EARTH 7 by Deb Olin Unferth

4 stars

In this grim future dystopia, most of Earth has been reclaimed by sand, with humans either escaping to Mars or to underwater pods in the ocean. Dylan has been raised by her single scientist mother Rosemary in an isolated sea pod. Rosemary has been working with a surface team to try to preserve the DNA of as many of Earth’s species as possible as part of a historical record and in hope that they could be brought back to life in the future. To put it mildly, Rosemary’s Mom does little to no mothering, and mostly wants Dylan to keep as quiet and unintrusive as possible

Rosemary eventually escapes this suffocating underwater existence by landing a made-up internship with the surface scientific team. Rosemary emerges from the ocean’s depths with little experience in social interactions and little outward ambition. Mainly confining herself to sweeping back sand from the lab’s headquarters, she discovers a dormant life form that rehydrates briefly when exposed to water and then can return for years to stasis. It’s in these tiny creatures that Rosemary realizes that DNA could be stored, ironically taking her mother’s life work to the next level.

There’s lots of pondering throughout the book about the deeper meaning of life- and of all the elements that create us getting repeatedly recycled in in the vast universe.

But what makes the book most fun is Dylan’s emergent relationship with Zee. a human she meets and falls in love with on a one-week vacation getaway. The catch: after having so much implants and augmentation as part of a celebrity surgeon’s reality TV show, everyone assumes that Zee’s a robot. As the book evolves, so does Zee’s humanity.

Thanks to Graywolf Press and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.