I know it's only February, but I'm going to go ahead and say this is one of my favorite books of 2026. I was absolutely blown away from page one. The writing style is poetic and philosophical, giving shades of books like A Psalm for the Wild Built and Station Eleven. The character-driven story is immediately immersive, starting out with a scientist taking her young daughter to live in isolation in a pod beneath the sea. That section is pretty difficult to read as someone who grew up in an isolating, abusive environment, but it also rang extremely true to life, and we get a reprieve when the daughter, who becomes the story's central character, escapes the pod to make her own life in the sand. The only criticism I could make is that I wish it were longer, only so that I could spend more time in this world and with these characters.

"In fact, some beings say the flaw is not of the flesh at all, but is instead the belief that you can isolate a "you" in this mad flicker...the flaw is that we even thought up the word "flaw," as though there might be something wrong with the way we exist in space. Individuality, error - these, they reject." What at tender read! I really enjoyed this. A quirky yet deeply reflective and refreshing "dystopian" story about the horrors and hopes of what life, our planet, our existence holds.

There is no one doing it like Deb Olin Unferth. One of the most profound books I've read in years. What a treat for it to be out in the world soon!

Thank you to Graywolf Press and Netgalley for this ARC! Deb Olin Unferth’s Earth 7 covers the vastness and expanse of “alive-ness”. Of sand, Tardigrades, underwater pod living… Its impactful setting moves the story to places that typical Sci-Fi does not. Despite this novel taking place during the aftermath of depopulation and Earthly destruction (and generations beyond), this Mad Max-esque setting presents the perfect background for a story on isolation, grief, and finding meaning. It transports the readers to both the simplicity and intricacy of human life — what does it mean to be human? Do we really deserve to survive tragedy? What happens when we do? Do we preserve what we have or do we start over in another way? How do others feel about us? How do we feel about ourselves? Being able to see into these burning questions being answered through characters’ mind’s eye, simple actions, love stories, and conversations lets readers dive into the depths of their own souls and how they view the Earthly plane. Earth 7 explores the complexities of humanity and its worth in a poetic manner, allowing readers to contemplate existentialism; how every living being is a part of the particles of Earth itself, forever expanding into the vastness of the universe and impacting it. As Deb Olin Unferth says, “All matter has a will, and we would know that if we understood how to see it, all collective matter too. Even space has a will, even emptiness has a will. And not more right or good than other worlds, not more interesting… But it is hers.” (p. 216-17) Earth 7 may be about a scientific future, but it provides lessons that readers could use in the now. While they still have it.

Wow.

This book is a revelation. It's a tender allegory on existence & nonexistence utilizing outrageously sci-fi type storytelling to locate the intense bond and confusing relationship between a mother and daughter. At times I found myself thinking "this is really crazy!" while reading this book, then only to be moved to tears by the yearning and relatability of the issues of belonging - in a dying world/planet/solar system. That's what grabbed me here - how is this book that centers experiences of Martians or people living at the bottom of the sea - so relatable to me?

Incredible, I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.