact, I requested the book on NetGalley quite a few months back, so I’m incredibly sad to say that I wasn’t as into it as I expected to be.
Given my own background, I'm always on the lookout for books by people of cultures and nations not my own. Normally, I’m rewarded with amazing stories. Unfortunately, Womb City, despite its to-die-for cover and awesome premise, just didn’t work for me.
In truth, I only read 50%, so I can’t comment on the climax or wrapping up of the story arcs, but I also feel I read enough to provide a review, at least so you folks can see whether it is something you’d be interested in trying.
Three things failed to keep my interest in the story. The first is that the worldbuilding consists of a large mishmash of sci-fi concepts, some of which were rooted in realism and some that seemed fantastical. As such, when the latter showed up, it made me wary of the more realistic aspects. Likewise, because there were so many (to be clear, awesome) ideas in this novel, none felt fleshed out enough because they were competing for space. If you like a broad collection of sci-fi tropes and concepts in your book, you might like this, though!
The second reason I wasn’t into it was because the main character isn’t very consistent and at times acts in ways that don’t make sense for her character. I understand that she can’t leave her husband because it’ll screw up her social standing (it’s related to the consciousness-swapping thing as well as overall sexism and patriarchy) and because he would react violently, but cheating on him seems like that will also cause his wrath ... so not sure why she felt the need to fool around with that guy (especially as it doesn’t seem they love one another - it’s not a forbidden romance by any means). Likewise, she’s also self-proportedly obsessed with having a baby and needing money for it, but instead of working, she spends all her time with her side-piece. I was completely befuddled by her choices and actions and found her unsympathetic in most aspects, though the point the novel was making about systemic prejudice and the deck being stacked against certain people in society was an important and poignant point. I just wish it had been extrapolated on with more nuance or perhaps with a character I didn't find a bit frustrating.
The last aspect had to do with the pacing and writing. The horror aspects of the story don’t start until after the midway point; in fact, they were just starting when I gave up reading. Tied to the worldbuilding from above, certain aspects are over-explained while others are glossed over, and there’s quite a bit of info-dumping ... yet, I was also never entirely sure the situation of the world, Botswana, or even details about the main character’s life.
In truth, I think this book has a lot of great things going for it concept and theme-wise (the commodification of bodies, feminism, identity, the state and its control, systemic prejudice), but it just needed some tightening and perhaps another developmental edit.
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2024 - in fact, I requested the book on NetGalley quite a few months back, so I’m incredibly sad to say that I wasn’t as into it as I expected to be.
Given my own background, I'm always on the lookout for books by people of cultures and nations not my own. Normally, I’m rewarded with amazing stories. Unfortunately, Womb City, despite its to-die-for cover and awesome premise, just didn’t work for me.
In truth, I only read 50%, so I can’t comment on the climax or wrapping up of the story arcs, but I also feel I read enough to provide a review, at least so you folks can see whether it is something you’d be interested in trying.
Three things failed to keep my interest in the story. The first is that the worldbuilding consists of a large mishmash of sci-fi concepts, some of which were rooted in realism and some that seemed fantastical. As such, when the latter showed up, it made me wary of the more realistic aspects. Likewise, because there were so many (to be clear, awesome) ideas in this novel, none felt fleshed out enough because they were competing for space. If you like a broad collection of sci-fi tropes and concepts in your book, you might like this, though!
The second reason I wasn’t into it was because the main character isn’t very consistent and at times acts in ways that don’t make sense for her character. I understand that she can’t leave her husband because it’ll screw up her social standing (it’s related to the consciousness-swapping thing as well as overall sexism and patriarchy) and because he would react violently, but cheating on him seems like that will also cause his wrath ... so not sure why she felt the need to fool around with that guy (especially as it doesn’t seem they love one another - it’s not a forbidden romance by any means). Likewise, she’s also self-proportedly obsessed with having a baby and needing money for it, but instead of working, she spends all her time with her side-piece. I was completely befuddled by her choices and actions and found her unsympathetic in most aspects, though the point the novel was making about systemic prejudice and the deck being stacked against certain people in society was an important and poignant point. I just wish it had been extrapolated on with more nuance or perhaps with a character I didn't find a bit frustrating.
The last aspect had to do with the pacing and writing. The horror aspects of the story don’t start until after the midway point; in fact, they were just starting when I gave up reading. Tied to the worldbuilding from above, certain aspects are over-explained while others are glossed over, and there’s quite a bit of info-dumping ... yet, I was also never entirely sure the situation of the world, Botswana, or even details about the main character’s life.
