Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Teen Perspective: A Review of ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans

Leigh Ann Kopans provided me with a couple of ARCS of her upcoming novel One so that I could put them in the high school library where I teach. (Also, isn't that the most gorgeous cover you've ever seen?) Yesterday one of the boys in my class borrowed my copy, and today I had to fuss at him for reading it instead of listening to my lesson. Seeing my students unable to put down a book makes me supremely happy. 

Emily is also one of my students, an avid reader and one of my favorite people to sit around and discuss books with. Read her review and you'll know why.



 
 
 
 
Okay, this is my first time writing a review of this scale, for a book that hasn’t been released yet and all that jazz, and I have to admit, it was pretty freakin’ awesome.  One by Leigh Ann Kopans was gifted to me, and I devoured it in two days. The story opens with Merrin Grey preparing to switch from her former high school Superior High, alma mater of Supers (those with a genetic code that gives them Super gifts like flying, teleportation, and combustibility) to the much more normal Nelson High. Her problem, you see, is that she’s a One, only having half of the two gifts she needs to have a complete Super. In her case, she has the ability to float, missing another One that would allow her to fly. This inability leaves her outcast and bitter, the actual epitome of teen angst (which I shouldn’t have identified with as much as I did).

Almost immediately upon entering Nelson High, Merrin finds herself in the presence of the perfect and wonderful Elias VanDyne, another One like herself. Even though I normally detest insta-love, Elias was pretty fantastic, so I could let it slide just this once, especially since there was a far greater reason for their attraction than the fact that they both thought the other was the modern-day Adonis and Aphrodite.

Even though there were times when I actually wanted to reach into the pages and strangle Merrin, I could understand why she was scared and angry at points. Seriously, the girl had a ton going on, besides the fact that she was a sixteen-year-old outcast discovering the delicate beginnings of young love or whatever happens when you want to kiss a really hot guy who sort of completes you.

The conflict, although introduced a little bit too late, was really interesting to me, in which science exploration and the thirst for knowledge played the part of the antagonist. The last 25% of the book was impossible to stop reading, especially as Merrin risks so much to save those she loves.

So, yes I would recommend this book, especially to fans of superheroes who don’t get nauseous whenever happy love emotions are mentioned and know what it’s like to wish to fly.  
 
 
Check back later for an interview Emily did with the amazing Leigh Ann Kopans.

1 comment:

  1. Nailed it!

    I liked ONE too. I think it's a great, unique book. I'm like you, I don't always buy into the whole "I'm madly in love and all else shall fail" thing for YA, but it totally worked in this case.

    Great review! I hope you get an A+

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