The One

The One by John Marrs is an interesting look at love in the digital age and the power of suggestion. In another sense, it's also about what lengths people will go to in the name of the ends justifying the means, and also profits. The book is told through the story lines of several different characters, most of which never really intersect expect in that they all take place in the same world and revolve around the MatchYourDNA service. Some of the plots were pretty interesting, but overall the book didn't have quite enough special sauce for me. I'm not sure this one is really greater than the sum of its parts. Although the story line and premise is interesting, I feel like being told who to love has been a recurring theme in dystopian fiction. So while the premise is tried and true to the point of questioning why we need another such story, the interesting part about The One is that it's ultimately imposed simply by consumerism and social pressure, there is no totalitarian entity dictating what anyone has to do. The book paints an all too plausible picture of the influence major corporations have on people's lives, and asks the question of what the nature of love is? It also questions the faith many have placed in big business, and forces the reader to consider how technology and systems designed to prefect the human experience, may ultimately hinder it. It was a good read, but not a capital G great one. 3.5/5