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A review by the_one_krissy
The One by John Marrs
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Whew, that was some ride.
The premise of this thriller was quite intriguing. What if "the one" really exists for everyone and could be found with a DNA test? Happily ever afters for everyone, right? Right?!
As it turns out, that's not quite what happens in this book. Five people find their match, but none of them are exactly the kind of once-in-a-lifetime love story they expect. I won't spoil the plot, because the twists and turns of these relationships are what keeps the story interesting, but let's just say that people have secrets and DNA testing can't account for every kind of situation that life may dump on you.
Another interesting aspect of this book was the unpleasant and inevitable fallout of this kind of biological match-making for people whose relationships and marriages have been formed in the goodie oldie way of actually getting to know each other and making life decisions based on that. In this book, the more common DNA testing becomes, the worse non-tested people are stigmatised and considered second-class citizens. It's pretty much expected that if you get tested and a match pops up, you should go for them even if you're already in a steady relationship or married. Leave your wife/husband for your match - obviously it wasn't meant to be and you can only find true love and happiness with the one who is meant for you.
If you really start to think about it, this book will seriously give you the creeps. It was a very dynamic and fast-paced story with multiple equally engaging points of view, and I blazed through it in just a couple of days. I wasn't a fan of some of the endings for all the characters, and thought one of them in particular was a cheap cop-out, but this was a fun enough read all the same.
The premise of this thriller was quite intriguing. What if "the one" really exists for everyone and could be found with a DNA test? Happily ever afters for everyone, right? Right?!
As it turns out, that's not quite what happens in this book. Five people find their match, but none of them are exactly the kind of once-in-a-lifetime love story they expect. I won't spoil the plot, because the twists and turns of these relationships are what keeps the story interesting, but let's just say that people have secrets and DNA testing can't account for every kind of situation that life may dump on you.
Another interesting aspect of this book was the unpleasant and inevitable fallout of this kind of biological match-making for people whose relationships and marriages have been formed in the goodie oldie way of actually getting to know each other and making life decisions based on that. In this book, the more common DNA testing becomes, the worse non-tested people are stigmatised and considered second-class citizens. It's pretty much expected that if you get tested and a match pops up, you should go for them even if you're already in a steady relationship or married. Leave your wife/husband for your match - obviously it wasn't meant to be and you can only find true love and happiness with the one who is meant for you.
If you really start to think about it, this book will seriously give you the creeps. It was a very dynamic and fast-paced story with multiple equally engaging points of view, and I blazed through it in just a couple of days. I wasn't a fan of some of the endings for all the characters, and thought one of them in particular was a cheap cop-out, but this was a fun enough read all the same.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder