This novel has a very different premise from most I have read. The story takes place in the town of Bourne where 16 years earlier, a chemical company had dumped toxic waste and quickly left town when the people of Bourne began having mysterious illnesses that left them dead or incapacitated and children were being born with a plethora of congenital conditions. So may people were affected that the all of the businesses have ramps, handicapped doors, etc. and the schools are almost entirely focused on those with special cognitive needs, leaving the "normal" A-level students to fend for themselves and tutor others (lots of guilt for being "normal") Under these conditions, Nora lost her husband and is left to raise her triplets, an their various special needs alone. She has been fighting the chemical plant for justice (and vengeance) ever since. The triplets often refer to themselves as One, Two, and Three (hence the title), and the story is told from each of their perspectives in rotating chapters. I enjoyed this unusual novel that is well written with depth in the characters as well as the plot. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review..

It pains me a bit to admit that this book was not a favorite for me. Laurie frankel’s last book, This is how it always is, was in fact an all tile favorite that I have recommended to everyone who loves reading. That book was so heartfelt and I connected with every character. This one was harder truth be told. Frankel is a very good writer and the plot is interesting. And I don’t have to find something completely “believable” in a work of fiction to love and get lost in it. It’s fiction after all and we happily and willingly suspend reality to enter these other worlds. However I couldn’t quite get to that point of effortless connection here. The triplets were likeable enough protagonists, but I didn’t love them. The story of a town that has lived through a terrible catastrophe of some kind leaving most of its residents forever harmed was interesting but well…I just didn’t love how the story unfolded or the characters enough to buy in. I realize this review isn’t really saying much of anything but i don’t want to give anything away. And I also think, because Frankel is such a good writer, that many people might have a different opinion and shouldn’t be put off reading this book. It just didn’t connect for me in the end.

{Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and LibroFM for my gifted review copies}

I alternated reading and listening to Laurie Frankel's 2021 release, One Two Three. After devouring her 2017 novel This Is How It Always Is, I waited (sometimes not so) patiently for whatever she came up with next.

One Two Three has Damnation Springs vibes and takes you deep into small town life. You meet a set of 17 year old  triplets , Mab, Monday and Mirabel, who have lived in the small town of Bourne their whole lives and are each unique complex.

Their whole lives, they have watched their mother Nora, tirelessly advocate for compensation for Bourne, because of the aftermath of Big Factory chemical pollution on the town's water supply. Residents have long been affected by the toll this pollution has taken on their town, including their father who died of cancer right before the three of the girls were born.

When big trucks start pulling into this long forgotten small town with plans to reopen the plant, Mab, Monday and Mirabel know it's their time to step up and fight for what is right. The town wrestles with the complexities of what this means for their town, jobs and security, vs. the health of their residents.

This book is definitely more of a slow burn, but it was also super satisfying. It look some time to understand both the triplets and town dynamics, and the ecological concerns the town has faced but it does all come together.

I found the characters to be layered and the perspectives of all the main players were nuanced and thought provoking. The themes of justice, capitalism and unburying deeply rooted secrets was just fascinating and this book truly was unlike anything I have ever read.

One Two Three was completely unique and left me with so much to ponder. If everything you have read lately has kind of blurred together lately, you should try this one! It would also make for an amazing book club discussion. 4/5 stars

This book is about a set of triplets with them having disabilities. The story is told from the perspective of each triplet. The start of this story is giving me Flint, Michigan vibes. A chemical plant caused health problems and then the family left only to return years later. This story is too much like Erin Brockovich. It got good at the end when the girls took it upon themselves to right a wrong. .

One Two Three was my first book by this author but I can guarantee you it will not be my last. I got major Erin Brockovich vibes from this book. Frankel has a way of developing characters that is just exquisite. Monday was a favorite for sure. I just really loved how this story progressed and unfolded.

Triplets Mab, Monday, and Mirabel or One, Two, and Three as they call themselves and their fierce momma are a force to be reckoned with in a town that is grappling with the long-term effects of a chemical spill. I loved the alternating voices of the girls as they narrated each chapter. A little romance thrown in for good measure....after all, they ARE teenagers!

Enjoyed the book. Had trouble getting into it at first and then it grabbed me & I stayed up the entire night to finish it. Definitely recommend. Touches on many important topics.

This is a complicated novel that covers a lot of ground. First and most importantly, this is the story of three sisters. They take turns narrating, so that the reader gets to know them and gets well rounded views of what's going on in their family and their town.

Second, this is a novel about a small town that has suffered horribly from environmental contamination. We get to know the members of the town and their stories through the eyes of the Mitchell sisters. Frankel weaves together personal narratives with historical anecdotes and scientific facts to tell a sweeping story full of heartbreak, yet there is hope and humor as well.

The middle of the book drags, it could definitely stand to be shorter. Otherwise it's a powerful read and I highly recommend it for readers of literary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book. All opinions are mine.
While this title and it's characters didn't appeal to me, others may find it enjoyable!

Huge Laurie Frankel fan and absolutely loved This Is How It Always Is but found it very difficult to get into this story. Just didn’t work for me. But thank you for the opportunity to read/review.

