Off Target by Eve Smith

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for Eve Smith's latest, Off Target. 

In the near future, almost everyone has to rely on IVF to get pregnant. The added bonus is that early testing can also reveal if your child will suffer from a number of now corrective issues. 

Genetic manipulation is legal, to an extent, in the UK. And many have benefited greatly by it and IVF. But even though Susan and her husband have been trying to get pregnant for years, he is adamantly against IVF. 

But then Susan gets pregnant. And the father isn't her husband. Desperate to make things right, Susan agrees to undergo a highly experimental procedure that replaces the biological father's DNA with that of her own husband's, making him, for all intents and purposes, the father. 

Over a decade later, Susan's daughter Zurel is healthy but not thriving. She hasn't spoken a word for quite some time and there appears to be no medical reason for it. At the same time, there are an increasing number of cases of genetically modified children suffering horrible mental health issues that are believed to be linked to DNA tweaking. Protestors are rallying and the names of people like Susan, who have gone outside of the country and the law, are in danger of being exposed. 

For Susan, nothing is more important than her daughter. But how far will she have to go to ensure her daughter's safety?

This latest from Eve Smith tackles some really hard hitting questions. First and foremost, if you could, would you have your child's DNA altered? How far would you go? 

We already know that genetic modification is really happening. CRISPR has yet to be used, as far as we know, in human genetic manipulation, but it's only a matter of time. 

As a parent, this story hits close to home for a number of reasons. And it's a weird thing to think about. Especially since I myself was diagnosed with a genetic disorder while I was pregnant. 

For Susan, though, it's more than just health. She and her husband have both been tested and nothing seems to be out of order. But they still can't conceive. And thanks to things that happened with his ex, her husband won't even consider IVF, much less genetic modifications. 

But then almost all of Susan's dreams come true when she finds out she's pregnant. Unfortunately, she quickly realizes the baby is not her husbands. Which is where the experimental treatment comes in. And she absolutely elects to do it, even having known health issues eliminated at the same time. 

Keeping it secret, though, that's the real issue. And when she becomes concerned that her choice may have hurt her daughter...

This is a really frightening premise! And an explosive page turner perfect for people looking for an intense but quick read. And equally perfect for people looking for a meaty topic to chew on. (In other words, great for book clubs!)

Off Target is out now in e format and releases next week in paperback from the fabulous folks at Orenda!