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BOOK TOUR x @RandomThingsTours - Off Target by Eve Smith

 


"Children are begotten, not designed."

Susan has been desperate for a baby for so long, and now she’s finally pregnant and can start the family she’s always wanted. Unfortunately, it’s not her husband Steve’s… , it’s the result of a one night stand but it could be the answer to all her dreams. After all Steve is the daddy to her beautiful child, but not the father. 


In a future where humanity is achieving technological greatness, genetic engineering and DNA science is slowly being widely legalised has made it possible for couples to have the perfect baby, without even having sex. Humans can be truly perfect despite the unthinkable risks they face. Now, the risks are becoming terrifying day by day, some babies being born without deadly genetic diseases, and some completely destroyed, victims of  devastating “off-target” effects. Something is happening, something terrible and all she can do is hope that her secrets can stay hidden while she prays her own baby doesn’t turn out like the others have … 


"DNA doesn't lie. Just people."


Off Target is an uncomfortably curious novel in a time of advancement and marvel, but with a hidden dystopia laying just beneath the shiny new surface. Full of thought-provoking terror, this book will make you think about just how far you would be willing to go, what you would sacrifice for perfection. Full of moral quandary, this highlights the very real and dangerous pressure placed upon women to achieve the perfect - being a perfect wife, a perfect mother, a perfect woman. With insightful narrative on the issues surrounding fertility, it makes a compelling point about the risk that eugenics and designer babies could cause in the future. 


This was a slow, tense tale - it took a while to get going but there was always something interesting happening in this new world. Susan was expertly crafted, despite her not always making the right decisions she was impossible not to root for and care about. She was so viscerally human, and every mistake she made was somewhere in the grey - it was blurry, and it's up to the reader to figure out if she's right or wrong. 


This story takes place over a number of years, with a large time jump - and as much as it definitely worked for the story, the jump felt very sudden and changed the tone of the story abruptly for me, and I was desperate to fill in the gaps. 


A horrifying, chilling piece of speculative fiction that will leave your head reeling, Eve Smith as usual is one to watch out for. 


“There’s a lesson there. Nature has no moral code. No ethical qualms about collateral damage. It’s about survival: of your and your progeny.” 


About The Author

Eve Smith writes speculative fiction - mainly about the things that scare her – which she attributes to a childhood  watching Tales of the Unexpected and black-and-white Edgar Allen Poe double bills.

Previously COO of an  environmental charity, she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places.  

Twitter @evecsmith
Instagram: evesmithauthor
Facebook: EveSmithAuthor
Website: www.evesmithauthor.com. 






Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours and Karen at Orenda for inviting me to take part in this tour. I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. 

CW: birth, violence, fertility, abortion shaming, infanticide, abortion, infidelity, sexual content

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