Sunday 29 January 2017

The One by John Marrs

Published by Ebury on January 26, 2017


The One is a book you’re going to be hearing a lot about in 2017 – and rightly so. If you’re a fan of suspenseful reads then this one is definitely a must-read. First of all this is one of the most original concepts for a book I’ve read. It’s a refreshing change to have a completely new idea in the era of the psychological thriller. Also with the use of dating sites now much more common and much more accessible, the author’s DNA based take on the world of dating was an incredibly mesmerising one.

The pace to this book is fast. The chapters are short and snappy and alternate in perspective from several characters who have found their Match. It took me a long time to keep up with the names of the characters and instantly remember which story belonged to each character, yet at the same time each of the stories surrounding a character finding their Match was a memorable one. I would suggest not letting the number of characters overawe you as their stories are definitely worthwhile ones. The chapters are roughly about three to five pages each, so very short, and very good at tempting the reader to read one more, and then another, and then another. With that, I found this book very quick to read.

There is a line in chapter two which shocked me, made me laugh out loud and genuinely made me excited to see what was to come in the rest of the book. It was from then on that I knew I was in for a late night of reading. Despite the character changes, this was an easy book to follow and a highly entertaining read with plenty going on. There are twists and turns in every chapter. I loved how so many of the chapters ended with a teaser of a sentence that left me wanting more. The surprise factor of this book was a treat to read. I was absolutely hooked on one of the perspectives in particular dying to know what was going to happen next.

Be warned that The One makes for highly addictive reading with John Marrs evidently a master of breath-taking, thrilling storytelling. I’ve never known an author include so many cliffhangers over the course of one book but they worked brilliantly. But there was plenty more to this book than “just” cliffhangers. Each character added something truly interesting to this book, some more than others for sure but I feel the book would have been lacking without any one of them. I was gripped. My favourite perspective to read at first was Christopher’s – I looked forward to his chapters the most – but by about halfway into the book I found that I was enthralled by every character and every chapter.

The One is exhilarating and thought-provoking. I could do little but indulge my imagination and picture this world that the author has created – a somewhat scary place to be. This novel is packed with originality and bursting with tension and suspense. The dating theme is a crazy one and yet the author has you believing it is real thanks to the vivid picture he paints and the trials and tribulations the characters face. This is truly an unforgettable novel.





No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...