Womb City is set in a future African city. Women are treated atrociously. Really badly. The book includes the following trigger warning on its copyright page:
“Content notice: Womb City contains depictions of blood, body horror, car accident, child death, death, death of a parent, domestic abuse, drug use, emotional abuse, gaslighting, gore, grief, infertility, infidelity, kidnapping, miscarriage, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, pregnancy, rape, sexism, sexual violence, and violence.”
I wish I had seen the warning before I started reading. I cannot imagine a single adult woman who is not triggered by reading about at least one of those events. It’s as if the author was thinking every few pages what other horrible thing have I forgotten to inflict on this woman. All this in a debut novel. Where will xe go for the sequel? I shudder to think!
Womb City is a relentlessly depressing read. Don’t do it to yourself. This has got to be the worst, intentionally bad, novel that I’ve ever read. It reads like fantasy revenge porn. Yuck! 1 star (only because negative stars aren’t allowed).
Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.