Reviews

Reviews for ONE OF US

"In her debut, Waudby both draws parallels to real-world issues of religion and violence and makes them personal: K wants not only justice, but love, home, and a family. It’s an irresistible page-turner that’s full of complex characters rather than stereotypes, tackling a sensitive subject with storytelling that is as engrossing as it instructional about prejudice and the gray areas between right and wrong. A timely and riveting debut thriller about tolerance and the complexities of truth."

 - Kirkus Reviews 

O

ne of Us is a remarkable tale which reminds us that there is a difference between what is right and what is easy, as well as the fact that the people who we believe to be our mortal enemies aren’t so very different from us after all. At a time when the world is filled with huge divides between sexes, races, religions and more, this book couldn’t be more fitting.  

                                                                             -The Guardian 

“Waudby creates a fog of disquietude where both the reader and K become lost, and a final revelation will cause readers to think deeply about how easy it is to manipulate those disconnected from society and in need of a sense of belonging. In the end, whether K is Brotherhood or Citizen matters less than the understanding that social differences rarely occupy such tidy categories in real life. Impactful and thought provoking.”

- Booklist

"Recommend this one to teen readers who have tired of dystopias and are looking for something new and different." 

- Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

  This review was published in School Library Journal’s October 2015 issue.

"In making the details of K's world generic, Waudby draws on universal themes that can speak to almost any "us vs. them" conflict, be it religious, ethnic, or cultural."

- Publishers Weekly

  

"We love the concept of this book, the prejudice, distrust and religious intolerance ring true with many of our own real-World societal issues where terrorism is a word we hear with increasing familiarity. One Of Us provokes thought and raises important questions that will stay with you long after you have finished the book."

 - Leabhar Love

"There are echoes of Orwell and Kafka in this tense thriller, which thoroughly respects its readers’ intelligence." 

- Andrea Reece, lovereading4kids.co.uk 

Listed in Sita Brahmachari's "hopeful list to celebrate freedom of speech and narratives of unity" in The Guardian.

"One of Us by Jeannie Waudby, in which a teenage girl must figure out who to trust and how to stay alive after she has been recruited to spy on an insurgent organization."

- Listed in Publisher's Weekly BEA 2015:Can't-Miss Kids' Galleys.

"One of us is an amazing story and after reading it I couldn’t stop thinking about it! K is an amazing character and the storyline is brilliant...  the characters’ backstories are really deep and detailed. I enjoy how the characters expand during the story, it almost feels as if I am there with them while I was reading the book! The cliffhangers made me want to read more until it came to a time where I couldn’t put the book down! Definitely one of my new favourites and I highly recommend this book!"

 - Louise Reilly, 13 on raisingireland.com