One of the things I like to do with a book – especially a thriller – is figure out where the title fits into the story, and I love when I realize that it could apply in multiple ways. It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison is an exemplary case of that.
I’ll admit right off the bat I had a little bit of trouble with the first part. I understand that Olivia is devastated by the personal event. But her introspection and internal narration are extensive.
Glad I did stick with it, though, because after the first few chapters, the plot really takes off, and I found myself completely drawn into the story.
There are several questions posed in this book (think, can you return to who you once were, and how long should a couple hang on to false hope), but I think the main one is nature vs. nurture.
Fitting when IVF is the main driver of the plot. And no, that’s not a spoiler. The author has a personal investment in this aspect, which lends credence and a level of seriousness to the arc.
Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that Olivia probably has a lot of the author’s emotions and thoughts. That’s understandable.
At any rate, the other parts of the story are what I personally found more compelling. Park is a narcissistic jerk. Scarlett is too precocious for her own good. Darby seems to be at a loss a lot of the time. But that last one is understandable too.
There are some plot points that I think are either weak. Darby’s support group is more of an afterthought, as is Scarlett’s “Halves” group. Neither one of those gets a satisfying conclusion.
And I reread the passages involving Annie Cottrell three times – still not sure exactly what happened to her. I mean, I know from the end how the person was involved – but not what caused it initially. And yeah, that’s a little cagey, so there’s no spoiler.
I also think that Lauren and Perry got the shaft. They were an afterthought in the bigger scheme of things. In fact, at one point, I thought Lauren might have had a bigger role in the thriller aspect of Annie’s situation. That would have been a cool twist and an additional facet of nature or nurture.
For the record, given my family history and experience with adoption, I find nurture to be more prevalent, but nature does have its role as well.
At any rate, It’s One of Us is a solid thriller. J.T. Ellison remains one of my one-click authors. Don’t miss this one.
