Mother.GAMER.Writer

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/WriterRating: 4 out of 5 ControllersReview Source: Blog TourReviewer: SarikaOne by Leigh Ann Kopans follows the story of a young girl, Merrin, caught in between two universes, normalcy and the supernatural world. Being a One, she fits in nowhere, consequently without any sense of community or belonging, until the day she meets Elias… One of the things I believe the author captured extremely well was the entire high school experience; I personally felt like I could relate to some of the topics explored through the novel, the awkwardness of adolescence, the new relationships you build, and wading to the superficial to find the real you. The romance aspect felt too rushed for me, however. Although I liked the idea of a supernatural girl falling for someone who makes her a better person, the key to unlocking her potential, I already knew what was going to happen to the characters romantically two chapters before they actually did. The routine of instant love, replicated through thousands of YA books, was not missed here. I just found it very unbelievable that one of the most good-looking boys in school would take a sudden interest in the new kid because “There’s a good energy coming off [her] or something”, further hindering the whole reliability-thing that the author had going on. And although Kopans did touch on significant issues such as ‘unfriendly contact’ and harassment with the protagonists past, it was unsettling to see the quick and easy manner in which she discarded her history and fell head over heels in love with Elias. Having said that, I believe that the book brilliantly captures the aspects of life teens go through every day; it puts into words what most of us are unable to express by ourselves. He’s jealous of his sisters, but the love is stronger than the jealousy; although these lines are certainly out of context with regards to the situation they are in, all of us must have felt like this at some point or another with our siblings; the author’s ability to capture human emotion and express them on paper is certainly uncanny. Moreover, although the plot started a little slow towards the beginning of the book, it picked up towards the second half, throwing twists and turns that left me gripping the book, on the edge of my seat. The second half definitely made up for the lack of characterization in the first, and it wasn’t until the final stroke hit the canvas that the entire painting began to make sense. Overall, this was an enjoyable read; nothing to heavy, a perfect book for a bit of light, entertaining. reading. and I would recommend it to anyone interested in young adult fantasy/teen romance. Happy reading!