When life gives you lemons.....but what if life gave you a chemical bath inutero? A set of triplets, each affected differently be their environmental exposures, will give some hard life lessons to those who would play down their responsibility. In turn, each teen will display the ups and downs of their lives while still managing to refuse the role of victim. Laurie Frankel has done an excellent job of giving us three young women and their surrounding community to show life is to be lived, no matter the restrictions in place.

One Two Three is another backlist book I am happy to finally have read. Laurie Frankel is a new-to-me author and I found her writing style to be engaging and captivating, making it hard to put down.

• An emotional story about the small town of Bourne, known nationally for a toxic waste disaster that disrupted the lives of everyone that lives there forever.
• Like most small towns, everyone knows everyone, and secrets are hard to keep.
• The story is told from the perspectives of the beloved Mitchell triplets, Mirabel, Monday and Mab, each girl struggling with their own personal challenges.
• Mirabel is a passionate artist who is trying to find her place in the art world. Monday is a survivor of a tragic accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury and she struggles with memory loss. Mab is a mathematical genius who wants to save her town from environmental destruction.
• Lives are changed forever after a new family moves into town with dark secrets that threaten to unravel everything in the town of Bourne.
• The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to sympathize with each of them.
• Interesting and unpredictable plot, making it difficult to put down.
• A beautifully written and compelling novel that explores love, loyalty and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.

Really enjoyed this book. I loved the story and the progression of events. A really important issue and told in an enjoyable, unique way.

This book was not for me. I was not able to finish it. I could not get in the story and did not care about any of the characters. I know a lot of people loved this book, but it was not enjoyable for me.

3.5 stars- my review on this one is late! I found the book interesting with 3 different voices combining to tell one good story. This was my second Frankel book to read and will continue as I enjoy her storytelling skills.

The town of Bourne and its residents are suffering the aftermath of environmental contamination. Cancer, disease, mental and physical deformities, and poverty have affected every resident. The Mitchell triplets, nicknamed One, Two and Three by the middle sister, narrate the story in alternate chapters. Each girl has different strengths and weaknesses - Mabs, intelligent and on the highest track at school; Monday, with some level of autism and Mirabel, severely physically disabled yet brilliant. Singly and together I found each girl a delight and were the reason I loved this book. The struggles of the town were a small part of the story compared to the resilience and bond of the characters.

In the tiny town of Bourne, the Mitchell triplets are distinct, but also like everyone else. Nothing ever changes, until one day when a truck comes to town. When they discover the true intentions of the newcomers, will the sisters and their mother be as easily swayed as their neighbors?

I requested One Two Three because I liked the previous work that I read by this author, but this novel was not as successful. The novel reminded me of a fictitious version of the events in Love Canal, New York and I could not help make comparisons. Considering how litigious of a society in which we live, I found it hard to believe that their mother could not find a high powered champion for their cause. The novel was written in the perspective of triplets, who were affected in different ways from birth defects. The author used a unique way of alerting the reader to whom was speaking, which was interesting. Overall, I liked the characters more than the plot itself. The ending felt rushed and forced, which was a stark contrast to the slow pace of the rest of the novel.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of One Two Three by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel rested entirely with me.

Laurie Frankel can do no wrong! My only complaint is having to wait so long between novels.

I fell head over heels for sisters Mab, Monday, and Mirabelle: 1,2,3. Frankel captured each girl's voice and personality so distinctly. The environmental themes were interesting and set the stage and propelled the plot.

But, like her previous novel, This Is How It Always Is, it was the characters and their relationships that took center stage for me. The sisters working together to continue the fight against the chemical company, so their mother could finally rest some of her burdens was a beautiful full circle moment.

Thank you to the author, Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

One Two Three is unlike any book I've ever read which can be a good thing or a bad thing. in this book's case, it was a good thing I really like the characters and the plot. it was definitely a page-turner that i recommend

I really enjoyed Laurie Frankel's This Is How It Always Is and her latest novel One Two Three was just as wonderful. Mab, Monday, and Mirabel are triplets born in a time of hardship for their small town, Bourne. A chemical plant has poisoned the water and the repercussions are immense. Now sixteen and doing their best to survive high school and a dying town, they are determined to make things better. Included with the sisters is a whole cast of remarkable characters: Nora, their mother, who has been fighting to bring a lawsuit against the chemical company their whole lives; Omar, the mayor, who some hold at least partially responsible for what happened; Pooh, the old blind woman who isn't blind that Mab reads to once a week; and River, the son and grandson of the owners of the chemical plant whose family has moved back to town to try to reopen the plant.

I loved this book. I love that Frankel opens it with the caveat that this is a work of fiction but also that it is based on real things that have happened in real towns and that continue to happen today. A quote from the book:

If the water were contaminating wealthy Bostonians, that would be unacceptable and addressed.
But Bourne? Bourne is completely disposable.

This is an environmental story and one about people with different physical abilities and disabilities. This is a story about suffering, but also overcoming; about fighting for what is right even if it isn't necessarily in the way some people would say is the right way. Frankel writes fantastic characters and with so much heart. I have read some really good books this year and this one is right near the top.

I liked her other book better, but I still really liked this one. I liked the characters and it had a really good plot as well.

I didn't love this one as much as This is How it Always Is, but I still think it's well worth your time. This is an engaging story about family dynamics, sisterhood, and friendship in a small town dealing with an environmental disaster.

Once again, Laurie Frankel delivers deeply thoughtful, fully-formed characters, tender relationships, and major stakes. One Two Three is an Erin Brockovich-esque trifecta that doesn't disappoint. Loved it!

I love Laurie Frankel’s writing. I fell in love with it after reading THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS, and I felt the same reading ONE TWO THREE. She has a way of interweaving so many important topics and conversations that I didn’t even bat an eye to all the storylines included.

With that being said, I did think the story was a tad long.

Even though it was long, I fell in love with the triplets, Mab, Monday, and Mirabel. They’re adorable yet awkward, all embodying different personalities despite being womb mates. Their coming of age and evolution really pulled at the heart strings. The main point of the story at large is somehow both devastating and hopeful. Without giving much away, I did think the ending would be different.

If you’re looking to learn how to write a multiple POV book, read this one.

Content warnings: chronic illness, grief, ableism, cancer, death of parent, infertility, addiction

Big thank you to Henry Holt and Co for the eARC, and Libro FM for the ALC!

Laurie Frankel excels in writing characters who come to life. She’s a master of life’s minutiae. This story is timely, believable, and so well done.

I was soooo excited to get my hands on Frankel’s new book, especially after how much I loved This Is How It Always Is. Y’all, she even took the time to come to our book club AND IT WAS AMAZING. Which is why I’m devastated to say... this book did not do it for me. Maybe my hopes were too high, or maybe “This Is How It Always Is” was soooo incredibly personal to the author that made it unable for me to put down, I don’t know.

What I do know is that “One, Two, Three” fell flat for me. While the narrators are exceptionally written (Frankel’s trademark), the plot wasn’t enough to keep me turning the pages. Due to the alternating chapters for each triplet, conversations between the sisters became repetitive and I would have preferred to have the next chapter pick up immediately where the last one left off, or with no summary at all.

I liked the way the town of Bourne was written, and the accessibility for all of the characters. However, I think Frankel was too ambitious in tackling the polluted water/lawsuit plot, which is where the story fell apart for me. If Erin Brokovich is your favorite movie, maybe you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Laurie Frankel and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

2.5 STARS ⭐️ ⭐️

I was so excited for the book but it was way too long. Loved getting to know the girls and enjoyed how different each voice was but I just couldn’t finish it. I loved Laurie Frankel’s last book but this one just started to feel like a chore after the halfway point. Sorry! Thanks for the chance.

The story focuses on 3 sisters, triplets even, and they never quite separated in my head and became individuals within the story. It might have helped if I was pulled in and able to focus on the story, but since this was a pickup/putdown type novel, it made it harder.

This was fantastic on audio. I would highly recommend this book. I went into this book without any expectations and loved it. The characters and the storyline were so well done.

|| 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

One Two Three
Laurie Frankel
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

|| 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:
After the water turned green thanks to the chemical plant, things started changing in Bourne. Pets got sick, then the adults, and then children were born and birth defects and other issues were increased. One family dealing with this is the Mitchell Triplets. Mab born first seems to have no issues. She is always studying for the SATs and wants to get out of Bourne one day. Monday born second has some quirks, possibly on the spectrum but definitely with sensory issues, things don’t come as easy to her as Mab. She has taken over as the town’s librarian and came help you find any book. Mirabel may be the smartest person in Bourne. She however has limited speech, and is only able to move one arm to type her thoughts out. She is observant, kind, a great listener, and one you should never doubt.

|| 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
•YA
•Family drama and coming together to solve a problem
• You are more than your limits

|| 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:
I listened to the audio and the 3 narrators for each girl were great! It’s coming of age, solving a family mystery, and realizing that you can move beyond your supposed limits. This is based on a town with a similar issue thanks to a chemical plant. The author’s note and interview at the end of the audio expands on this. I really enjoyed the insight to each other characters and their unique voices. It was a very enjoyable listen and kept my interest throughout. I loved the ending with the girls taking their story into their own hands. This story is theirs to tell and shouldn’t be dictated by others.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and Netgalley for a copy of this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review