I am in awe of this story fixed my minor issue with the first one and excelled at keeping me on edge. Awe I say. I need to read more Tochi Onyebuchi asap.

Rebel sisters is an epic read following War girls by Tochi Onyebuchi. It was fast paced, heart wrenching and full of twists and turns. I enjoyed this story and the narration just as much as the first book. Powerful and entrancing

This is an incredible followup to the first book and really expands on the aftermath of war and the world building of this sci fi world as well. The intertwining of history with fantasy was really mesmerizing and the fantasy elements served to enhance many relevant points the author makes about war and the aftermath of it on people who are left to pick up the pieces of devastation. Seeing the characters cross paths and have their narratives intertwine was also really interesting. I enjoyed the newer additions to the cast and was pleasantly surprised with how easily I took to them in one book. Wonderful followup!

After the Biafran war, Iffy is a high ranking medical officer living in the space colonies and is in charge of curing a deadly disease that has put hundreds of people into a coma. Uzo is a synth in Nigeria helping Xifeng collect data on the Biafran war. Their paths end up crossing when Iffy is sent back to her homeland, searching for the answer for the cure of the disease. This book realistically discusses trauma and dealing with the past. The way this book brings in old characters from the first book and connects them into this book in an intricate web is impressive. The strong female main characters that are both complex and well developed make the story even better. The only problem I had while reading this was the pacing felt a bit off and was hard to follow sometimes. Overall I found this book enjoyable and it was a great addition to the story that was started in War Girls.

This is a book that is meant to be savored. I’m a fast reader. It’s very common for me to finish a 300-page book in a day (maybe two). However, every once and again a book comes along that I must force myself to fully absorb. And I am happy to say that Rebel Sisters was one.

If you don’t know, Rebel Sisters is the sequel to Tochi Onyebuchi’s highly acclaimed War Girls. Which follows girl genius Ify and her older sister Onyi through the trials of the Biafran war. Through a series of events, the sisters end up on opposing sides of the war. If you want to read more about it here’s the link


I truly had a lot of fun reading this book, Tochi killed it.

Full disclaimer: I didn’t like War Girls. There was nothing bad, it was just too character-driven for my taste at that time. There was no exact storyline, the entire book we're just following the journey of Ify and Onyi. Which was fine for the first half of the book, but as soon I passed the halfway mark of the book I started to lost interest. And ultimately I just stopped reading. However, after reading Rebel Sisters, I’m considering going back because this book was simply too good.

Again I received an arc of this book, so I’ve yet to read the final version. For that reason, I’m not going to go into detail about the story itself. I’m just going give a general nonspoiler review.

Characters

Like War Girls, Rebel Sisters follows two perspectives; instead of Ify and Onyi, this time around we follow Ify and Uzo, a Synth on a quest to recover her past.

It’s been four years since the Biafran War, and Ify has now taken refuge in a space colony where she is working to complete her doctor training. She is still haunted by the war, she has lost all the people she once called family. Despite being on her own, she seems to have found some footing, she’s a doctor and a damn good one. And she’s determined to do good in the world.
But being a young West African immigrant in White ran colony there’s a lot of passive racism working against her. She doesn’t tell anyone about her past, in fact, she’s become deadset on reinventing herself entirely. Only it’s not as easy as it sounds, she can’t escape who she is and what she’s been through. So when a deadly virus attacks the colony she is forced to return to Nigeria and herself. Ify has very much evolved since the last book, wherein War Girls she was very bright-eyed and naive, in Rebel Sisters she’s become more realist. She sees the world as it is and not as she hopes it be. Not only that, but she’s very much come into her power, she’s not waiting for anyone’s approval or affirmation. But most impressively of all, she’s not hopeless. Given all that she’s been through I would understand if she was, but on the contrary, she’s still set on making the world a better place. Which is all she’s ever wanted. If I liked her in War Girls, I loved her in Rebel Sisters.

Uzo is a mystery, she doesn’t know who she is or where she’s from. All she has is a series of memories that don’t belong to her, a deadly skillset she can’t seem to get a handle of, and the name of a girl she can’t remember: Ify.
I absolutely loved reading Uzo’s perspective. I don’t want to gush, but girl was bomb. I will say her mystery was predictable, still it was fun watching her unravel herself.

