Book Review: The Ones (The Ones #1) by Daniel Sweren-Becker

The Ones by Daniel Sweren-Becker
Review Copy: Provided via NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon
Release Date: September 6th, 2016

Description From Goodreads:
Cody has always been proud of being a One. She and her boyfriend James were two of the lucky babies from the 1% of the U.S. population that were randomly selected to benefit from genetic engineering. Now, she and the rest of The Ones are excelling. They are healthy, beautiful, and talented. They aren't otherworldly, just perfect. And to some, that's not fair. The Equality Movement, capitalizing on the growing fear and jealousy, gains political traction and actually outlaws their existence. Society shows its darker side as The Ones are marginalized. The line between right and wrong blurs in the face of injustice and Cody becomes closer to a group of radical Ones intent on fighting back. James begins to fear just how far she is willing to go for the cause.

My Review:
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. See, while "The Ones" is a unique story with a fascinating world, I never really came to like the characters - outside of James, that is. In fact, early on? I was half-tempted to put it down, but as I reached the middle of the book, things finally began to pick-up. Unfortunately, that's about the same time that the burgeoning love-triangle reared its head. I should note that, while I don't necessarily hate love-triangles, I do hate when they seem entirely unnecessary and change a character's personality. In this case, we see Cody go from tough-as-nails and stubborn, to blindly following a guy she's only just met. That made "The Ones" a frustrating read for me.

One thing that "The Ones" has going for it is that it does kind of reflect the society we live in now. The racial divide and the need to fight for justice. There's no denying that this book is entirely relatable to our world, even if it is fiction, and it's those moments Sweren-Becker really highlights prejudice in our world that this book truly shines. But those moments are, unfortunately, under-minded from time to time as the seeds for the love-triangle are planted. Take out that aspect of the story, and this would more than likely be a five star read.

Still, as I stated above, "The Ones" is an interesting read and more than worth your time. Sweren-Becker has definitely crafted a fascinating world here, and I'll more than likely read the sequel due to the massive cliff-hanger this book ends on.

View all my reviews