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A review by ljwrites85
Off Target by Eve Smith
3.0
I enjoyed Eve Smith's debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, so I immediately wanted to read her next book.
Off Target is a realistic psychological thriller with a sci-fi twist, much like her first novel, but this one it centres around pregnancy, IVF and the risks of messing with our genetic makeup.
In the not too distant future, deadly diseases are being eradicated with the help of 'editing'. I mean, who wouldn't want to make sure their child is happy and healthy? Sadly, people take things too far with consequences for everyone.
I really felt for Susan. She so much wants a child and watching her suffer through unexplained infertility was tough to read, her longing and desperate reading comes through in the writing. A one stand leads to a baby, but in order to protect her marriage, she goes to great lengths to stop her secret from coming out. The story fast forwards eleven years and we watch Susan struggle to be a good mother and bond with her daughter Zurel, carrying around her guilt.
This is the kind of book that will make you think. It covers the tough subject of infertility and IVF but also the moral dilemmas around gene editing and whether that sort of thing is ever right.
I feel like this book was a bit of a slow burn, with pretty much all the action happening near the end of the book, which made the ending feel a bit rushed, but of course that's my opinion.
If you're looking for a character driven novel about moral dilemmas that will give you plenty to think about afterwards, then I would highly recommend Off Target to you.
Off Target is a realistic psychological thriller with a sci-fi twist, much like her first novel, but this one it centres around pregnancy, IVF and the risks of messing with our genetic makeup.
In the not too distant future, deadly diseases are being eradicated with the help of 'editing'. I mean, who wouldn't want to make sure their child is happy and healthy? Sadly, people take things too far with consequences for everyone.
I really felt for Susan. She so much wants a child and watching her suffer through unexplained infertility was tough to read, her longing and desperate reading comes through in the writing. A one stand leads to a baby, but in order to protect her marriage, she goes to great lengths to stop her secret from coming out. The story fast forwards eleven years and we watch Susan struggle to be a good mother and bond with her daughter Zurel, carrying around her guilt.
This is the kind of book that will make you think. It covers the tough subject of infertility and IVF but also the moral dilemmas around gene editing and whether that sort of thing is ever right.
I feel like this book was a bit of a slow burn, with pretty much all the action happening near the end of the book, which made the ending feel a bit rushed, but of course that's my opinion.
If you're looking for a character driven novel about moral dilemmas that will give you plenty to think about afterwards, then I would highly recommend Off Target to you.