In truth, I think this book has a lot of great things going for it concept and theme-wise (the commodification of bodies, feminism, identity, the state and its control, systemic prejudice), but it just needed some tightening and perhaps another developmental edit.
December 10, 2024
If an identity crisis was a book, it would be Womb City -- part women's fiction with relationship drama and commentary on motherhood, part murder thriller when [redacted] gets [redacted], part broody cyberpunk with cool technology, then in the third act supernatural elements are introduced....idk, there were just too many incompatible ingredients in the soup. HOWEVER, i read this with friends and i did have a good time simply because there are so many wtf moments to talk about. if you're gonna read this, read it with a buddy! you'll be confused, but you definitely won't be bored 😅
February 26, 2024
3.5 stars rounded down. Almost 4 star worthy, I will amuse myself by saying this is a mash up of 1984, Hitchcock and The Handmaids Tale. One of the reasons I did not give it 4 stars is that Tsamaase is all over the place. Large sections of pyschological thriller, other futuristic dystopia parts and above all a commentary about men being crappy men.
Tsamaase got a bit too repetitive with the mother/daughter theme(s) and there were parts where I had no idea what was happening. It was a very worthwhile read and I hope others read it but it could have been a bit more coherent.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC
Tsamaase got a bit too repetitive with the mother/daughter theme(s) and there were parts where I had no idea what was happening. It was a very worthwhile read and I hope others read it but it could have been a bit more coherent.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC
January 31, 2024
Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase is definitely a very unique story. This is a sci-fi/horror/dystopian novel. Very interesting and intriguing premise. I liked this book well enough.
From the very beginning the story was very slow and I couldn't get into it. But from the middle the pace became very fast, and even faster at the end. I feel like I didn't have enough time to enjoy it.
Also, if someone is looking for a horror story, it only starts in the middle and then goes downhill.
The author brought up so many topics in his story that I think it would have been better if at least a few of them had been selected to continue to focus on them.
The main character Nelah was somehow inconsistent, her behavior was confusing. Perhaps this probably was the intention of the author. Theres so very little about world building. There are many events which happen so fast that there is no time to experience emotions.
Lots of trigger warnings to be aware of!
3.5 star rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the audio book.
From the very beginning the story was very slow and I couldn't get into it. But from the middle the pace became very fast, and even faster at the end. I feel like I didn't have enough time to enjoy it.
Also, if someone is looking for a horror story, it only starts in the middle and then goes downhill.
The author brought up so many topics in his story that I think it would have been better if at least a few of them had been selected to continue to focus on them.
The main character Nelah was somehow inconsistent, her behavior was confusing. Perhaps this probably was the intention of the author. Theres so very little about world building. There are many events which happen so fast that there is no time to experience emotions.
Lots of trigger warnings to be aware of!
3.5 star rounded up.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the audio book.
January 15, 2024
This book fills all the boxes… Sci-fi, Mythology, Cyberpunk, Dystopian, Political thriller, Mystery, Horror, Family Drama and yes, even romance. This book took a little bit of effort to get off the ground but once it found its groove, I was totally invested in the outcome. The book centers on Nelah, an architect on her second 100-year lifespan trying to live life in a body that comes with issues. Issue one, fertility. Issue two, a family that didn’t want or expect to see their daughter’s body with a new consciousness inserted. Issue three, a surveillance chip that records everything she sees and does so that her husband and the state can keep an eye on her and what she’s up to. Just when the reader is adjusted to this strange world of Nelah’s, a catastrophic event launches her into the main story and doesn’t let up until the last page. While I think the prose and the story make this book shine, I think it takes a little bit of concentration to make it to the main action. I could see people DNF’ing the book because the beginning is hard and well, the whole story is filled with almost every trigger known to man. This book reads more like a horror novel set in a science fiction world so I think fans of scary things that are looking for something new will dig this book. Fans of dystopian or feminist science fiction will also enjoy this new addition into the genre.
I won a Goodreads giveaway for an advanced copy of this book. This book is set to be released on 1/23/24 so if it sounds like something you would like, head to your local independent bookstore or library to reserve a copy today.
I won a Goodreads giveaway for an advanced copy of this book. This book is set to be released on 1/23/24 so if it sounds like something you would like, head to your local independent bookstore or library to reserve a copy today.
