Review by Nivi Gideon -- One Way or Another

[Niv123]

[Following is a volunteer review of "One Way or Another" by Mary J. Williams.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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I knew I was going to love the book when I realised it resembled a modern-day rendition of 'Little Women'. Mary J Williams has outdone herself by incorporating the classic plot line in a contemporary tale of love and life.

One Way or Another, a story of four sisters who share the same mother, Billie, but have four different fathers who, unfortunately, were mostly absent from their lives. Their bond is impenetrable, though they stand alone and fight the various hurdles of their vastly different lifestyles. The story predominantly focuses on Calder, the second eldest, and her unexpected love interest, Adam Stone.

The Benedict sisters are four fierce, young women who have had their fair share of struggles in spite of being born with a silver spoon. The most recent one, is the sudden affair between their mother and a notoriously creepy character called Ingo Hunter, who has rubbed all of them the wrong way one time or another. They soon realise that this sleazy character must have his own hidden agenda to squeeze himself into the family. The question is, will they discover his motive before it's too late?

The story has strains of romance, strained parent-child relationships, sisterhood, family ideals and represents the misogynistic society women have to either face or run from. The sisters stand apart for their devil-may-care attitude towards what society expects, as they unapologetically live life on their own terms, setting an example of what a woman in the twenty-first century must strive to achieve.

Apart from the strong female characters in the book, I enjoyed the versatility of the plot line and narrative technique. It did not focus solely on the sexual relationships, but gave the relationship between Adam and Calder more depth and vitality. I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes of banter between the sisters and the dialogues that dripped with sarcasm, irony and wit throughout the novel.

If there was something that was lacking in the novel, it was the distinctiveness in the personalities of the sisters. They almost blended into the same generalization of a 'strong woman'. The author could have given their personalities more defining characteristics. Apart from that, there was nothing I did not like about the novel.

I would rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. Had I not come across a couple of typographical errors, this novel would have definitely been a perfect 4. The ending of the novel is what really made an impact on me, forcing me to start reading the next novel in the series. To say it was a cliff hanger would be an understatement. This novel will be thoroughly enjoyed by young adults, especially women who can look up the Benedict sisters as role models.

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One Way or Another
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[Aniza Butt]

sounds quite a book. Sounds like the benedict sister should have been more distiguishable. thanks a lot for the review Nivi

[Adina Lutinger]

I recently read and reviewd this book too and enjoyed it very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it too. Thanks for the great review!

[kandscreeley]

I do love a novel with independent, strong women. These sisters sounds fun. I'm not sure, though, this is a book I would enjoy. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Mbrooks2518]

The sisters seem like great characters, but I don't think this is a book that I would enjoy. Great review!

[Bambiears]

Oh this sounds like an amazing read. Thank you for the descriptive review.

[Ekta Swarnkar]

Its resemblance to the little women excites me to read it. Thanks!

[MsH2k]

This sounds like a great read. Too bad they couldn’t have been strong in different ways, though. Thank you for your review!

[Y0landa]

Wow! Reading your review has made me feel nostalgic going back in time remembering "Little Women." I would love to read this modern day version! Thank you so much for your excelllent review!

[Wyland]

I like that the book features strong female characters. The struggles that the Benedict women face also give the book an element of realism. Thanks for the insightful review.

[spencermack]

Sounds like a wonderful read! Great review.

[acopj]

It appears to me that this is a strong book regarding women. Nice. Definiteky love it.

[Prisallen]

This sounds like a book I would enjoy; however, I really prefer that the stories I read don't end on cliffhangers. I don't want to feel forced to read the next book. But, that's just me! Thanks for the wonderful review!