Official Review: The One by B.A. Sherman

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bookowlie
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Official Review: The One by B.A. Sherman

Post by bookowlie »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The One" by B.A. Sherman.]
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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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Post by gali »

Great review! I enjoyed reading your review. :)
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks Gali! I enjoyed the book, but I would have preferred if it had been more of a standalone story. It's a little annoying that some of the plot points were unresolved at the end. I don't like to read a book and feel like I need to get the next installment to find out what happens.
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Post by gali »

bookowlie wrote:Thanks Gali! I enjoyed the book, but I would have preferred if it had been more of a standalone story. It's a little annoying that some of the plot points were unresolved at the end. I don't like to read a book and feel like I need to get the next installment to find out what happens.
I also prefer standalone stories when possible.
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Post by bluemel4 »

Very thorough and well-written review. The premise sounds interesting but I am not sure I could stand the change in POV from first to third.
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Post by bookowlie »

Thanks Bluemel! The incorrect switch from 3rd to 1st person was annoying, but it straightened out after a few shorts chapters.
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

The premise sounds very interesting. I agree about repetitions, they can be annoying. Just like you, I prefer standalone so that I won't feel obligated to read the other parts of the series :)
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Post by bookowlie »

I enjoyed the book and couldn't wait to find out how it ended. So...it was a letdown to be left hanging on a few points. Granted, some readers might like this approach and get excited to read the next series installment.
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

I prefer standalone novels as well....unless it is a series that I absolutely fall in love with. In that case, I always want more!
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Post by bookowlie »

Rachaelamb1 wrote:I prefer standalone novels as well....unless it is a series that I absolutely fall in love with. In that case, I always want more!
I agree with you. If it's a series that I love, I want to keep reading the books. However, the biggest frustration is when you finish an installment with loose ends and the next book isn't not pubished yet to read.
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Post by bluemel4 »

bookowlie wrote:
Rachaelamb1 wrote:I prefer standalone novels as well....unless it is a series that I absolutely fall in love with. In that case, I always want more!
I agree with you. If it's a series that I love, I want to keep reading the books. However, the biggest frustration is when you finish an installment with loose ends and the next book isn't not pubished yet to read.
I always get upset when that happens! Especially if I didn't know that I was starting a series or I start an older series and get caught up only to find the next book won't be out for another year!
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Post by bookowlie »

I still enjoyed this book a lot and will probably read the next book in the series when it's published.
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Post by chytach18- »

Although this story is very different from Memento (the movie), I recalled Memento immediately after I read the opening sentence of your review, bookowlie. Very interesting review.
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chytach18- wrote:Although this story is very different from Memento (the movie), I recalled Memento immediately after I read the opening sentence of your review, bookowlie. Very interesting review.
Thanks Chytach! I've heard of this movie, but have never seen it. I will have to check it out on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
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