Reviews
What Readers Are Saying About The Zara Project
I picked this up expecting a standard science fiction story and found something I did not know I wanted. The characters feel genuinely real, the pacing is steady without being slow, and Zara herself is someone you find yourself rooting for from the first chapter. I finished it in three days and immediately thought about who I wanted to recommend it to.
M. Patterson
Client
R. Thornton
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C. Okafor
Client
I usually read cozy mysteries and was skeptical about the science fiction setting, but a friend insisted. I am glad she pushed me. The book has the same qualities I love in a good cozy: a protagonist I wanted to see succeed, a supporting cast with real personalities, and enough warmth in the writing to make the world feel safe even when the stakes are high.
S. Marchetti
Client
Dell Holmes has a gift for dialogue. The conversations between Zara and the people around her feel natural and specific, which is harder to achieve than most readers realize. The romance subplot is handled with restraint, the science never overwhelms the story, and the ending left me genuinely satisfied. A strong debut.
T. Kovacs
Client
What sets this apart from a lot of debut science fiction is the emotional honesty. Zara starts the book without friends, without a sense of self, and without any roadmap for who she is supposed to be. Watching her figure that out, one relationship at a time, is genuinely moving. The gravity powers are cool. The dog is wonderful. But it is the character work that will stay with me
L. Brennan
Client
I read a lot of science fiction and was pleasantly surprised by how accessible this story is. The world-building is solid without being exhausting, the technology is interesting without requiring a glossary, and the main character is someone a wide range of readers can connect with. A good choice if you want something with scope but also warmth.
P. Nguyen
Client
I kept thinking of the Murderbot Diaries while reading this, which is a high compliment. Same basic DNA: a constructed being who was never supposed to have personhood, slowly discovering that she does. Different setting, different tone, but the same central warmth. Holmes handles Zara’s emotional development with real skill. I want more books in this world.
A. Delacroix
Client
This is a debut novel, which surprised me when I found out. The prose is confident, the pacing is controlled, and the plot threads tie together without feeling forced. The world feels lived-in, not assembled. Dell Holmes writes like someone who spent a long time thinking about this story before he committed it to paper. Which, if you read about his process, it turns out is exactly what happened.
H. Westbrook
Client
My book club read this for our science fiction month and it sparked the longest discussion we have had in two years. Half the group came in skeptical about the genre and left wanting the sequel. The questions it raises about identity, belonging, and what makes someone human were things we talked about for an hour after we finished with the plot. Thoughtful, warm, and recommended.
J. Fairfield
Client