Girl One

by Sara Flannery Murphy

[Quirky Cat]

Girl One is perfect for those of you that want to see a little bit of science fiction in their thrillers. Or is it a little bit of thriller in their science fiction? Either way, that's the simple truth.

Josephine Morrow is a woman who has made it into hundreds of biological textbooks. In those books, she is most commonly known as Girl One. She was the first of her sisters (of a sort) to be born without a father.

Literally, her DNA is entirely of her mother's, with no father to help in her creation. There was a time when she and her family were happy about that fact. Now, years later, Josephine has begun to delve into the mystery surrounding her and the other eight girls – and what it will mean for them all.

"For a while I had lost myself in these calculations and the illusion of stability they offered."

In many ways, Girl One was very much not the novel that I was expecting. To be clear, that isn't a bad thing. I loved the blending of science fiction and thriller and sincerely wish there was more like it.

I think the reason for my surprise stems from my lack of knowledge surrounding two comparisons for this read. Girl One is marketed as ideal for fans of Margaret Atwood and Orphan Black. While I know that the show is wildly popular, I haven't actually watched it yet. So I was surprised by how far down the rabbit hole this book ended up going.

I was pleasantly surprised, as it turned out. I really enjoyed Josephine's story and all of the investigating she had to do in order to reveal the truth. That being said, readers who do not enjoy a slow burn might find some parts of this novel to be a bit dry or repetitive. As per usual, it all depends on your perspective and preferences.

It was easy for me to picture how Girl One could easily transform into a show (or audio serial, for that matter). Part of me is really wishing that will happen, while the rest of me doesn't want my hopes to get too high – again.

Thanks to MCD and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks