The Ones
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
We are not all created equal.
Seventeen-year-old Cody and her boyfriend, James, were two of the lucky ones randomly selected before birth to receive genetic engineering.
Known as the Ones, this one percent of the population is healthy, beautiful, and talented…and to some that's not fair. Mounting fear and jealousy of the Ones’ success leads to the creation of the Equality Movement, which quickly gains enough political traction to demote Cody, James, and others like them to second-class citizens.
Cody knows even before the brick smashes through her window that it's going to be bad. As their school, the American government, and even family and friends turn against them, Cody begins to believe they have no other choice but to protect their own. She draws closer to a group of radical Ones led by the passionate and fevered Kai, and James begins to question just how far she is willing to go for the cause…
Themes of justice, discrimination and terrorism mix with actual science to create a frightening version of our near future in Daniel Sweren-Becker's pulse-pounding thriller.
An Imprint Book
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Sweren-Becker's uneven debut, one percent of the population has benefited from genetic modification at birth, which endows the Ones, as they are called, with beauty, intelligence, and other heightened traits. Cody Bell, 16, and her 17-year-old boyfriend, James, are both Ones, and life is good in their California town until the Supreme Court declares genetic engineering illegal. In addition, a group called the Equality Movement is taking aim at the Ones, seeking to guarantee equal rights for all citizens. When Cody is approached by a mysterious boy named Kai, she's drawn into the violent side of activism, and to Kai himself. Third-person narration switches between James and Cody, now at odds, as James discovers that his father hides a terrifying secret. Sweren-Becker's near-future story is well-timed to tap into ongoing conversations about inequality, privilege, and extremism, but the book's exploration of topics like discrimination, government oppression, and radicalization tends toward the superficial. Cody, meanwhile, turns on a dime, making decisions that may have readers scratching their heads particularly her continuing fascination with Kai even after his group shows its ruthless side. Ages 15 up.
