The One by John Marrs is a science fiction book that seems all too real. It is based on the concept of finding your soulmate through genetic mapping. We follow the lives of five people from different walks of life and whose lives are changed considerably because of this technology. There is a little romance and some sci-fi, but this is a suspense thriller to the very end.

“Of course. It’s ingrained in everyone, isn’t it? Everyone wants to cheat, but it’s whether you’ve got a good enough reason to do it.”

Since sci-fi is usually out of my interest area, I was sceptical of picking up the book at first. A friend mentioned she liked the Netflix series, The One, loosely based on the book, which gave me some confidence to try the book as it wasn’t too long.

Like most things in tech that we are witnessing today, the technology mentioned in the book seems like a good idea till it isn’t. Then there’s the dirty past of the famous inventor. Using unethical means for your gain is nothing new. Every day we hear about problematic billionaires and how they run their businesses in a hyper-capitalist world. Although there is some dialogue in the book that argues it is necessary for progress, there is no ambiguity on which side of the debate the author is on.

As for the concept of finding your soulmate through DNA matching, I am on the fence on this one. Sure, I’d be curious, but it sounds so fatalistic like your whole life is pre-planned. Would a relationship be as wild or passionate without the risk of losing it all? 

“Maybe when you took it back to basics, that’s what love really was: just being there for someone when the sun rises and sets.”

Through the characters, we explore the psyche of the human mind when it finds The One—or when it thinks it has. The placebo effect extends into the dating world as well sometimes.

“I also wanted to demonstrate how greedy we are as human beings. How willing we are to give up everything and anyone we hold dear on the suggestion there might be something better around the corner.”

Overall, I found the book to be interesting. The subject matter was good food for thought, and the underlying suspense of it all kept me hooked till the end. If you’re looking for a quick, fast-paced book for the holidays, The One by John Marrs is a good recommendation!

Verdict: Read

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