Girl One - Sara Flannery Murphy

Genre: Fiction | Mystery | Thriller

Release Date: 10th June 2021

Twenty-Three years ago, Girl One was born. She was named Josephine - in honour of Dr Joseph Bellanger, the Doctor who figured out how to allow women to concieve children entirely of their own DNA. It was a miracle - and just the first of many. Josie and her Mother lived together happily at the Homestead for years with the others, until everything went wrong one fateful night and the Homestead scattered around the country.

Now, Josie is a medical student, walking in the footsteps of her mentor and the only man she ever cared for and she's living in relative normality - until it happens again. Her mothers house went up in flames, the whole place trashed and her Mother is missing. Josie will need the help of her estranged former family to find her; but looking back can sometimes reveal things you didn't see before.

I loved the concept of this story - the idea of being able to create your own child without any male involvement and the infamy surrounding them. It was a brilliant take on a matriarchal society and focuses on the relationships between the powerful woman who populate the story - full of female solidarity and energy that was electrifying.

This story was full of suspense and wonder, but for me the narration was robotic and cold, more like a non-fiction style - I found it impossible to connect with Josie or the other Homesteaders and I struggled to feel anything for them. That being said, I'd still give this a read because the ideas and world-building in this novel are first-class.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Sara Flannery Murphy, Raven Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

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