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A review by minimicropup
The One by John Marrs
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Atmosphere π: Very much in the characters' heads and seeing the world through their eyes. Create imaginings without risk of the author destroying it later. The settings is varied throughout the UK and Australia depending on which character we are following.
Main POVs: 5 people who have recently received a notification they have a DNA match. They all choose to pay for access to their match's contact deets.
-A slightly naive, single adult who is close to their family but yearning for a relationship, children, and to settle down into family life
-A single adult that has been communicating on a shallow basis with their match online and is kind of in a rut. Their friends are urging them to take things to the next level (YOLO).
-An obsessive, self-described single sociopath and serial dater preying on people using "traditional" online dating apps. They are curious about if their DNA match could ever match up to them.
-A powerful, wealthy, dedicated single CEO and entrepreneur. They are hopeful but skeptical that their DNA match will be able to see beyond their wealth.
-A happily engaged adult told by their suddenly insecure fiancΓ© to go meet their DNA match so it isn't the elephant in the room of their marriage.
Cred Rating π€π©βπ¬: Realistic in the narrative world and plausible in ours. Except for a nerd alert moment (see Growls and Howls).
Growls and Howls πΊ: The math and biology doesn't add up for ONE gene to be mutated to such an extent that only 2 people have the matching (or antisense matching) copy and relatives are never matched (yikes). I got around it by mentally adding an "s" to "gene", and pretending that the company developed a scientifically based algorithm for matching specific genomic sequences to find best matches. Similar to how ancestry predictions work at present.
Reading Journey π: Roller coaster meets monorail. Sight-seeing with twisty ups and downs.
Great match if you like:
-Not-too-distant future or alt-history (depending how you read this, it's flexible)
-Techno thrillers with utopian vibes
-Realistic sci-fi energy
-Relationship and romance dramas
-Thought-provoking commentary on how we define love and how relationships are shaped by our society and peers (include tech as a peer!)
-Does tech hurt people, or do people hurt people?
-Twisty, unpredictable plots and character studies
Vibes: π€―π₯Ίπ₯°
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Main POVs: 5 people who have recently received a notification they have a DNA match. They all choose to pay for access to their match's contact deets.
-A slightly naive, single adult who is close to their family but yearning for a relationship, children, and to settle down into family life
-A single adult that has been communicating on a shallow basis with their match online and is kind of in a rut. Their friends are urging them to take things to the next level (YOLO).
-An obsessive, self-described single sociopath and serial dater preying on people using "traditional" online dating apps. They are curious about if their DNA match could ever match up to them.
-A powerful, wealthy, dedicated single CEO and entrepreneur. They are hopeful but skeptical that their DNA match will be able to see beyond their wealth.
-A happily engaged adult told by their suddenly insecure fiancΓ© to go meet their DNA match so it isn't the elephant in the room of their marriage.
Cred Rating π€π©βπ¬: Realistic in the narrative world and plausible in ours. Except for a nerd alert moment (see Growls and Howls).
Growls and Howls πΊ: The math and biology doesn't add up for ONE gene to be mutated to such an extent that only 2 people have the matching (or antisense matching) copy and relatives are never matched (yikes). I got around it by mentally adding an "s" to "gene", and pretending that the company developed a scientifically based algorithm for matching specific genomic sequences to find best matches. Similar to how ancestry predictions work at present.
Reading Journey π: Roller coaster meets monorail. Sight-seeing with twisty ups and downs.
Great match if you like:
-Not-too-distant future or alt-history (depending how you read this, it's flexible)
-Techno thrillers with utopian vibes
-Realistic sci-fi energy
-Relationship and romance dramas
-Thought-provoking commentary on how we define love and how relationships are shaped by our society and peers (include tech as a peer!)
-Does tech hurt people, or do people hurt people?
-Twisty, unpredictable plots and character studies
Vibes: π€―π₯Ίπ₯°
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Murder
Moderate: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Miscarriage
Minor: Stalking, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief