A catastrophic climate emergency has spawned a one-child policy in the UK, ruthlessly enforced by a totalitarian regime. Compulsory abortion of ‘excess’ pregnancies and mandatory contraceptive implants are now the norm, and families must adhere to strict consumption quotas as the world descends into chaos. Kai is a 25-year-old ‘baby reaper’, working for the Ministry of Population and Family Planning. If any of her assigned families attempts to exceed their child quota, she ensures they pay the price. Until, one morning, she discovers that an illegal sibling on her Ministry hitlist is hers. And to protect her parents from severe penalties, she must secretly investigate before anyone else finds out. Kai’s hunt for her forbidden sister unearths much more than a dark family secret. As she stumbles across a series of heinous crimes perpetrated by the people she trusted most, she makes a devastating discovery that could bring down the government … and tear her family apart.
Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as ‘an exciting new voice in crime fiction’, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was a Book of the Month in the Guardian, who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.
My thoughts: oh this one is a doozy. Blending fact and fiction into a chilling potential future where women’s bodies are even more policed than they ever have been, where government agents will literally drag you off to an abortion if you’re exceeding the draconian one child policy. Your every move is monitored, every resource you consume – food, power, travel, is documented.
Kai believes in the system, she’s part of it. But when she discovers a family secret that could destroy everything she knows, and is then pulled into a huge conspiracy with far reaching consequences, will she do the right thing and help stop the government she works for or will she shut her eyes to the sinister truth?
Absolutely gripping and totally shocking, this is another powerhouse of speculative fiction that may just give you nightmares. Would the real UK government go this far in the face of the climate crisis? I don’t know, and I really hope Eve can’t predict the future.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 