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gellenmum's review
5.0
A near future where it is possible to screen your embryo for genetic disorders and splice out the rogue gene if necessary all sounds good. But how far can the splicing go? In this book it is used to cover an infidelity leading to a surprise but much wanted pregnancy.. a cautionary tale. This is a real page turner - I loved it.
lisahamer's review
5.0
A really good 4.5 star book it really gets you thinking about genetics.
A fast paced book, hard to put down.
Certainly leaves you pondering how far humans could go in the pursuit of the ‘perfect’ child, kind of scary too could science really advance this far and should it?
Would be a great book club read I can see loads of discussions over this book.
A fast paced book, hard to put down.
Certainly leaves you pondering how far humans could go in the pursuit of the ‘perfect’ child, kind of scary too could science really advance this far and should it?
Would be a great book club read I can see loads of discussions over this book.
harrison_murphy's review
5.0
Off Target is a brilliant speculative novel centred around the premise of a near future where genetic engineering can make designer babies. Susan, the main characters, gets herself into a seemingly impossible situation where changing some crucial characteristics of her baby in order not to derail her whole life.
I love the way that the writer through Susan, and her friend Carmel, makes these adaptations seem totally sensible and ethical. And I was completely on board with everything she was doing for the first half of the book.
In the second half, part of the story is relayed through Zurel (Susan's daughter now of school age). Everything has been going fine up until this point, but this is when it all starts to unravel. And suddenly I found myself completely disgusted with what Susan said in part one, before sort of changing my mind again nearer the end.
A compelling portrayal of the lies we tell ourselves and others sometimes because the truth is often too difficult or awkward to broach. And at a macro level, a chilling insight into a world and society where the ability to change the characteristics of a child whilst still in the womb is fast becoming common practice.
I love the way that the writer through Susan, and her friend Carmel, makes these adaptations seem totally sensible and ethical. And I was completely on board with everything she was doing for the first half of the book.
In the second half, part of the story is relayed through Zurel (Susan's daughter now of school age). Everything has been going fine up until this point, but this is when it all starts to unravel. And suddenly I found myself completely disgusted with what Susan said in part one, before sort of changing my mind again nearer the end.
A compelling portrayal of the lies we tell ourselves and others sometimes because the truth is often too difficult or awkward to broach. And at a macro level, a chilling insight into a world and society where the ability to change the characteristics of a child whilst still in the womb is fast becoming common practice.
brownflopsy's review
4.0
Susan longs for a child, but after years of trying for a baby with her husband Steve the hoped for pregnancy seems an impossible dream. Frustrated that Steve refuses to consider investigating the possibility of medical intervention, even though IVF is a common solution for the increasing number of couples facing fertility problems, Susan has a drunken one night stand with a work colleague - a sexual encounter that results in her getting pregnant.
Susan cannot bring herself to end this pregnancy, especially since this may be her only chance of having a child, but she also cannot allow her husband to find out that he is not the father of this baby. Caught in a dilemma, Susan agrees to the suggestion from her best friend to undergo a pioneering genetic treatment at an unregulated clinic in Ukraine that promises to solve all her problems. It's vital that no one ever finds out about what she has done.
Years later, Susan and Steve are the parents of a ten-year-old daughter called Zurel, who seems healthy, despite recently choosing to become a selective mute for reasons they have been unable to fathom. Susan is concerned that the treatment she received when she was carrying her may be responsible, but she cannot admit this to Steve as he remains blissfully unaware of the circumstances of Zurel's conception and the procedure she underwent.
But world events are about to expose Susan's desperate deception. The consequences of the widespread abuse of genetic tinkering in the last ten years are now having an impact on the children who have had their genes altered. A host of unexpected side effects, otherwise known as off-target effects, are being exhibited in these children, including a range of serious illnesses, and some of them have taken their own lives.
People are asking questions about gene therapy, and the explosion of non-medical interventions for those who can afford the price tag to ensure their children are born 'perfect'. The tide is turning, and world-wide protests are just the start of a menacing movement against those who have received genetic interventions. Susan's secret is no longer safe, and her family is in danger...
