ONE by Leigh Ann Kopans: A Five Reasons Review

[This is the first of my “every-so-often” Five Reasons Reviews, in which I spotlight a new or classic YA book I really liked and give you five reasons to hop over to Goodreads and add it to your TBR. I’m hoping this gives me the kick in the pants I need to review books more often—and I can’t think of a book I’d rather start with than ONE.]

For the past few years, debut indie author Leigh Ann Kopans has been chronicling her path to publication on her blog (highly recommended for writers of all stripes). I love the blog so much that when I volunteered to read and review ONE, I actually opened my ARC with trepidation; I was like omg please be good please be good.

I am happy to report: It is good. More than good. Go-add-it-now good.

Kopans does everything right here. She starts with a can’t-lose premise—smart and funny teen girl with half a superpower desperately wants to fly on her own—and delivers on its promise, pulling off a sci-fi/ fantasy/contemp-YA hybrid that’s fun, exciting, sincerely romantic, and thought-provoking. Here are the top five reasons you’ll want to grab it as soon as it comes out (on June 11):

1. Wonderful world-building. If you’ve been burned by YAs set in the future, either because they pelt you with baffling new slang right out of the gate or drag you through pages of dense exposition, you’ll be happy with the way Kopans handles the setting and premise in ONE. There’s new science and tech and some backstory to catch up on, but it’s folded in skillfully and creatively as Merrin’s story unfolds.  I especially liked the deft way Kopans established the relationship between “Supers” and “Normals,” and the deep uneasiness Merrin feels as an in-between “One” who doesn’t fit in anywhere.

2. Perfect blend of kissing, intrigue, action, and coming-of-age. Anyone who’s done a lot of reading in this genre knows how tough it is to get this balance right. Either the romance feels silly and crammed in or the action elements are grafted on, and you end up rolling your eyes or skipping pages at some point. Here, the story evolves organically and all the pieces fit together just right. In the last third of the book, when truths come out and the action kicks into high gear, it could feel jarring—but there’s a clear and gradual buildup to the climactic showdown, and Kopans does an excellent job establishing what’s at stake for the characters and their families. I cared about Merrin and Elias, so at the end I found myself turning pages fast for all the right reasons.

3. Well-rounded characters you don’t want to strangle. With such a delicate juggling act to pull off, ONE could be forgiven for skimping on the smaller details that make characters really live and breathe. But the book pulls that off, too. Merrin’s an appealing misfit with realistically diverse interests and traits; she’s a drummer, a sly humorist, a biotech nerd, an exasperated but loving older sister. Elias, too—although he’s definitely the kind of guy you’d want to take home to Mom, I love that he doesn’t just exist to gaze creepily into Merrin’s eyes and tell her how perfect she is. I was rooting for them as a couple and for both of them as individuals, something I don’t always feel when I’m reading a YA romance.

4. A romance that’s healthy without being boring. This is one of my favorite things about ONE. The book creates an awesome blueprint for how to enjoy your first love without losing yourself in the process—and it does it without being preachy or neutering the characters. Merrin’s head over heels, yeah, and her romance with Elias provides some seriously swoonworthy moments (there’s a scene I SO want to describe, but it’s kind of a huge spoiler and I don’t want to ruin the reveal. Just trust me: Chapter 8). At the same time, though, she actively interrogates herself about their relationship and its place in her life. Merrin is nobody’s fool, and I love that she doesn’t fall into the trap of seeing Elias as the solution to her problems; at one point, she even says “He can give me some of that I’ve always wanted, but not all of it.” HIGH FIVE.

5. Just-right symbolism. You know how sometimes when you’re reading a book, there’s this running symbolic motif that gets old after the first few chapters and halfway through the book you’re like OKAY WE GET IT, IT’S A METAPHOR FOR [BLANK]? I definitely didn’t feel that here. Anyyone who’s ever held tight to an impossible dream or battled their way to self-acceptance will relate to Merrin’s determination to fly on her own and her struggle to come to terms with her One-ness. The book does something special with symbolism, but the seams don’t show. Merrin is such a specific character, my only thought was “omg, what’s going to happen to her next?”

A word about the writing, too. I’ve read some high-concept YA where the storytelling’s great but the writing’s pretty workmanlike, and this is a cut above. Kopans really makes the most of her rural Nebraska setting, and the descriptions had me hitting my highlight button more than once. Here’s Merrin, picturing herself in flight above the cornfields: “I’ve imagined soaring over them a million times, how the burning gold of the sun would scoop down into the husks and bounce back in curves, how the lazily turning turbines would shrink to the size of pinwheels.” The story is great, but the writing itself makes this book a real winner, one you’ll want to keep and revisit. (Also, the book cover: GORGEOUS. I want it in poster form.)

I could write a lot more about this one, but a.) you’re probably already crosseyed from this review, and b.) I don’t want to spoil any plot details—you’ll want to discover the surprises for yourself. ONE is going to be huge, and I can’t wait to watch it blow up when it comes out in June. Go add it now, follow Leigh Ann Kopans’ blog for her terrific insights about writing and indie publishing, and stay tuned for my interview with her, which will be coming in the next few weeks!