One, Sarah Crossan

Pages: 418

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: 26^th August 2015

Edition: UK proof, review copy

Other Titles by this Author: Breathe, Resist, The Weight of Water, Apple and Rain

Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins.

And their lives are about the change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace nor Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

From Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to have and want a soulmate?

By now you will have heard about One. The tweets and Goodreads updates of the beauty of the free verse, the power of the story and the sadness of the story. It’s all true.

I’ve read very few verse novels in my time so I completely blown away by how effective the writing in One is. I was really surprised at how easy it was to become involved with Grace and Tippi and their family and friends – I cared about them within pages. It’s amazing how so few words can have such a big effect, especially in the ending pages.

Tippi and Grace are conjoined from the hip down. The reality of the extensive medical bills, endless appointments and reactions of strangers were brought to light, as well as the basic health risks and complications for both of the girls just for living. But that’s normal life for the girls. It was so interesting to see how normal they see themselves as, but also completely different. It’s a fascinating dynamic between Grace as the narrator and me as the reader. The connection between her and Tippi is essential to Grace and neither of them had even considered being separated, until Grace began to fall in love of course. It made me so aware of the simple fortunes in my life.

One is a beautiful, beautiful novel about sisterhood, love and life and I implore you all to rush out and get a copy when it’s out next month.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for the review copy.

Sophie