I really liked the tone and the writing style in this! The opening was a bit slow – I felt like I had to slog through 70 pages of the same things being told over and over again. Nelah’s pain and helplessness in the face of her reality are raw and palpable, and I felt for her in a visceral way.

Overall, I think this was a very good book, just not for me.

Body-hopping, microchips, murder

Wow, what a wild ride this book was!
A slow-burn to start while introducing the characters and building the storyline however from the 30% mark it became harder and harder to put down.

We follow Nelah who is a microchipped woman married to a policeman who feels intimidated by her success. After becoming unhappy in her marriage she finds warmth and excitement in another man. One drug-fuelled night together ends in an accident that takes away an innocent life. A life that does not die when the victim’s heart stops.

The author’s beautiful writing captures what it is like to be a woman in a male’s world with all odds stacked against you. With elements including horror and gore it also depicts the impact of race, class and privilege and holds the readers attention until the very end.

This is a story that you will be thinking about even afterward you’ve closed the book.

“I only want to be free. To live freely”

The content notice at the start of the book is much appreciated as this story depicts some topics that may be a trigger to some.

Mind bending sci-fi! There is a lot going on in this book.

I just reviewed Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase. #WombCity #NetGalley

Completely mesmerized with the world building and characters! The dystopian feel this book has is incredible. The Story takes place in a world where humans can body-hop as a method of immortality, we follow protagonist, Nelah, who is microchipped and kept watched by her Policeman of a Husband.
She’s not content with her marriage therefore she’s having an affair and it results in her having a pregnancy outside of her body. The novel touches topics such as racism, feminism, misogyny, and how a power hungry society would act. Just add a ghost, a murder and Nelah’s strong willfulness and it makes one extraordinary and unique book. Tlotlo Tsamaase’s world building was captivating and i cant wait for this book to be out to recommend this to sci-fi/ dystopian loving book readers!

I loved the Africanfuturist horror elements to this, it works well in the cyberpunk feel. I loved the elements of horror going on. The loss of control is a fear of mine and this uses that to its advantage. I enjoyed getting to know the character and can’t wait to read more from Tlotlo Tsamaase. Tlotlo Tsamaase does a great job in telling the story and it was written perfectly.

3.5 stars rounded up. What a crazy ride this book.

We follow a woman who is microchipped and monitored for crime in a world where people can body-hop as a means of immortality. She’s in a loveless marriage, having an affair, and growing a baby outside her body. Throw in a ghost, a murder, and heavy feminist themes, and you’re looking at quite a novel.

This took so many twists and turns. I predicted a couple things, but for the most part was surprised. I thought the writing was fairly good, but the imagery specifically was top-notch. I loved loved loved the multiple discussions of women being seen as lesser than, easily discarded, and of no purpose. The author (xe/xim) does a fantastic job of looking at this sexist thinking and turning it on its side. Xe’s also touches on the effects of privilege, class, race, and even nationality. There’s so much going on in the book, but the author finds a way to insert important commentary about their world that highly reflects our own reality.

The book is a bit far-fetched and borderlines on being convoluted, however I had an enjoyable time reading it. I wasn’t blown away, but I was invested in the characters and their outcome. I do think it could use another round or two of editing as some parts read like a rough draft. Like parts would seem to stretch out longer than necessary and there were moments I had to re-orientate myself in the story to figure out what was going on. Overall, I do think this is really enjoyable and unique. I’d recommend to sci-fi readers who love government controlled worlds in which people fight back. I’d also recommend to anyone looking for a unique ghost story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own and freely given. Publication date: Jan. 23, 2024

Here's me being cliche: "It's me. Hi, I'm the problem. It's me."

Sci-fi is a hit or miss for my brain: sometimes I can click right into a story, and other times my brain says "ah! too much technology!" and dashes away. This, obviously, is a total me thing and in no way a criticism of this book. But because of my brain's weird relationship with heavy technology in stories, I couldn't get into the story like I really wanted to.

But god, what an incredible premise, and such a richly-imagined world, and there's these insane moments of prose-gah! (I really wish my brain had cooperated with this book. ) All of this wrapped up with that sharp, feminist edge Tsamaase delivers so well? I feel confident recommending this book to my sci-fi-reading friends.

Mind bending dystopian science fiction. Contains many extraordinary elements of what a misogynistic power hungry society could look like. Then a hit and run with severe repercussions. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

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.