3 out of 4 stars
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What would it be like to become a different person, complete with their memories? Even scarier, what if you were trained to become a killer, only to forget your actions after the fact? B.A. Sherman’s The One explores these concepts and more. It is the second book in the Greg Dorn Suspense/Thriller series. Greg Dorn wakes up in a quasi-hospital setting. As he recovers physically and mentally, he realizes he is being held captive by General Smith and his team. At the same time, he is being transformed into a “killing machine” for General Smith’s business purposes. Greg is turned into a “new person” with generated memories each time a special drug, Ment-45, is administered. He harbors a strong will to return to his wife and daughter who he remembers clearly, but is it actually his family?
In this second installment, the author quickly brings the reader up to speed. The plot is very creative and includes interesting tie-ins with real-life serial killers and mass shootings. The story is very plot-driven; as such, there is just enough setting description and characterization, and nothing more. I admit I was a bit confused by Greg’s character, but I assume the author intended the ambiguity.
The story is told in alternating points of view. Greg’s passages are written in the first person and his wife Mica and General Smith’s perspectives are in the third person. Since Greg has a hazy memory, I found the switches effective as Mica’s passages fill in some of the blanks for the reader. Inexplicably, there is a switch to Mica in the first person in Chapters 7, 9, and 13. This was confusing as her perspective had initially been written in the third person.
There are several small, smart details that impressed me, such as the weapons Greg crafts in his room. The author is adept at using the essentials to move the plot forward. However, the writing style is fairly basic and flat. If the writing had been a little more sophisticated, it would have given the story more depth. There is also a tell vs. show style on display at times. The reader doesn’t need to be told “when my (Greg) training took over” and General Smith’s reminders to his team how valuable Greg is become repetitive throughout the story.
In the first two-thirds of the book, the plot is fast paced with a strong element of suspense. I do want to note that there are many graphic, violent scenes and routine use of foul language. Oddly, the pace slows down in the final third of the book, although the plot still continues on a direct path.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The story kept my interest, but the climax left me hanging with some unresolved plot points. Since this installment is part of a series, I assume the next book will pick up where this one (no pun intended) ended. Fans of psychological thrillers will find much to enjoy here.
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The One
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