Eve Smith, the author who can’t write quick enough, has given us another 5-star, fantastic dystopian read with lots to think about… you don’t want to miss Off Target.
The plot:
In an all-too-possible near future, when genetic engineering has become the norm for humans, not just crops, parents are prepared to take incalculable risks to ensure that their babies are perfect…
A longed-for baby
An unthinkable decision
A deadly mistake
I went to bed thinking about it and woke up thinking about it
WOW. The Waiting Rooms by Eve Smith (my review here) was brilliant. An easy 5-stars. It feels like a lifetime ago but is still in my heart. Now replicating alllll those feelings and a second-to-none reading experience, we have Off Target, and it might just be my favourite by this author yet.
I hadn’t been so engrossed in a book from the get-go in a long time, and then in walks Off Target with its many meanings and reflections on society, to steal the show. From page uno to 100, I did not know the time, there could have been alarms going off and I wouldn’t have looked up from the book.
It’s an immersive and unforgettable read. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up thinking about it. I had to read it over a few days (not by choice, I would’ve read in one-sitting!) and I couldn’t stop imagining the avenues it could go down.
The writing – no faults. There are article snippings and the like scattered throughout with the second-half of the book offering dual-character perceptions. It has such a great flow and enforces the key messages to the reader.
I’m not sure if this book was meant to make me tear up, but I blimmin’ did anyway. I got so wrapped up in the character’s lives (both main and smaller characters) that it’s easy to forget this is a dystopian thriller with an all-near truth and is actually pretty scary (you’ll have to read it to find out why I tear’ed up).
The whole plot – mind-blowing. Smith has cemented why I love this genre so much.
Themes of mental health and what it means to make a choice weave throughout, making you as a reader question what is right or wrong. It’s clever and thought-provoking and you need to read it immediately.
I know it’s only January (time of writing), but I’ve already added this to my top reads of the year – no doubt I’ll still be thinking about Off Target then too.
In case you couldn’t tell, I HIGHLY recommend.
Off Target, Eve Smith, RRP £8.99 (paperback); Orenda Books
Pages: 352
Publisher: Orenda Books
Genre: Dystopian Thriller
Gifted in exchange for an honest review.
