ARC REVIEW: I received this audiobook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Womb City
Series: N/A
Author: Tlotlo Tsamaase
Genres: Sci-fi, Horror, Thriller
Publishing Date: 23 January 2024
CW: Misogyny, Body horror, Gore, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Gun violence
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Read if you’re looking for:
- An afrofuturism & horror tale set in Botswana, by a Motswana author
- Themes of misogyny, colonialism, bodily autonomy, & wealth inequality
- Murderous ghosts
- Consciousness transfer between bodies
- A vengeful god
- A “good for her” ending
This is the debut novel from Tsamaase. It’s set in a near-future Botswana, where people can purchase a new body for their consciousness to be transferred into after their current lifetime runs its course. However, people do not retain the memories of their previous lifetimes. Additionally, some people, oftentimes criminals but also many women, have a microchip inserted into their nervous system that monitors them at all times and reports any possible crime or infraction they may commit. Our main character, Nelah, is chipped and being monitored by her police officer husband, all the while attempting to conceal an affair with a wealthy businessman. When Nelah and her lover commit an accidental crime, it sets off a dark series of events, uncovering corruption, nepotism, and nefarious plots, as well as setting a murderous ghost on their trail.
This book is very hard to define or describe without giving spoilers. It’s a genre mash-up that includes sci-fi, speculative & dystopian fiction, afrofuturism, fantasy, and horror. The writing really reminded me of Rosewater by Tade Thompson (which I loved), being eerie and unsettling, yet engrossing. Tsamaase is incredibly creative, bringing in so many new ideas and weaving them together with socio-political issues, including misogyny, colonialism, racism, surveillance by the government, bodily autonomy, & wealth inequality. This is where my main criticism comes in: there was so much going on that sometimes it was confusing or felt convoluted, particularly in the middle third of the book. However, Tsamaase pulled all the strings together by the end, with a satisfying ending. I also felt that the audiobook narrator, Christel Mutombo, did a great job. Although your mileage may vary, I had a great time with this book, and I would recommend it for readers who enjoy dystopian and speculative fiction, and other afrofuturistic stories, like those from Tade Thompson or Nnedi Okorafor.
