The One by John Marrs

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

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My Thoughts

The One is told from five different perspectives which I found to be confusing to keep track of where each character is at the moment in their stories. The common thread between all five main characters is the Match Your DNA service. The One has a slow build until halfway through when the twists begin and they keep on coming. In all five of the stories something shifts at the midpoint. Some of the characters have found out secrets about their Match, and they are not who they say they are.

Marrs built up the character’s personalities for the reader to gain a better sense of who they are before the twists began. Once the characters were established, the reader can start to notice patterns in each of their stories. Marrs leads the reader to the conclusion that Match Your DNA is a flawed service and where online dating can go wrong. I saw a lot of parallels with this dating site that is consistent with today are dating apps (Bumble, Tinder, Match, etc.).

My favourite character and plotline was the serial killer, Christopher, being matched to the policewoman, Amy. The irony did not escape me on this! I really enjoyed seeing the character development of Christopher and his explanation of how he chooses his victims. I was kept on the edge waiting to see if Amy would find out his secret. Serial killers have always interested me, and I love getting glimpses into how their minds work.  After I finished this book I was drawn to read more books about serial killers and psychopaths.

This novel is a great commentary on the dating apps and websites that are readily available to consumers today about the current dating culture. More people are meeting online as opposed to meeting and dating in the more traditional methods.

Let me know if you’ve read this one in the comments below!