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A review by okiecozyreader
It's One of Us by J.T. Ellison
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
I feel like this is one of the most personal thrillers I have ever read. In the author’s note, Ellison writes
“It is about a marriage broken by too many things to count. It is about the family we think we need, and all the ways we survive the hardest parts of living. It is a tale of obsession and a tale of betrayal.
It is also a tale of celebration. I hope to unmask and destigmatize - no, normalize, the conversation around infertility.”
She discusses her struggles with infertility and how that channeled into this book.
Olivia and Park Bender have struggled with infertility for years. One morning she miscarriages again and at the same moment, police arrive at their door with information that his dna is shared with that of a murderer. We find out he has donated to a sperm bank, which did not distribute sperm as it documented it did, and he has dozens of children. We meet one of the mothers and her daughter - and see how they have coped, creating community with other people who used sperm banks.
I thought the story was interesting, kept moving quickly and was well written. I thought the characters, even though many seemed to be untrustworthy narrators, seemed likable (but were they believable)?
“Does a parent love their child regardless of the terror they bring, the mistakes they make?” P187
I loved getting this book with the Brenda Novak bookclub (a signed copy!) and discussing it with #chapterchat2.
“It is about a marriage broken by too many things to count. It is about the family we think we need, and all the ways we survive the hardest parts of living. It is a tale of obsession and a tale of betrayal.
It is also a tale of celebration. I hope to unmask and destigmatize - no, normalize, the conversation around infertility.”
She discusses her struggles with infertility and how that channeled into this book.
Olivia and Park Bender have struggled with infertility for years. One morning she miscarriages again and at the same moment, police arrive at their door with information that his dna is shared with that of a murderer. We find out he has donated to a sperm bank, which did not distribute sperm as it documented it did, and he has dozens of children. We meet one of the mothers and her daughter - and see how they have coped, creating community with other people who used sperm banks.
I thought the story was interesting, kept moving quickly and was well written. I thought the characters, even though many seemed to be untrustworthy narrators, seemed likable (but were they believable)?
“Does a parent love their child regardless of the terror they bring, the mistakes they make?” P187
I loved getting this book with the Brenda Novak bookclub (a signed copy!) and discussing it with #chapterchat2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Blood and Car accident
Minor: Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, and Child death