Argy does an admirable job of describing the flimsy cheapness of everything that surrounds the contestants ... Argy has a keen and often funny eye for detail...and evokes the fetid coziness-meets-eroticism of female friendship with aplomb. Her prose is absorbing, and Emily’s story does, thankfully, turn away from the strictures of the show in which she has been cast ... However, given the familiarity of reality TV, a more delineated character is needed to elevate the book, and Emily’s haplessness comes to feel less like a choice and more like a reluctance, on the part of the novel, to commit ... The attempt to play both sides...ends up reinforcing the myths of the world that the novel attempts to subvert, even as the plot twists ... It’s a worthy topic to explore, but in resisting a full life for its heroine, The One stops short of truly doing so.
he characters are flawed and likable, utterly convinced of the rightness of their participating in the unhealthy behaviors encouraged by the producers. Ultimately, it’s up to readers to decide if they’re disturbed or charmed and amused by Argy’s knowing satire. A pop-culture send-up bound to inspire lively discussions.
Smart ... rgy takes on voyeurism, feminism, and gender norms, as Emily wonders if she really ought to put all her energy into finding love, which is what she was conditioned to do all her life. It makes for a winning portrait of a young woman trying to come into her own.
Argy is fantastic at showcasing the subtle power dynamics among Dylan, the women, and the producers in all iterations. Alternating chapters from Miranda’s shrewd perspective illuminate the extent of her control, which is extreme but not complete. She cannot, for instance, prevent the growing bond between Emily and Sam that threatens her narrative ... A reality TV novel stripped of fluff and fantasy.
