One True Loves
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In One True Loves, Taylor Jenkins Reid manages to create a story that’s both insane and realistic. The ~situation~ (no spoilers) seems entirely improbable yet she makes you a believer.
While this is an impressive feat, I didn’t connect with the main character, and unlike Malibu Rising, which shifted between multiple points of view, I was stuck with this character’s narration the whole time. She struck me as a “pick-me” girl– self-denigrating her high school nerdiness while becoming a sought-after love interest from multiple dudes. Clearly, she had a lot going for her, and I can’t take the lack of self awareness seriously.
In general, the characters fell flat for me. A contributing factor is the unnatural dialogue. In my opinion, Taylor Jenkins Reid is extremely talented at internal dialogue. She captures the nuance of emotions, especially when it comes to grief, and paints a realistic picture of what’s going on in a character’s head. Problems (sometimes) arise when the characters open their mouths. There were plenty of times when I felt deeply connected to a character’s subjective experience only to roll my eyes at the next line when they expressed themselves in a way that I’ve never heard a human speak.
So, One True Loves receives 3 out of 5 flames. There’s a lot to place on the scales here. Pros: wildly entertaining plot + poignant internal dialogue. Cons: boring character(s) + stilted external dialogue. For you, dear readers, it’ll depend on what weighs more.
