Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - The One

It was a very quick and easy read, and at times it was fun. But I found it unbearably predictable and I don’t appreciate the overly dramatic cliff hangers at the end of every chapter (and with each chapter only being 1-4 pages long, that’s an exhausting number of cliff hangers).

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allyoop93's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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ivanagrimm's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

This book is not what I thought it was going to be at all. The story was unique and makes you think of a DNA Matching service would truly be a service. I think at this end of the day, those who are truly open to love can find it with anyone.

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pla_333's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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opplecopter's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Imagine if finding your most compatible partner was as simple as mailing off a saliva sample and getting the results emailed to you. Dating would be unnecessary. Going through the awkward phases of getting to know someone or stumbling over your words would be cast aside completely. You wouldn’t have to worry about second guessing anything because on a genetic level, you would have the person who is best suited for you. No other person could ever connect or love you as deeply as your Match could. Not only would this person be your Match, but they would be “the one.” The only other person in the entire world that is perfect for you. Sounds crazy but also kind of intriguing, right?

Let me start off by saying this whole concept is creepy in itself because I can completely see this, along with the absolute chaos that ensues, being a possibility in the future. This is a modern day Twilight Zone tale or I suppose Black Mirror would be a better fitting comparison. We’ve got some psychological thriller/suspense with a dash of sci-fi thrown in. The story follows five people who have been “Matched.” Mandy, a divorcée who just wants to find love after heartbreak, Jade, who is angry and disappointed in her life as a whole, Nick, a man who is planning a wedding with his fiancée, Ellie, a woman of wealth and power, and Christopher, who is a serial killer (not a spoiler, you find this out immediately when he is introduced).

We cycle back and forth between the lives of each of these people, so if you prefer a book with one straightforward storyline and don’t like jumping around, then you probably won’t enjoy this. The chapters are numerous, but very short since each one focuses on one of the five people. Personally, I enjoy the short chapters, some of which are only 2-3 pages, because it helps me remember everything still going on with the other characters. I feel like if they were longer, I would’ve been constantly flipping back to reread so I could keep up. I will be honest and say a couple of the storylines started out boring while a couple seemed to grab my attention much sooner (like Christopher’s), but they all deepen and get better as you go on. Starting off, we get to know their lives and backgrounds before we watch their worlds get shaken up and flipped upside down. There were so many layers, twists, lies, secrets, and betrayals. The ending was so unexpected and changed the entire atmosphere of the book and made you question everything.

I’ve been looking for another 5 star for months, and every time I thought I found one, I was disappointed. I have zero complaints on this one.

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chityty's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this book and it’s slow descent into seemingly madness.

What starts as stories of biologically destined loves begins to turn into some more thought provoking. Something darker.

And it gets darker still.

John Marrs’ reads like an episode of Black Mirror and with that comes both the hope and the destruction that new technology can have on a society. I finished the book not knowing if I wanted DNA Matches to be real or if the scenarios presented were enough of a deterrent. I’ll be thinking of this book and it’s message for a while.

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atalea's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I loved this book so much, I read it in a day! The book felt like it could have been a Black Mirror episode which is one of my favourite tv series of all time.

The book follows 5 different individuals in various stages of their lives as they decide to use their DNA in order to find their soulmate. The multiple PVO's led to various explorations of this topic and the consequences it had on their respective lives. The chapters were short which meant you were never too long with one POV and made for an addictive read.

If you're a fan of Black Mirror or just speculative fiction in general, I can highly recommend this book!

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