Plot

Unlike War Girls, Rebel Sisters is very plot driven. Ify must find the cause and thus cure for the virus that rapidly killing children, whereas

Again I don’t want to go into the plot because I didn’t read the final version, so I going to speak more on the general theme. This book was a study of memory and trauma. How often we as a society are willing to erase traumatic memories in the aftermath for the sake of appearances. But doing so only hinders our growth. We see that with Ify as she actively trying to erase herself. And Uzo, who has lost her memories and must now spend her life trying to recover.

Also, the aftermath of war, in general, is a heavy theme in this book and it was very heart-wrenching. What does one do after fighting a war for years? What does a country after being war-torn for decades? What is the recuperation period?
This is often glossed in fiction, but it’s a heavy topic that I hope to see more of.

Writing Style

Tochi is one of the few writers I have read that has mastered the balance of science and fantasy. Sci-fi as a genre can be very technical at times, all machinery and the jargon can be a headache to keep up with. Yet, not once with Rebel Sisters or War Girls did I feel overwhelmed or intimidated. And understanding how augments and synths work was just

Worldbuilding

Rebel Sisters is mainly set in a futuristic Nigeria, and thus there’s a prevalent influence of Nigerian culture. Yet, there’s no long exposition on how and why things work. You’re just thrown in, and you just got to roll with. Now, this may be a turnoff for some people, so fair warning; I loved it. I’m not fond of expositional worldbuilding, it can be done well by the right author, but oftentimes it just bogs the story down.

As for the Nigerian influence of the story, I loved being immersed in. When it comes to nonwestern cultures there’s a frustrating tendency, particularly in YA, to over-explain everything; food, religion, clothing, you name it they explain it. It’s the unsubtle othering of Black and Brown culture and it irks my soul, you don’t have to tell me what jollof rice is. I appreciate being given the benefit of doubt.

In this action-packed sequel to War Girls, Rebel Sisters follows the life of Ify, now a doctor living in the Space Colonies, and Uzo, a young synth helping to preserve the memories of those deceased in Nigeria. Their contrasting lives end up intersecting when Ify has to travel back to Nigeria to find the cure for a virus that is infecting refugee children in her hospital. But when Ify returns to Nigeria, nothing is as it seems.

I found this novel to be more captivating than the first. Onyebuchi has created two main characters who are intriguing in their own right with complex histories. I was interested to see where the novel would take both Ify and Uzo separately and also how they would come together. It's also great to see how much Ify has grown since the events of War Girls. Years have passed and she's been able to make a whole new life for herself while living with the trauma and abandonment of her past.
Uzo has a very unique voice. I like how the author evolved Uzo's voice as she became more self-aware, taking in the world around her and grew into her own person.

Onyebuchi is also a master world builder. I didn’t think there would be a lot of world-building in this novel because it's a sequel, but the author had me in awe of the Space Colonies. I felt like a kid watching Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century again with how futuristic everything was. I was also interested in how Nigeria had changed after the war. While the Space Colonies are positioned to be more advanced than Earth, the technology in Nigeria is still something to marvel at.

Through this novel, Onyebuchi is able to convey how there is no straight and happy line to recovery after war and devastation. The reality is that some can move forward (not without struggle) and others will be haunted. He is able to demonstrate how shared events can lead to shared trauma, but that no one can be expected to react in the same way. He also has brought in elements of white savior-ism and imperialism, and I appreciate how many parallels can be drawn between what western powers have done during times of war in the past and the events in this book.

This story took place five years after the Biafran War, and we can now see Ify as a high-ranking medical officer who dedicated her life, helping people rebuild the colonies. She was doing fine and all until she has to face the fact that she must go back to the place she has sworn she will not see again to help find what is causing the virus outrage and the cure. It is true that no matter how much you tried to move on and escape the hardship of the past, it will find its way back to you, and this is a perfect example of that belief. I mean, if it’s not the war we have to deal with, it’s a mysterious virus…sounds like a Deja Vu. Anyway, Ify will cross path with Uzo, who lives in Nigeria and coping with the war’s result. I am mesmerized that even though this book falls under science fiction, there’s also many historical facts. So while we were relearning history and all, we are also presented with innovative probabilities. And the author once again has proven that imagination is endless and powerful. The characters are likable; the plot is brilliant. This is one of those sequels you cannot miss!

