A story about a young woman whose search for her missing mother reveals the secrets of her past — including her time spent on the Homestead as one of nine babies born via parthenogenesis.
Murphy has quite a few tricks up her sleeve. Not only does she deliver on the mash-up of sci-fi/thriller/mystery, she devises some mind-blowing plot twists that will completely derail where you thought GIRL ONE was going. Don’t miss this multilayered story of feminine identity, mother-child relationships, and the power of determination within some special young women living in a man’s world.
In her latest work of speculative fiction, the author creates a world in which women can conceive without men ... This is a difficult novel to categorize. It has science-fiction elements and its basic plot is that of a thriller, but it’s written in a style that is well suited to neither. Using first-person narration, Murphy spends a lot of time exploring Josie’s inner life, which is not nearly as interesting as her outer life. This novel also suffers from some serious plot holes ... Some of the mysteries that drive the narrative are resolved, but its central secret remains a secret. Full of intriguing ideas that are poorly developed.
Set in an alternate past, this uneven speculative thriller from Murphy centers on female asexual reproduction and the scientist who made it possible, Joseph Bellinger ... Turgid language slows this conceptually rich novel. Hopefully, Murphy will return to form next time.
