The One by John Marrs

 

Scientists have discovered a gene exists that links you to one other person, your perfect partner, THE ONE!

The One by John Marrs has sat on my TBR pile for quite a while. Having read one previous book by this author, I was expecting a 'normal' thriller, not this Black Mirror-esque story. I love dystopian fiction that is subtle, that changes society so slightly that it's hard to distinguish between fiction and reality. The One fits the bill perfectly.

A simple DNA analysis can identify your ideal partner, the only person in the world that matches your profile perfectly. The story follows five people who have taken the plunge and had their DNA analysed.

• Mandy is a 37-year-old divorcee who has been matched with Richard. The only problem is that Richard is dead.
• Jade is living back at home after completing her degree and hates her dead-end job. She's been matched with Kevin, who lives on the other side of the world - and seems to be hiding something.
• Nick is in a stable relationship, just months away from marrying his girlfriend, when he's matched with Alexander. Nick is adamant that he's not interested in a same-sex relationship.
• Christopher has been matched with Amy. You can't imagine how two complete opposites could be paired. Amy is a police officer and Christopher is a serial killer.
• Ellie, a wealthy businesswoman, has been matched with Timothy. Ellie's life revolves around the business she created. She doesn't have time for a relationship, but Timothy's gentle and funny personality breaks down the walls she has built around herself.

I loved following each relationship. Having five very different threads kept the pace flowing, with the inevitable cliffhangers keeping you turning the pages. The story raises so many moral dilemmas, it is impossible not to feel sympathy for many of the characters. Some of the 'thriller' elements seemed obvious, but the author threw in twist after twist to keep the suspense going.

As secrets are revealed, there were a mixture of emotions. At times, I felt relief, at others there was a wave of sadness. There was also an unsettled feeling at the way in which some of the threads were concluded. I'm certainly going to check out the next book in the series very soon.

Author Details

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.