June 17, 2023
I received an early reader copy for this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I was absolutely mind blown with this one! It takes it time to build up the world and introducing characters before we get to the event that works as the catalyst for the plot. After that the author throws everything and the kitchen sink to the plot, and yet it still works. There's so many big twists and plot points that the story constantly balances on the edge of becoming ridiculous, but by the seer talent of the author and by xer writing skills I'm willing to believe everything she tells me. Honestly by the end of the book xe could have been like "The government is actually dinosaurs cosplaying as humans to overthrow humanity." and I would have been like that makes total sense!
Body hopping feminist science fiction ghost story about racism and misogyny what more can you want from a book?
I will be recommending this to everyone I come across and will definitely be checking out all of the authors future work. Womb City already has a place on my favorite works of fiction.
Ps. Who ever approved my NetGalley request to read this book I hope you're getting your ass ate tonight.
I was absolutely mind blown with this one! It takes it time to build up the world and introducing characters before we get to the event that works as the catalyst for the plot. After that the author throws everything and the kitchen sink to the plot, and yet it still works. There's so many big twists and plot points that the story constantly balances on the edge of becoming ridiculous, but by the seer talent of the author and by xer writing skills I'm willing to believe everything she tells me. Honestly by the end of the book xe could have been like "The government is actually dinosaurs cosplaying as humans to overthrow humanity." and I would have been like that makes total sense!
Body hopping feminist science fiction ghost story about racism and misogyny what more can you want from a book?
I will be recommending this to everyone I come across and will definitely be checking out all of the authors future work. Womb City already has a place on my favorite works of fiction.
Ps. Who ever approved my NetGalley request to read this book I hope you're getting your ass ate tonight.
July 7, 2025
4.0/5
“Murder is a toxic beauty against the sky’s skin.”
“Guilt is a guillotine.”
“Murder is a toxic beauty against the sky’s skin.”
“Guilt is a guillotine.”
dnf
September 22, 2023DNF @ 60%
I'm both surprised and devastated not to have liked this title. I really thought I would; everything about it sounds right up my alley. And while there was a lot I liked--the worldbuilding was fascinating (if its delivery often convoluted and repetitive), the questions it posed even more so--unfortunately, I just couldn't connect. I nearly dropped it at about 25% but persevered, hoping it would pick up after the accident described in the blurb--which it did!--but ultimately it reached a point where I was picking it up out of obligation rather than a desire to keep reading, and the 'time left in book' on my kindle filled me with dread.
I think it's a combination of 'it's not you, it's me' and the book having some actual flaws that could have been ironed out. The prose and dialogue style didn't work for me, but I know they were one of the draws for people who enjoyed the book; this is a preference issue. However, I do think the book was seriously under-edited. As I've mentioned, the complex worldbuilding was delivered in ways which were confusing, convoluted and also over-expository, and there were times where information was delivered in the same way (sometimes with near identical phrasing) multiple times at different points in the book. There were big blocks of exposition that really needed trimming down; in the first act particularly, but even later on.
I find it hard to say whether I recommend this title or not. I couldn't get into it, but I do think for the right reader it would be a great read, with a lot to recommend it. If the premise sound interesting I'd say to give the first few chapters a try; I think it'll be obvious quickly whether it's for you or not.
Thank you regardless to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I'm both surprised and devastated not to have liked this title. I really thought I would; everything about it sounds right up my alley. And while there was a lot I liked--the worldbuilding was fascinating (if its delivery often convoluted and repetitive), the questions it posed even more so--unfortunately, I just couldn't connect. I nearly dropped it at about 25% but persevered, hoping it would pick up after the accident described in the blurb--which it did!--but ultimately it reached a point where I was picking it up out of obligation rather than a desire to keep reading, and the 'time left in book' on my kindle filled me with dread.
I think it's a combination of 'it's not you, it's me' and the book having some actual flaws that could have been ironed out. The prose and dialogue style didn't work for me, but I know they were one of the draws for people who enjoyed the book; this is a preference issue. However, I do think the book was seriously under-edited. As I've mentioned, the complex worldbuilding was delivered in ways which were confusing, convoluted and also over-expository, and there were times where information was delivered in the same way (sometimes with near identical phrasing) multiple times at different points in the book. There were big blocks of exposition that really needed trimming down; in the first act particularly, but even later on.
I find it hard to say whether I recommend this title or not. I couldn't get into it, but I do think for the right reader it would be a great read, with a lot to recommend it. If the premise sound interesting I'd say to give the first few chapters a try; I think it'll be obvious quickly whether it's for you or not.
Thank you regardless to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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