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A review by _askthebookbug
One by Sarah Crossan
5.0
| R E V I E W |
~
"She's me entirely
and without her
there would be
a gaping space
in my chest,
an expanding blackhole
that nothing
else could
fill." - Sarah Crossnan.
~
I have never been fond of books with verses but One by Sarah Crossnan turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Post reading this book, I was overcome with a plethora of emotions. Winner of The Carnegie Medal, One speaks of a bond deeper than sisterhood. This is the story of two sisters, Tippy and Grace, the latter narrating their story. Not only was this book emotional but it also shows people's insensitivity towards those who are physically challenged. Sarah has a knack of speaking to the readers intimately, often making an impact on their hearts.
~
Grace and Tippy have always been the butt of ridicule and insults ever since they can remember. Born with a conjoined hip, they are homeschooled for many years before joining school due to financial crunch. Grace often tells how it feels like to be trapped in a body which has no privacy, a body that is prone to many diseases and one that has to be shared with another living person. In spite of being conjoined twins, the two sisters are deeply attached and fiercely love each other. From always being under the spotlight, Grace wishes to be invisible at school. While Grace is the gentlest of the two, rarely talking back to others and always concerned about others, Tippy is feisty who often speaks her mind. Despite all the differences, they know for a fact that they cannot live without each other, both metaphorically but also literally.
~
While the occasional remarks of horror and mockery from the other students continue, they also find friendship in couple of their classmates. Grace falls in love like any other normal teenager but knows it's impossible to dream of a happy future. But it gives her something to look forward to. As their family slips into financial crisis, the two grasp at the final straw to help them out and agree to be documented for a series. But it goes against their plan when Grace falls sick. The doctor who claimed that they wouldn't survive past six years of age, now proposes that they be separated.
~
The chances of survival are meek but it is necessary for them to go through the procedure. The twins are plagued by fear, Grace praying that Tippy survives while Tippy prays for their safety. The days that follow post the doctor's prognosis, are filled with dread and grief. The twins promise each other to live their lives post the surgery even if the other one doesn't survive. It is only at the end one learns about the girls' fate and even as we predict well in advance, it still manages to break hearts. One not only focuses on the twins but also sheds light on the plight of the parents who struggle to give them a normal life. Their younger sister who is addressed as Dragon, is often shadowed by the twins' disability. It's heartbreaking how many conjoined twins like this fight to be accepted, to live a life that's normal.
~
One is a beautiful book, something that I read on a whim. It's both wonderful yet painful to read how Grace bares her heart for everyone to read. Although this is a work of fiction, it holds true about how thousands of conjoined twins must feel to be born in a body that isn't completely their own. I highly recommend this.
~
Rating - 4.8/5.
~
"She's me entirely
and without her
there would be
a gaping space
in my chest,
an expanding blackhole
that nothing
else could
fill." - Sarah Crossnan.
~
I have never been fond of books with verses but One by Sarah Crossnan turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Post reading this book, I was overcome with a plethora of emotions. Winner of The Carnegie Medal, One speaks of a bond deeper than sisterhood. This is the story of two sisters, Tippy and Grace, the latter narrating their story. Not only was this book emotional but it also shows people's insensitivity towards those who are physically challenged. Sarah has a knack of speaking to the readers intimately, often making an impact on their hearts.
~
Grace and Tippy have always been the butt of ridicule and insults ever since they can remember. Born with a conjoined hip, they are homeschooled for many years before joining school due to financial crunch. Grace often tells how it feels like to be trapped in a body which has no privacy, a body that is prone to many diseases and one that has to be shared with another living person. In spite of being conjoined twins, the two sisters are deeply attached and fiercely love each other. From always being under the spotlight, Grace wishes to be invisible at school. While Grace is the gentlest of the two, rarely talking back to others and always concerned about others, Tippy is feisty who often speaks her mind. Despite all the differences, they know for a fact that they cannot live without each other, both metaphorically but also literally.
~
While the occasional remarks of horror and mockery from the other students continue, they also find friendship in couple of their classmates. Grace falls in love like any other normal teenager but knows it's impossible to dream of a happy future. But it gives her something to look forward to. As their family slips into financial crisis, the two grasp at the final straw to help them out and agree to be documented for a series. But it goes against their plan when Grace falls sick. The doctor who claimed that they wouldn't survive past six years of age, now proposes that they be separated.
~
The chances of survival are meek but it is necessary for them to go through the procedure. The twins are plagued by fear, Grace praying that Tippy survives while Tippy prays for their safety. The days that follow post the doctor's prognosis, are filled with dread and grief. The twins promise each other to live their lives post the surgery even if the other one doesn't survive. It is only at the end one learns about the girls' fate and even as we predict well in advance, it still manages to break hearts. One not only focuses on the twins but also sheds light on the plight of the parents who struggle to give them a normal life. Their younger sister who is addressed as Dragon, is often shadowed by the twins' disability. It's heartbreaking how many conjoined twins like this fight to be accepted, to live a life that's normal.
~
One is a beautiful book, something that I read on a whim. It's both wonderful yet painful to read how Grace bares her heart for everyone to read. Although this is a work of fiction, it holds true about how thousands of conjoined twins must feel to be born in a body that isn't completely their own. I highly recommend this.
~
Rating - 4.8/5.