Eve Smith has the knack for taking a contemporary issue and speculating just how perilous this could become in the near future if events go unchecked. This time, instead of turning her attention to the antibiotic crisis as she did so well in her chilling debut novel The Waiting Rooms, she opens up a whole new Pandora's Box of terrifying themes by exploring the world of gene therapy in Off Target.
Off Target is a cautionary tale, delving into a wealth of dystopian themes around how misguided genetic tinkering can lead to catastrophe. Much of this reminds me of the manner in which Michael Crichton explored how gene splicing could be abused for ill-considered ends in his books, as Smith plays with the 'standing on the shoulders of giants' theme like in Jurassic Park and the controversy surrounding the ownership of genetic material in Next. She asks the same sort of ethical questions - a case of never mind the 'Could we do this?', but rather 'Should we do this?' - weaving these threads into an unsettling thriller that grips your heart with icy fingers.
I think it's fair to say that the majority of characters here are generally unlikeable, and Susan's motives are especially unpalatable, even though she is convinced she is doing the right thing at the time, but Smith uses them all to great effect in this story provoking feelings of anger and loss as you get involved in the nitty gritty of their lives - and my goodness, does she make you examine the blacks, whites and all the shades of grey about gene therapy. I enjoyed how Smith brings in much wider issues in the telling of this tale, touching on aspects such as infertility, the right to parenthood, science vs religion, money, politics, control, and how AI can isolate us from each other. She offers an added thought-provoking dimension by examining how the children affected by genetic treatments might actually think about what has been done to them - something I have not really considered before. The references to Kubrik/Spielberg's movie AI are also cleverly used to enhance the poignancy of Zural's part in the story.
This book is a clear-your-schedule, read in one single sitting affair, because you will not be able to put it down once you begin, and it will leave you with a lot to think about once it spits you out at the end. I cannot wait to see what dystopian nightmare Smith chooses to dissect in her next book!
Susan cannot bring herself to end this pregnancy, especially since this may be her only chance of having a child, but she also cannot allow her husband to find out that he is not the father of this baby. Caught in a dilemma, Susan agrees to the suggestion from her best friend to undergo a pioneering genetic treatment at an unregulated clinic in Ukraine that promises to solve all her problems. It's vital that no one ever finds out about what she has done.
Years later, Susan and Steve are the parents of a ten-year-old daughter called Zurel, who seems healthy, despite recently choosing to become a selective mute for reasons they have been unable to fathom. Susan is concerned that the treatment she received when she was carrying her may be responsible, but she cannot admit this to Steve as he remains blissfully unaware of the circumstances of Zurel's conception and the procedure she underwent.
But world events are about to expose Susan's desperate deception. The consequences of the widespread abuse of genetic tinkering in the last ten years are now having an impact on the children who have had their genes altered. A host of unexpected side effects, otherwise known as off-target effects, are being exhibited in these children, including a range of serious illnesses, and some of them have taken their own lives.
People are asking questions about gene therapy, and the explosion of non-medical interventions for those who can afford the price tag to ensure their children are born 'perfect'. The tide is turning, and world-wide protests are just the start of a menacing movement against those who have received genetic interventions. Susan's secret is no longer safe, and her family is in danger...
Eve Smith has the knack for taking a contemporary issue and speculating just how perilous this could become in the near future if events go unchecked. This time, instead of turning her attention to the antibiotic crisis as she did so well in her chilling debut novel The Waiting Rooms, she opens up a whole new Pandora's Box of terrifying themes by exploring the world of gene therapy in Off Target.
Off Target is a cautionary tale, delving into a wealth of dystopian themes around how misguided genetic tinkering can lead to catastrophe. Much of this reminds me of the manner in which Michael Crichton explored how gene splicing could be abused for ill-considered ends in his books, as Smith plays with the 'standing on the shoulders of giants' theme like in Jurassic Park and the controversy surrounding the ownership of genetic material in Next. She asks the same sort of ethical questions - a case of never mind the 'Could we do this?', but rather 'Should we do this?' - weaving these threads into an unsettling thriller that grips your heart with icy fingers.
I think it's fair to say that the majority of characters here are generally unlikeable, and Susan's motives are especially unpalatable, even though she is convinced she is doing the right thing at the time, but Smith uses them all to great effect in this story provoking feelings of anger and loss as you get involved in the nitty gritty of their lives - and my goodness, does she make you examine the blacks, whites and all the shades of grey about gene therapy. I enjoyed how Smith brings in much wider issues in the telling of this tale, touching on aspects such as infertility, the right to parenthood, science vs religion, money, politics, control, and how AI can isolate us from each other. She offers an added thought-provoking dimension by examining how the children affected by genetic treatments might actually think about what has been done to them - something I have not really considered before. The references to Kubrik/Spielberg's movie AI are also cleverly used to enhance the poignancy of Zural's part in the story.
This book is a clear-your-schedule, read in one single sitting affair, because you will not be able to put it down once you begin, and it will leave you with a lot to think about once it spits you out at the end. I cannot wait to see what dystopian nightmare Smith chooses to dissect in her next book!
bionicsarah's review
4.0
I was intrigued by the subject of this novel which looks at a world where it is possible to edit the games in your children in a far more detailed way than is possible currently with preimplantation screening and selecting embryos for implantation based on their genes .
in the world of this book science has progressed so far that most people are deciding to use assistive reproduction techniques and are thus able to influence many parts of their child's background before they are pregnant . The main character of the book finds herself unwittingly pregnant in the old fashioned way after a one night stand and discovers it is possible to change the genetic make up of her child when she is in the womb and effectively make the child genetically her husbands
The novel does hint on the blackness in the character of people behind some of these choices but didn't quite go deep enough in my view to make the book truly great . I was left feeling like these issues had been given a superficial look at only leaving me feeling a bit frustrated .
Instead of going for a deep dive into the ethics of the issues the book skirts over them giving a chick lit coverage , perhaps this was intentional as it could've been quite a bleak book and instead the final story is a good interesting read which is likely to appeal to a wider reading audience
in the world of this book science has progressed so far that most people are deciding to use assistive reproduction techniques and are thus able to influence many parts of their child's background before they are pregnant . The main character of the book finds herself unwittingly pregnant in the old fashioned way after a one night stand and discovers it is possible to change the genetic make up of her child when she is in the womb and effectively make the child genetically her husbands
The novel does hint on the blackness in the character of people behind some of these choices but didn't quite go deep enough in my view to make the book truly great . I was left feeling like these issues had been given a superficial look at only leaving me feeling a bit frustrated .
Instead of going for a deep dive into the ethics of the issues the book skirts over them giving a chick lit coverage , perhaps this was intentional as it could've been quite a bleak book and instead the final story is a good interesting read which is likely to appeal to a wider reading audience
readingsolo's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookytaunton's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
megelizabeth's review
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
"Millions, maybe billions of years ago this worktop was magma, bubbling under the earth’s crust. No humans, no bonobo chimpanzees. Not even barnacles. Just worms, sponges and jellyfish. Living short, uncomplicated lives."
This has a really interesting concept that raises a lot of important questions, and is definitely a compelling, compulsive read with some good twists. I appreciated the inclusion/representation of selective mutism too. However, I did end up feeling that, for all the potential of a central idea like this, the story ultimately fell just a bit flat and left me wanting 'more' both in terms of plot and of wider exploration of the potential implications of the new technology. I also felt that, whilst I generally prefer character-focused stories, in this one there was too much focus specifically on what was happening to the main characters rather than on any proper character development, and that because of the nature of the dystopian theme there should really have been more exploration of whether and how far others were experiencing situations similar to Susan and Zurel's.
I still enjoyed this overall, but just wish it had gone that bit further and really rounded out some of the potential topics of exploration.
This has a really interesting concept that raises a lot of important questions, and is definitely a compelling, compulsive read with some good twists. I appreciated the inclusion/representation of selective mutism too. However, I did end up feeling that, for all the potential of a central idea like this, the story ultimately fell just a bit flat and left me wanting 'more' both in terms of plot and of wider exploration of the potential implications of the new technology. I also felt that, whilst I generally prefer character-focused stories, in this one there was too much focus specifically on what was happening to the main characters rather than on any proper character development, and that because of the nature of the dystopian theme there should really have been more exploration of whether and how far others were experiencing situations similar to Susan and Zurel's.
I still enjoyed this overall, but just wish it had gone that bit further and really rounded out some of the potential topics of exploration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, and Miscarriage
readingbelowtheclouds's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
whatvictoriaread's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5