Author: Adrianne Finlay
Publication Date: February 6th 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: HMH Teen (THANK YOU!)
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Blurb Description: Jack is a walking fossil. The only human among a sea of clones. It’s been hundreds of years since humanity died off in the slow plague, leaving the clones behind to carry on human existence. Over time they’ve perfected their genes, moving further away from the imperfections of humanity. But if they really are perfect, why did they create Jack?
While Jack longs for acceptance, Althea-310 struggles with the feeling that she’s different from her sisters. Her fascination with Jack doesn’t help. As Althea and Jack’s connection grows stronger, so does the threat to their lives. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?
You know that book you have on your TBR – the one with a
BEAUTIFUL cover and all the write plot points you love that you just can’t WAIT
to read but for some reason or the other, don’t get to it for the longest time?
Well, that is what Your One And Only was
for me.
I knew I wanted NEEDED to read this book ever since
it started popping around on HMH Teen’s social media and when an AMAZING HMH
publicist offered to send me an actual physical advance copy of Your One And Only, I JUMPED IN JOY!
IN SHORT: Despite
the fact that this book is slow paced, the intricate plot and writing make up
for it in ways that I can barely explain. Your Only And Only redefines
what it means to be human in a futuristic world where humans are almost extinct
and I loved every second of this riveting tale.
Let’s break this down:
WRITING:
Your One And Only
is Adrianne Finlay’s debut novel and the writing is SPECTACULAR. While the book
is a bit slow paced in terms of the plot, Adrianne’s writing is what made this
book come to life. The book alternates between Jack’s, one of the last human
boys in existence, and Althea – 310’s, a three hundredth generation genetically
engineered clone and it really manages to highlight what it means to be human
and about compassion and humanity.
PLOT AND IDEA:
Honestly, I went into this book expecting something
completely different – maybe something fast paced and more like the last
futuristic book I read (which was This
Mortal Coil) in case you’re wondering.
It did take me about fifty or so pages to get properly into Your One And Only, and also to fully
understand the world the book was set in and get all of the different varieties
of clones straight, but once I did, I fell in love with the book and what it
was about.
The reason this isn’t a five star book for me is PURELY
because I wasn’t sure how I felt about that ending and a certain thing blowing
up. Like WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE? It felt very open ended and WRONG at
the same time to doom a species and I just wish it was handled better.
CHARACTERS:
I didn’t connect with any of the characters. As I think
about it now, I liked Althea – 310
and Jack and Samuel – 299 and Nyla – 313 but I FEEL NO INTENSE FEELINGS ABOUT
THEM. Maybe it was because I will never go through the things that they do in
the book.
I did LOVE the plot and how characters were named, though.
Names like Carson 313 and Althea 310 really succeeded in giving this book a
futuristic vibe.
CONCLUSION:
I wish the ending was done a whole lot better AND that the
pace was a little faster, but at the end of the day, I thoroughly enjoyed
reading Your One And Only. It was a
one of a kind, intricate futuristic novel that I HIGHLY recommend! 4 stars.
the poet J. D. Schraffenberger, and their two young daughters. She received her PhD in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University, and is an associate professor of English at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.
She is also an avid soap maker, and sells handmade soap locally to raise money for type 1 diabetes research.
https://semisweetsoaps.com/
https://semisweetsoaps.com/
What are some of your favourite futuristic novels?
Is the genre something you think YA needs more of?
Have you read Your One And Only? What do you think of them?
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