Official Review: The One by Tyler Cook

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 27 Jan 2020, 06:29

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The One" by Tyler Cook.]

4 out of 4 stars

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I read the book with an open mind failure to which I would have dropped the book a long time ago. If you are extra sensitive about same-sex relationships, please skip this book. I recommend the book to readers who are not sensitive to same-sex marriage and those who enjoy reading romance books.

Ever since homosexuality was approved in most states in the U.S, many gay people have come out publicly to reveal their sexuality, though not everyone receiving the news embrace it positively.

Eli Cooper went to the same high school with Tori and Christian Lance. Sixteen years later, Eli and Tori got employment opportunities at Arcade Hut. Tori became Eli’s best friend. They shared a lot of personal information that Eli was confident to confide with Tori that he was gay. Tori respected Eli’s sexuality and promised to help him get a man of his dream. She introduced Eli to a site known as POF, meaning plenty of fish. That’s where Eli met with Christian Lance again. After school, Eli didn’t know the whereabouts of Christian. Eli invited Christian for a date, which turned out to be a thrilling experience for both of them. The dates didn’t stop until the day when Eli opened up to Christian and told him that he wanted them to be more than friends. Christian’s response to Eli was quite disappointing and heartbreaking.

Four years later, after they’ve both graduated from the university and got permanent jobs, Eli bumped into Christian at his (Eli’s) workplace. They both acted confused and didn’t say a word to each other, even Hello. A few days later, Eli received a call from Christian inviting him for a lunch date. Did Eli accept the invitation? If yes, what happened after the lunch date? Grab a copy of the book and find out.

The one by Tyler Cook is an engaging and emotional character-driven story narrated in a relaxed and conversational tone from the author’s perspective. The book is a quick read containing 276 pages with 23 chapters (PDF format). Noteworthy, the author was careful not to ignore any typos/errors. Remarkably, the words in the chapters are not too comprehensive, which makes it easy for the reader to read through the story swiftly. Moreover, the language used is easy-to-understand, and the sentences are well-constructed. Outstandingly, the text chat dialogue has been differentiated from call chat dialogue whereby the text chats are in bold, whereas the call chats are in italic. The idea of incorporating text chats and call chats in a story proves that the author appreciates and embraces all means of communication.

Out of the twenty-one characters, only four characters are well-built. I think it’s because the author wanted to focus more on the protagonist and the three characters who were directly involved in his everyday activities.

I like that both Eli and Christian parents respected their decisions and were willing to support them and accept who they were. Moreover, the friendship between Eli and Tori is inspiring. Tori is loyal to Eli. She is always available to help Eli in the best way she can. When Eli experienced emotional havoc, Tori helped him to ease his pain with heartwarming and comforting words.

One thing I have learned from the book is that it takes a lot of courage to come out publicly as gay. The criticism and the side-eyes from anti-gay individuals are unbearable.

The book seems to be edited skillfully. I only detected a typo error on page 70, paragraph 1, but the error didn’t take away anything from the story. The romance portrayed in the book is not erotic. Noteworthy, there is no sign of profanity in the story. The plot is well-developed and suspenseful. Remarkably, the author tried to spice up the story with some adventure and drama, which blended well with the other aspects of the story. Ultimately, I didn’t find anything to dislike about the book. That said, I rate the book at 4 out of 4 stars.

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The One
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gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 31 Jan 2020, 07:12

It's always a plus when the book is well edited; it also seems like an inspiring read. Thanks for the review.

Shabram22 · Post by **Shabram22** » 31 Jan 2020, 07:44

This book is not one I would like to read. Thanks for your review.

Roger Glasgow · Post by **Julius_** » 31 Jan 2020, 07:55

I like well built characters in any book. The lessons you leant gave me a clear picture of the book. I think I'll pass it, though your review was amazing. Thanks for the review

Maria Esposito · Post by **Maria Esposito** » 31 Jan 2020, 11:13

I liked the author's idea of formatting the text chats in bold, and the call chats italics. I often find it difficult to juggle through dialogues in novels. Thank you for your insightful review!

Connie Otwani · Post by **Connie Otwani** » 31 Jan 2020, 12:48

The book seems well done. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 31 Jan 2020, 16:44

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who like to discriminate against those who are not exactly like themselves. I'm glad this book brings light to this sad truth. Great review, my friend!

xoxoAnushka · Post by **xoxoAnushka** » 01 Feb 2020, 00:12

The story seems quite enticing, different and it's something new. Beautiful review btw!

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:50

gen_g wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 07:12 It's always a plus when the book is well edited; it also seems like an inspiring read. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for coming through.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:51

Shabram22 wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 07:44 This book is not one I would like to read. Thanks for your review.

It's understandable. Thanks for commenting.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:53

Julius_ wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 07:55 I like well built characters in any book. The lessons you leant gave me a clear picture of the book. I think I'll pass it, though your review was amazing. Thanks for the review

Thank you for your kind words.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:54

espo wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 11:13 I liked the author's idea of formatting the text chats in bold, and the call chats italics. I often find it difficult to juggle through dialogues in novels. Thank you for your insightful review!

Thanks for commenting.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:55

Cotwani wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 12:48 The book seems well done. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review!

Thank you for coming through and leave a comment.

Nerea · Post by **Nerea** » 02 Feb 2020, 11:56

Prisallen wrote: ↑31 Jan 2020, 16:44 Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who like to discriminate against those who are not exactly like themselves. I'm glad this book brings light to this sad truth. Great review, my friend!

Can't agree enough. Thanks.