ARC REVIEW: One – by Eve Smith @OrendaBooks

Title: One
Author: Eve Smith
Genre: Dystopia, Speculative Fiction, Thriller
First published: July 20th 2023
Publisher: Orenda Books
Finished reading: March 11th 2024
Pages: 300

“Your world has changed, Kai, you said it yourself. You need to make a decision.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Orenda Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

I remember being bowled over by my first experience with Eve Smith‘s writing back in 2020, and she has been on my radar ever since. Somehow I haven’t actually picked up her second book yet (something I hope to remedy soon), but I knew that I simply HAD to read her newest title One as soon as I read the blurb. I admit that speculative fiction/dystopian thrillers aren’t my usual genre, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy them and in fact I have quite a few that ended up on my list of favorites. And guess what? It looks like I will be adding another title to that list, because One blew me away completely! Without a doubt one of my highlights so far this year.

One is set in a future that is scarily plausible, giving everything that happens under the command of the One Party even more impact. Eve Smith does a fantastic job introducing us to this new reality, and describing the situation in a way that makes it extremely easy to fully immerse yourself in this dystopian future. The one-child policy is nothing new and already applied in certain cultures, so it is not a big stretch at all to believe this could also happen in the UK. Add an also plausible climate emergency, and it is easy to imagine how the One Party could have come to power and introduce such drastic measures.

The fact that it is so easy to imagine this world portraying an actual possible future makes it extremely easy to become fully invested in everything that is happening. We learn more about how everything works through the eyes of our main character Kai, and Kai’s journey is also part of our own as our eyes are slowly opened to everything that happens behind the scenes. One is a story of strong emotions and shocking revelations, and the plot isn’t afraid to tackle multiple sensitive topics along the way. The same emotional rollercoaster ride Kai is experiencing will set the tone for your own reading journey; the injustice of it all will make you want to rage and fight along with the rest of them.

The main character Kai is without doubt a very flawed character and not always easy to like, but her power lies with her development and character growth over time. Her character helps demostrate the effects of governmental grooming and brainwashing, and just how hard it is to break free of those thoughts and determine what is the truth. Eve Smith did an absolutely fantastic job portraying this in a realistic way, and it made the story that much more powerful. The personal angle with Kai having to investigate her own family also further enriched the plot for me.

I fell in love with Eve Smith‘s writing in The Waiting Rooms, and this newest book has only reconfirmed this love for me. As soon as I picked up my copy of One and read the first chapter, I knew it would be VERY hard to stop reading. Between the writing and plot itself, I found myself to be completely hooked from the beginning… And I already knew One was most likely going to receive the highest rating long before the halfway mark. It’s a stunning, raw and brilliantly written piece of speculative fiction set in a dystopian future that is chillingly plausible. I simply cannot recommend One enough if you enjoy the genre!