Reviews with content warning for Chronic illness - One Two Three

This was one of my two favorite fiction books I read in 2021. I love this book so. freaking. much.

Triplet teenage sisters rotate narration through each chapter of this book about a small town dealing with the fallout of a chemical plant ravaging their area 17 years ago. That description alone would not have pulled me in, and I never would’ve picked this one up if not for Bad Bitch Book Club, but the narration is SO DAMN GOOD, and the story is part coming-of-age, part mystery, part Erin Brockovich vibes, and just incredibly compelling, fun, and poignant. Also heard from a friend who is a disability rights advocate that this book gets disability representation right.

If you like audiobooks at all or are interested to try them, I would almost recommend this one on audio over reading with your eyeballs. Jesse Vilinsky (One/Mab), Emma Galvin (Two/Monday), and Rebecca Soler (Three/Mirabel) each narrate one of the Mitchell sisters, and the effect is so gripping and delightful, and also really helped me keep the narration straight. Emma Galvin especially is just SO incredible and so much fun as Monday.

Side note: It turns out my two favorite non-romance fiction books of the year (this one and The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow) were each about three sisters teaming up to kick ass and fight patriarchy & capitalism. Which is pretty fun and also should be a surprise to exactly nobody. 😆

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I was torn about whether or not to pick up One Two Three. In the pro column was the fact that I knew Frankel could write. Her book This is How it Always Is is one of my faves. I also expected the focus on a chemical factory that polluted the town water supply to such an extent that it damaged people’s health, and then evaded any responsibility would really resonate with me. I do love a good rage read. But in the con column were worries that I’d find the diasabled triplet angle a bit gimmicky and naff.

I’m glad I eventually gave the book a go. As expected I did love the exploration of a business damaging the environment and people’s health with apparent impunity. It reminded me of the non-fiction book Mill Town which I read and enjoyed earlier this year. I shouldn’t have worried about the triplet angle though. Frankel handled it beautifully. What we got was a strong and loving bond between three sisters who were all impacted differently by the environmental disaster that beset their town. The three girls had very different personalities and both Mirabel’s and Monday’s disabilities were sensitively yet accurately portrayed. Importantly, the disabilities were just one part of each girl; there was so much more to them than a mere label. In fact, contrary to my expectations Mab, Monday and Mirabel were probably my favourite part of the book.

I thought the town of Bourne and it’s inhabitants were depicted with both accuracy and sensitivity. As I reader I could feel the run-down nature of the town and the despair that pervaded it. Because of that I could understand why the residents might welcome back the offending chemical company, even though I naturally found myself siding with Nora, the triplet’s mother who was incandescent with rage at their audacity.

I also loved the ending. I could clearly picture the three girls and the back hoe in my mind and could easily envisage the action unfolding on a large cinema screen. It may not have been realistic but it was memorable and exactly what I wanted and needed.

Content Warnings

stacy837's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

sfbookgirl's review

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challenging hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I didn’t know anything about ONE TWO THREE before starting Laurie Frankel’s newest release. All I was told was that I had to read it because it involved a library and honestly, I think that was all the information I needed before I started reading. In this story fighting for environmental justice, the Mitchell triplets in the tiny town of Bourne fight for their fundamental, human rights to clean water. There’s Mab, who just wants to get out of this town and get into college, Monday, on the spectrum, and the town’s “librarian” who refuses to let you select books yourself, and Mirabel, who has cerebral palsy and wants her shot at true love.

While the story does drag a bit, I really enjoyed this character-deep dive set amongst an environmental justice story. While I am usually not the biggest fan of character-driven novels, I enjoyed reading from the triplets' different perspectives to understand their thought processes, aspirations, and connections to the small town of Bourne. It is definitely a slower read, but if you enjoy touching novels that highlight the beauty of small towns, this one is for you.

Content Warnings

krb93's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't know what I was expecting with this book, but it was SO good on audio! We have three perspectives and three different narrators—Mab, the oldest, the one whose job is to "succeed" in life; Monday, the town's librarian since the library closed and the one who prefers yellow things; and Mirabel, the smartest one, the one who is confined to a wheelchair and can only speak with a robotic speech synthesizer. Each triplet gets her own wonderful arc and development. There wasn't one that I liked better than the others. They're sixteen years old and allowed to be teenagers and do teenager things without being annoying or frustrating as characters. I couldn't stop listening to this one because of their voices. We get a lot of nice side characters too, particularly their mom, but no one is without complexity and some development. There's a fair amount of plot in this story, but the characters are the real standout.

As for the plot, it was compelling and nicely paced, and it had me on the edge of my seat at points. I didn't know how it would end, but I have to say, the ending was everything I didn't know I wanted.

I love sister stories, and the Mitchell triplets were no exception. Their interactions, their relationships with each other—I won't soon forget them.

Thanks so much to Libro.fm, Macmillan Audio, and the author for my ALC!

Content Warnings

liblibby's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I was nervous about how the author of this book would handle the topic of disability. I feel like she did an excellent job but I will be paying closer attention to the press around this book as we get closer to publication to see what the disability community has to say about this book.

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