One By Sarah Crossan

Tippi and Grace. Grace and Tippi. For them, it’s normal to step into the same skirt. To hook their arms around each other for balance. To fall asleep listening to the other breathing. To share. And to keep some things private. The two sixteen-year-old girls have two heads, two hearts, and each has two arms, but at the belly, they join. And they are happy, never wanting to risk the dangerous separation surgery.

But the girls’ body is beginning to fight against them. And soon they will have to face the impossible choice they have avoided for their entire lives. (Goodreads)

Personally, I have never read a book like One. It unexpectedly had such a huge impact on me. Its definitely a book you never forget.

I think the immediate thing that would make people sceptical about reading One is that its written in free verse. In other words, it almost looks like a poem. But it isn’t hard to read like some poems can be, there’s no rhyming, it still flows and reads like a story. I had never read a novel written in free verse before, but I’m so glad I got to read One, so please don’t let it put you off. Imagining One written in prose form ( how novels are usually written) doesn’t feel right. Crossan’s lyrical writing only adds to its impact.

One has plenty of depth to it; however, I can understand how people could think its minimalistic writing style limits its depth as the pace of the story moves so fast.

If you have previously read any of Crossan’s books, you know that she deals with important and sensitive issues, and she does it so well. I admire her so much for writing this story, clearly a lot of dedication to research and emotion has been poured into this story. She brilliantly portrays something us readers can only imagine living like.

One portrays the issues Grace and Tippi have to deal with every day, the stares to using the toilet. They’re both two amazingly imagined characters. Reading from Grace’s point of view, you understand just how different these two girls are. They are individuals, but many, by just looking at them see them as just one. Reading about people staring makes you question whether or not you’d be one of those people staring.  And if you would stare, would you think about how that makes those people feel? Would you treat them as individuals ?

I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but you may need a few tissues to get through this touching novel. Its ups and downs will both warm and break your heart.

I would give One 4/5 stars. It is most definitely the One book to read this summer.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for an ARC of One!