Book review by Corey
The First 7
The First 7 picks up after The Last 8 with Clover Martinez and the remaining teenagers travelling through space after leaving Earth behind. When they receive a distress signal from home, they return hoping to find other survivors, only to discover strange crystal formations, a barrier trapping them on the planet, and a hidden colony that is not what it first appears to be.
The book keeps the YA sci-fi survival feel of the first one, but it adds more mystery and spends more time on what happens after the apocalypse instead of just surviving it. Clover is still dealing with grief, identity, and her place in the group, while the new survivors make the situation much more complicated. The LGBTQ+ representation remains an important part of the story without taking over the larger science-fiction plot.
The Goods
- Good continuation of the first book
- Strong LGBTQ+ representation
- Interesting mystery around the colony
- Clover gets more emotional depth
- Good mix of survival and science fiction
The Bads
- Works best if you remember The Last 8
- Some twists come quickly
- A few side characters feel underused
- The pacing can be uneven
- The new colony setup feels familiar in places
My Recommendation
This is a strong follow-up for readers who enjoyed The Last 8 and wanted more of Clover, the queer representation, and the larger alien-survival story. The return to Earth gives the book a different kind of tension, especially once the group realizes they may not be able to leave again. If you like LGBTQ+ YA science fiction with found family, post-apocalyptic survival, and a mystery that keeps opening up as the characters explore what is left of Earth, The First 7 is a satisfying conclusion to the duology.