Book Review: The One by John Marrs

Pros: interesting characters, constant plot twists, suspenseful, thought provoking

Cons:

What would you do if there was a scientific way of finding THE ONE, that one person in the whole world who completes you? This is the story of 5 people who take the test, get their matches, and discover that finding THE ONE isn’t at all what they expected.

The book is a near sci-fi psychological suspense. While I did anticipate a few twists, the characters made so many unexpected decisions and were thrown such wild situations that I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

The book cycles through the five protagonists, and leaves you on constant mini cliffhangers as they discover something new before the narrative swaps to the next character. This keeps things fast paced and interesting. The characters themselves were intriguing and varied, with all of them coming from different backgrounds and wanting something different from their match. It’s interesting seeing what they’re willing to give up and do for their matched partners.

I found the premise thought provoking and the author does a great job of showing how a variety of people react to finding their match. While a lot of the turmoil the program unleashed is hand waved away by some of the protagonists, it’s clear that this has largely reshaped the world and how people approach marriage and relationships.

I though the ending followed the consequences of the protagonists choices and so felt satisfying.

This is an exciting, quick paced, read.

Shout-Out: The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

A haunted Argentinian mansion.
A family curse.
A twist you'll never see coming.
Welcome to Vaccaro School.

Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored... and one of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi’s existence.