Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf: Blog Tour: Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay (Review & Giveaway!)

Your One and Only

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Release Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Jack is a walking fossil. The only human among a sea of clones. It’s been hundreds of years since humanity died off in the slow plague, leaving the clones behind to carry on human existence. Over time they’ve perfected their genes, moving further away from the imperfections of humanity. But if they really are perfect, why did they create Jack?

While Jack longs for acceptance, Althea-310 struggles with the feeling that she’s different from her sisters. Her fascination with Jack doesn’t help. As Althea and Jack’s connection grows stronger, so does the threat to their lives. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

Review:

Humans, clones, and love?! I was SO READY for Adrianne Finlay's Your One & Only! The stunning cover also didn't hurt the case!

What I Liked:

1. The Dual POV: Your One & Only contains Jack's POV as well as Althea's, and I thought Adrianne did a great job of weaving them together. Seeing from the viewpoint of a clone as well as human was eye-opening, and it also added an extra oomph to the book. I don't think Your One & Only would have packed the same punch without Alethea's POV and vice versa.

2. The Characters: Your One & Only introduces a wide variety of characters. At first, I thought it would be hard to keep track of everyone since they're identified by numbers; however, that ended up not being a problem at all. It was easy to keep track of all the major players. I loved the two leading characters the best. I admired how open-minded Alethea was. When Jack is first introduced to the community, it inspires hate and judgement in the wake of the confusion; however, Alethea sees something different in Jack - something that she wants to get to know, and most importantly, something that she wants to protect. Over the course of the book, Alethea becomes her own person, straying from her sisters, and making her own choices. While sometimes Alethea's decisions got a bit muddy, I was overall incredibly happy with her development, especially at the end. She was a fierce and compassionate woman for sure! Conversely, Jack was a bit of a wildcard. When he was first introduced, I didn't know what to make of him. He gave off an angry/don't-mess-with-me vibe, and while I could understand why, it made it hard to connect with him at first. However, as the book progressed, the connection became easier, and I really grew to care for Jack. My heart broke for him time and time again - I just wanted him to be embraced by the community. What I also loved about Jack's POV was that it added a human quality to the book. Alethea could be incredibly poised at time, keeping her emotions in check; however, Jack left his emotions paint a vivid, all encompassing picture. I also enjoyed the variety of side characters introduced. Jack's "parents" were amazing people - I especially loved seeing his connection with his mother.

3. The World Building: It. is. so. INCREDIBLY. strong. Seriously, Adrianne blew me away with this component. The level of detail she brought to the clone's world as well as their origin was superb, and I especially loved how while it was intricate, it was incredibly easy to follow. Never once did I think "Wow, I'm confused" or "Wait, that makes no sense."

4. The Plot: Your One & Only is a slow build kind of novel. It takes its time to build up, focusing on character and world development at first; however, I liked this characteristic. It helped to make the plot more enthralling, and when the suspense and action did start to build-up, it made it all the better, in my opinion. While the synopsis stresses the romance here, I have to say Your One & Only is much more than just a romance novel. Instead, the plot poses a lot of important as well as interesting questions. Over the course of the novel, it really digs into what makes a person human, why perfection isn't nearly as perfect as it may seem, etc. I thought Adrianne did a great job of building up these plot lines, especially through the aide of tension and conflict in the plot. I will say, though, that I appreciated the romance. It also had a slow-burn quality to it, and I was incredibly happy by the end result.

What I Didn't Like:

1. The Ending: It felt rushed, hurried, and I wasn't all that satisfied by the conclusion. For about the last 30 or 40 pages everything occurs at rapid speed, so fast in fact that it left my mind reeling at times. While I love action as much as the next person and I liked what Adrianne was doing, I just needed things a tad slower as well as a tad more developed. Compared to the rest of the novel it just wasn't the same quality. The ending was also a surprise. It's incredibly open-ended, and while I love a good open-ended ending, I felt cut short.

The result? Your One & Only is an enthralling as well as vastly unique YA debut! Your One & Only poses the question: is perfection the answer to all our problems, or is the beginning to a slow demise? Adrianna Finlay did a fantastic job of answering it through her characters, world building, and story lines.

4 stars!!

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About the Author:

Originally from Ithaca, New York, Adrianne Finlay now lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa with her husband, the poet J. D. Schraffenberger, and their two young daughters. She received her PhD in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University, and is an associate professor of English at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.

She is also an avid soap maker, and sells handmade soap locally to raise money for type 1 diabetes research. https://semisweetsoaps.com/

GIVEAWAY

Prize:3 copies of YOUR ONE AND ONLY by Adrianne Finlay (US Only)

Starts: 1/30

Ends: 2/9

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TOUR SCHEDULE

January 30th

Pink Polka Dot Books- Welcome Post

January 31st

Reading for the Stars and Moon- Review

The Reading Life- Promo

February 1st