Thank you so much Penguin Teen / Penguin Young Readers for my review copy in exchanged for my unbiased review!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this great book! Rebel Sisters is the sequel to War Girls, and it continues Ify's story after the events in the first book. Ify is now living in the Space Colonies, and she is struggling to deal with her past in the Biafran War. Ify's story alternates with the story of a synth named Uzo who is living in Nigeria and dealing with the aftermath of the war there. The two storylines converge and the characters are intertwined in some interesting and unexpected ways. As in the first book, the worldbuilding is incredible, and in this one, I especially thought that the world of the Space Colonies was incredibly well designed and fleshed out. I enjoyed continuing to get to know Ify, and meeting other characters who were also dynamic and sympathetic. I love the ways that the science fiction elements are intertwined with the real historical elements in this series, and I think it is a great way for readers to learn about the Biafran War, while also enjoying a cool science fiction universe. Highly recommend!

I found that, like War Girls, the writing was very good and the world building was really intriguing. However, I didn't feel that the characters were at a bit of a remove - I had a bit of a hard time feeling in touch with even the main cast, and much of the time I didn't feel that they were particularly connected with each other. The pacing also a bit uneven, and I'm not entirely certain that I fully tracked everything that was going on in the plot (perhaps due to the layout?). Overall, it felt like a pretty long way to go to tie up loose ends from the first book, and I had the sense that it was put together from a group of puzzle pieces which happened to fit but didn't really form a coherent picture.

There are some very important, timely themes in this book as it deals with the fallout of war and refugee crises, as well as privilege.

However, I just couldn't get into the plot. The main issue was that the second of the two alternating POVs was in first person while Ify's POV was in third. The constant first-third switch was so jarring, even though I knew what was coming. Plus the two POVs were not linked - I have a suspicion of how they might become linked by the end, but I wasn't going to read to the end to see whether and how they did connect.

Then there was the prose style of the second POV - it was in present continuous tense, lots of gerunds. <em>I am doing X, I am making. He is [verb]ing</em>. I think it was a deliberate choice to separate the synths from the human characters, but it feels really passive and removed from the action. It was like have a massive sheet of glass between me and the character because there was this -ing verb strucutre that meant I couldn't get into their head, just observing - which is very rare in a first person set up.

This -ing issue also combined with the fact that I think this character was able to absorb memories? I'm not sure exactly what was happening, but I think some of the things they saw were other people's memories? As you can see, I couldn't work it out, and it meant that I couldn't tell if the action was real or other's memories.

Rebel Sisters is a story about the importance of the past as we move forward. A central question asked throughout the book, is how do we move on from trauma, from wars, from a world that isn't our own anymore. Onyebuchi presents a clever perspective on the future of connectivity and the dangers it could pose. The ways it can be used for knowledge, but also erasure. At the same time, Rebel Sisters asks us if people can change, if we are defined by our mistakes, and if we can move on as individuals.


Rebel Sisters examines the lies we tell other people, the fake stories we bring forth from the shadows. During the book, it also discuses the role of our past as a person and as a country. How can we strike a balance between recognizing the past, while not being consumed by it? And by our role in the bloodshed. I am consistently fascinated and in awe of Onyebchi's worldbuilding and ideas. Rebel Sisters is no different.

It’s been too long since I indulged in some #sciencefiction. I’m really glad this is the title that broke my fast.

Didn’t realize this was a series when I started this read. But having not read the first did not diminish my reading. I do want to read the first one now as well tho.

Good sci-fi uses current cultural and political unrest to create fantasy societies and science that are remarkably relevant.

Rebel Sisters does just that and does it so well! You’re going to get colonization, immigrants, oppression, and war. Plus there are eerie, unsettling moments that you only get with Sci-Fi. The descriptions of a too perfect cul-de-sac gave me chills. Finally, I must mention the women in this book made me feel empowered. Definitely recommend!

I received an early copy of this title from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this book by its visually stunning cover. Unfortunately (for me), this seems to be one of those books where it is vitally important to read the first book in the series ("War Girls") Iffy is a dynamic and likeable character. I did not get all the way through this book, but I do plan on buying "War Girls" and THEN revisiting "Rebel Sisters". The second major character, Uzo, (a "synth") was even more enjoyable. The chapters that were told from her viewpoint were lyrical and engaging. It is so great to read a science fiction/fantasy book set in Africa and told from the standpoint of people of color. Excellent!

I liked the story and the characters in this book. However, I sometimes had trouble following the plot; at times it felt rambling and just seemed too long overall. I particularly struggled with the present tense in this book. I think sometimes it can really work, but I think I would have been more connected to this story if it were written in past tense. Given the way Uzo speaks and seems to perceive the world, though, I can understand why present tense was chosen for this book (as well as keeping it standardized with the present tense in the first book).