Title: The One
Author: John Marrs
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date:  2017
Format: Paperback
Length: 438 pages

Read if you like: light thrillers, fast-paced novels, soulmates, plot-twists, morally grey/ambiguous/bereft characters, contemporary settings

Rating: 

I’ll admit it: typically I wouldn’t say I like thrillers. It’s 100% a personal preference thing because for me, feeling super anxious and stressed while I’m reading is not my idea of a good time. I sometimes still feel this way when reading fantasy or sci-fi, but usually, the worlds are different enough from our own that I can mentally separate myself from them and keep that anxiety in a box. I find that harder to do with a traditional thriller. 

I picked up The One by John Marrs on a recommendation from a friend. The premise that you could have a genetically matched soulmate was so intriguing that I couldn’t resist, and ultimately, I’m glad I chose to step out of my comfort zone because I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. 

I’d definitely call The One more thriller-light, which is probably why it worked so well for me. I won’t go so far as to say I’m a convert on the whole genre, but I’d be interested in reading other books by this author given how much I enjoyed this one. 

The Book Synopsis: The One by John Marrs

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

The Review

This book was a super promising premise that I felt was executed well and in a relatively unique way that covered a lot of ground while keeping me hooked. 

It’s not often that I point to the formatting of a book as being one of the strongest elements of execution, but with The One, that was the case. Told through five unique rotating perspectives that all had unique subplots and connected characters, The One ripped through a range of different experiences at breakneck speed. I loved that each chapter was short, methodically peeling back the curtain on what this genetic test meant to each character in sometimes shocking or disturbing ways. As a non-thriller reader, the short chapters and fast pace allowed me to get the heart-pounding that you expect from a thriller without dragging it out over such a long period that the anxiety stressed or burned me out. By the time something stressful fell into place, you were being catapulted into a new perspective which gave you a bit of time to sit back and absorb the weight of what had happened with the character before diving back into the same person. 

I also loved the spectrum of experiences that spanned across characters.  Marrs manages to present people from a swath of walks of life and, arguably, levels of sanity, and it’s an excellent way to analyze the individual and societal impacts that a genetic discovery like this would have. You learn to understand how the characters are affected, but as importantly, you also see the broader implications for the world as a whole, and that’s arguably much more disturbing. On the surface, a genetic soulmate sounds kind of brilliant, but there are wide-sweeping unintended consequences that have you questioning whether the discovery itself is in any way ethical. 

There were nerve-wracking moments and more than a few times where I was riddled with anxiety wondering where the plot twists were headed, but as a whole, I’d still call this fairly light for a thriller. For me, that was perfect given that I didn’t want anything more extreme than that, and I felt like it worked well with the premise and execution as well. I also loved the fast pace—I like any fast-paced novel, but I particularly like one that rips me quickly through the more heart-pounding scenes and gets me to a conclusion faster.

As a whole, this was way outside of my usual reading preferences and comfort zone, and I’m glad I took the risk because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I won’t go so far as to say that more thrillers are on the horizon for me in the future, but glad I took this one in.