(Buy Womb City here | Audiobook)
How do I even begin? Set in Futuristic Botswana, there's microchips, multiple life spans, and a murderous ghost. If you like science fiction that requires you to buckle in for the ride, then Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase is for you!
About the Book:
Womb City is set in a futuristic Botswana where crime is practically non-existent, citizens live multiple life spans for hundreds of years, hopping from one body to the next, and owners of criminal bodies are microchipped for their own and society's safety.
Nelah seems to have everything going for her, a wonderful policeman husband, a great career in architecture, and a nice home. However, things aren't as they seem. Nelah has miscarried several times and desperately wants a baby. Her marriage has gone cold and she hopes having a baby will bring her and Elifasu back together. Things seem to be working out when they are able to afford a wombcubator to grow their next child outside of Nelah's body.
However, everything goes to shit when Nelah commits a desperate crime after a car accident. Now to save herself and her unborn child, she needs to get her hands even dirty, all while uncovering the truth of their country.
"'Surviving the game, and the cost is cheaper than if you stayed a Samaritan in the lower caste of society to be fucked by the government and these discriminatory policies that only serve the upper echelons.' . . . .'When pushed far enough, monsters reveal themselves within us just as it has in you.'" (Tsamaase 239, 241)
My Thoughts:
It's hard to even properly describe this book because the world building is so intricate that you need to be immersed in it yourself to understand. It took a while to get into the story because the world is similar and yet so completely different from our own world. Eventually, I stopped trying to read and understand every aspect of this world and just went with the flow. Instead, I focused on the characters who are incredibly raw, flawed, and yet relatable.
While reading this over 400 page book, the drama felt never-ending, but not in a bad way. Just when I thought "okay, it can't get any crazier..." It did! Following as Nelah and the other characters unravel the depth of the corruption and depravity in their society was a total mind-f*ck. Yet, too interesting to put down. Once, I got back first third of the book, I was IN!
"Why must we always die in order to be seen? I rise for all the dead women, killed for unrighteous beliefs."
Making sense of all of the moving parts and each person's part in the corruption was a little confusing but when it all clicked and came together, I was genuinely shocked! The ending is surreal and somehow hopeful (with a "question mark"). Only in Womb City can murder bring peace.
There were some long-winded, overally description parts of the book that didn't feel like they necessarily added to the reading experience, so I found myself skimming a little. Overall, a highly unique read that makes powerful commentary about how society treats women and their bodies as disposable. In the end, women get revenge and I can't be mad about that.
"Murder hangs in the air, like fine, sweet mist. Now, more than ever, we are Xem, and we women will be powerful, invincible warriors and horrifyingly untouchable. In our city, everyone lives forever. We are perfect; we are pure."
Pick up Womb City today at Tuma's Books, Bookshop, Libro.fm, or your local library. Brace yourself for the ride!
