Monday Mini-Reviews - One and Two by Leigh Ann Kopans

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Wow! One is a fantastic take on superpowers which hooked me from beginning to end. In a world where certain people are gifted “Supers”, possessing astonishing abilities like flying and teleportation, Merrin is the odd one out in her family, only having half a superpower. As a One, she can only hover, not fly, like she dreams of doing. A potential internship at the Hub science institute could offer her the chance to “fix” her broken genes and learn to fly. But when she meets Elias, another One, their gifts unexpectedly combine to make them both fly. At the same time, there’s a sinister purpose at work at the Biotech lab, which threatens everyone she loves.

I loved Merrin. It’s refreshing to have a YA protagonist who’s both a relatable teen and has a life outside their love interest – Merrin’s a genius at science and has a passion for playing the drums loudly. She’s strong and independent and focused on her goals, and her relationship with Elias is sweet and realistic. All the characters are well-drawn and realistic, and I was completely invested in the story. The plot’s so well-thought-out and creative, I’ve honestly never read anything quite like it, and I’m thrilled that I picked up the sequel already – I’m starting Two right away!

Rating: *****

Elias and Merrin are on the run.

After escaping the Biotech Hub, they thought they could breathe easy, or at least a little easier. But when bombs slam into the Social Welfare Hub only hours after their arrival, it becomes clear there's nowhere to hide - and no end to what Biotech will do to get them back. 

Their last chance for safety and answers is the Clandestine Service Hub. CS has intel on the real, broader purpose behind Fisk’s experiments , and the newfound knowledge of the horrors hidden deep within Biotech’s walls sends Merrin back to recover a secret formula that could ruin the Supers’ world forever—and might just save the lives of the Biotech victims spiraling out of control.

Elias' sisters are counted among the victims of Fisk’s experiments, and if Elias can't find and help them, their powers will destroy them--sooner rather than later. Returning to the place it all began terrifies him, but with Fisk ready to make an example out of Merrin, and his sisters’ lives --and the lives of all Supers--hanging in the balance, he might not have a choice. If he can't find the courage to face his worst fears, Elias might lose more than his newfound powers. 

He might lose everyone he loves.

Two begins right where One ends, and Merrin and Elias are in a heap of trouble! This time the story is told in Elias’s perspective, as he and Merrin flee the Biotech Hub.

The Clandestine Service Hub is the last place for safety, but Elias’s sisters remain Biotech’s prisoners, their superpowers spiralling out of control thanks to the experiments they were subjected to. Worse, Merrin is willing to put her life in danger for a chance to find a “cure” for her One-ness.

This was just as gripping and emotionally engaging as the first book! I love the lead characters, and we also get to meet some other new faces, too. Elias’s and Merrin’s relationship goes through some struggles as she still pursues her dream to fly, while Elias is more concerned with a normal life with his sisters. I honestly couldn’t predict how things would turn out, and there’s the perfect mix of action and romance. It’s refreshing to have a two-part series rather than another dystopian trilogy, and in Two’s case, it absolutely works. I recommend this series to anyone looking for a unique take on superpowers!

Rating: *****