A few years ago, I went to a bookstore because — surprise, surprise — I wanted to buy a book. I browsed around, picked up a few books, and placed them back because they didn’t really pique my interest. I knew I wanted a thick book, something that would take me some time to finish, and I spotted this one:
I read the back of the book, which was just a quote from the book — not really telling me much information about the book itself. Despite knowing less about this book than the ones I had placed back on the shelf, I didn’t want to leave the store without it. I didn’t even feel the need to flip through the pages to get an idea of what it was about. So, I bought it and went home, getting ready to spend hours on the book I had just gotten.
Except that didn’t happen. That’s because it’s written in free verse. It’s definitely not what I was expecting, but I love this book all the more for that. Crossan’s writing capabilities shine through as she packs heaps of emotion into limited lines, proving that this unique stylistic choice is more than just surface-level. Needless to say, I spent about an hour and a half on the book, including the time I took to re-read the pages that hit me the hardest.
One, by Sarah Crossan, is a story about conjoined twins Grace and Tippi, who are joined from the waist down. The story starts when they have to switch to public school from being homeschooled because their family is financially struggling. The reader follows the girls as they try to navigate ‘normal teenager life,’ and experience the challenges of living that life while conjoined. Of course, towards the end of the book, the story becomes more than just them trying to fit in at school, but that’s for you to find out. All I can say is that this story is extremely heart-wrenching, and it will definitely make you cry or at least get you more in touch with your emotions.
Overall, this book is just amazing. It’s a book that needs to be read, and its story is something that is constantly in the back of my mind. Though my timing reading this book was shorter than I thought it would be it has impacted me more than I thought it would. For that reason, I sincerely suggest you give the book a try yourself, and maybe it will have as deep of an impact on you as it has had on me.
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