So The First 7 picks up where The Last 8 finished off. Kind of… Clover and her merry band of misfits have found each other and come face to face with the revelation that is their survival. Old friends have fallen (and risen) and the crew is off gallivanting around the countryside. For the past 6 months, they have travelled widely and taken in the sights. But now they have detected another distress beacon, coming from close to Clover’s home town, and they are obliged to investigate.
Okay, so if you haven’t read Laura Pohl’s own voices debut, The Last 8, I feel like you’ve either been living under a rock OR you live in my home country of Australia and haven’t seen the intense hype it received because, well, we kind of live in a publicity black hole. It’s a punchy and riveting read that this reviewer read in a single sitting because it’s unputdownable. When I got the opportunity to read this sequel early, I silently sobbed as I gently crooned at my Kindle and got hearty eyes.
The return of characters that were utter perfection could have potentially gone two ways: either it would be an utter disservice to its predecessor or it would expand on characters which hold a special place in my heart. Dubious from the outset, the latter was true and while the returning cast still have something special about them, Pohl expertly expands upon Clovers universe with the additional of extra characters in order to keep the narrative fresh. The addition of a father figure allowed a new relationship to form with the protagonist alongside a revelation that will leave you questioning everything from The Last 8.
While Pohl’s debut was extremely fast paced, the narrative in The First 7 takes a little longer to really get into a rhythm that will keep the reader enthralled. For around the first 20%, there is a lot of exploration of new terrain and I will admit to feeling just a little underwhelmed. After a while, however, the story picks up the pace with twists and turns while an integral character silently waits to pounce at the best possible opportunity. And holy moly, it is an AMAZING reveal!
Now, I personally read a lot and have been guilty of forgetting storylines because they kind of all mash together into one uber fantasy, so I found it extremely helpful that the first few pages followed Clover doing a little reminiscing about her adventures in the previous instalment. It’s not ridiculously longwinded and gives a quick reminder, so if you had just read The Last 8, the recap of sorts wouldn’t be particularly distracting as it simply gives a lightning quick overview rather than dragging and causing the potential to simply skip pages.
Once again, this novel deals with some dark themes, providing content warnings for depression, suicidal ideations, and PTSD. While this content isn’t included as much as in The Last 8, it is still present and Pohl deals with it in an expert and careful manner.
Overall, I really liked this novel and while the pacing was initially slow, it definitely picked up but I feel there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. The narrative was interesting and had many twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing for the most part. Old characters are expanded upon and new ones introduced, but I feel maybe this is where it was lacking slightly as one particular character felt a little like they had been introduced simply to provide a new relationship rather than flowing naturally. And of course Sputnik makes a comeback which automatically gives The First 7 a high rating. If you loved novels like Lifelike by Jay Kristoff and Renegades by Marissa Meyer, this one is sure to be a hit for you.
The First 7 is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of March 3rd 2020.
Will you be picking up The First 7? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
In the thrilling conclusion to the Last 8 duology, the Last Teenagers on Earth return home to find a colony of survivors who aren’t who they seem
Clover Martinez and the Last Teenagers on Earth are busy exploring the galaxy after leaving earth behind…even if they are homesick. So when their ship receives a distress signal from their former home, they hope against hope that it means that there are other survivors. But as soon as they arrive, they realize something’s deeply wrong: strange crystal formations are taking over Earth’s soil and threatening to destroy the planet.
Seeking the origin of the formations, the group discovers a colony of survivors hidden in the mountains. Relief gives way to panic as the teenagers realize these survivors aren’t who they seem…and Clover and her friends might not be able to escape.