I fell in love with Laurie Frankel's books when I read her debut novel, The Atlas of Love, when it originally published. Since then, I've made sure to read every book she writes because she's a wonderful storyteller and she never disappoints. She writes with heart and One Two Three is no exception..I absolutely adored the characters and the character development.. Another gem from Frankel. I hope she doesn't wait to long to release her next novel. Thank you to Henry Holt and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The story is centered around triplets: Mab, Monday, and Mirabel. They each have their own personalities, dreams, and perspectives. The town they grew up in has been going through a long legal battle against a local chemical plant who contaminated the water, leading to birth defects, and death.

One day the town is all abuzz, they see a moving truck, no one new has moved into town since the chemical plant closed. Who could it be? The newest arrivals set off a reaction of events and people must decide what is important to them.

This book was enjoyable, all three of the sisters were admirable and I loved their strong wills and determination. It's definitely a slow burn, which made me not want to compulsively read it, but I enjoyed the story. Definitely don't read this if you are looking for a quick lighthearted read.

While this was a very thought-provoking read about a family with triplet Sisters who live in a a town polluted by a chemical plant it fell kind of flat for me. Too much rambling on and I found it hard to hold my interest in it. I guess I had high expectations as this book its highly rated and the topic and all that surrounds it was interesting. None the lass well written, just not my kind of read.
Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holy and company and the Author Laurie Frankel for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having had experience living near a Superfund site, loving Erin Brokovich, and doing a thesis on the Love Canal, I was excited to read this novel. Unfortunately, the writing/style of this book just wasn't my cup of tea. There was too much dialogue breaking up the actual story and became distracting. And, the ending. It was just not realistic for me.

I don’t think Frankel will be able to out write herself. For me, This is How it Always is will hold top spot. I had high expectations for One Two Three and wanted so much to love it like I did it’s big sister book. Sadly it was a DNF for me at 60%. I got Erin Brokovich vibes and that made me feel somehow I’ve read this book already. The sister characters were all really well developed and I heard their distinct voices. Once the momentum lagged in the middle I lost interest. Maybe I’ll return to it in print or audio in the future. Thank you for my arc.

I kept wanting to scream “Call Erin Brockovich!” Because this town certainly needed her help to get some justice from the industry poisoning their town. The Mitchell triplets grew up watching their mother fight for them and the town, they have all been hit hard and manifest the poisoning in individual ways. I liked the triple viewpoints telling what happened when they got involved in the fight.

Laurie Frankel is just a master at opening hearts to those who are “different” according to society’s standards. The 16 year old triplets - Mab, Monday and Mirabel - at the center of this novel absolutely stole my heart. They live in a forgotten town called Bourne, where many citizens are suffering the long term effects of a nefarious chemical company’s poisoning. Their loving, attentive mother Nora has been crusading for justice for 16 years, to no avail. But when the owner of the company’s son and family (including 16 year old River) move to town, the triplets are spurred into action. This book is about their efforts to right a wrong, yes, but it’s more about three sisters who are so closely entwined despite being varying degrees of “normal.” Frankel presents a positively immersive experience for her readers, to really get to know and understand the triplets and their plight, and you come away with a whole new perspective on how differently human beings’ minds and bodies work (or don’t). There is so much love and humour embedded in this book, that the town and its inhabitants became real to me by the end. I absolutely adored this book and highly recommend it!

I loved Laurie Frankel's "This is How It Always Is," and so I came to "One Two Three" with high expectations. The novel initially failed to pull me in, and I found the frequent changes of narrator jarring. Eventually, though, I found my footing with the 16-year-old Mitchell triplets, who tell the story of Bourne and the environmental disaster that has left their family and their whole town in desperate circumstances. The girls' mom is fighting a long-running, Erin Brockovich-style legal battle against the chemical company that poisoned Bourne, but eventually it falls to the girls to decide: Is more direct, dramatic action required? The sisters' tender interactions with each other and with their neighbors come across not only as entertaining but also as sweetly nuanced. If you give yourself the time to get into it, the book has a lot to offer.

Thank you Netgalley and LIbroFM for my copy of this book. I enjoyed this book about a set of triplets that live in a town where everyone knows everyone. Everyone in the town suffers from proverty and the girls mom is determined to prove that a certain family is the reason behind it. I loved the different personalities of the girls and how they were always there for each other.

Testing 1, 2, 3. It’s a go!

It’s pretty funny that I requested this book on NetGalley. When the author’s previous book, This Is How It Always Is, got rave reviews, I stayed away. The writer’s name is Frankel. How could a reality star/business woman write literary fiction, I wanted to know. Because she didn’t, dumb dumb Deb! Two people can have the same last name, it turns out. Geez, you would have thought I’d check out the first names, but no, I assumed the obnoxious and boisterous TV star, Bethenny Frankel, was doubling as a serious fiction writer. Ha, goes to show me what I can do with my assumptions! I mean, really, what was I doing? If the author’s name was Perry, would I have assumed Katy Perry gave up her “Roar” days and picked up a pen to start a literary career? I don’t think so! Anyway, all of this to say, despite my embarrassing concern about the author’s name, I decided to check out One, Two, Three. And man am I glad I did.

This is one creative novel! Right off the bat, I’m in. Play with words—like the author did with the main characters’ names—and I’m in heaven.

The story is about 16-year-old triplets. Their names are a kick. The oldest is Mab. Since she was born first, her name is just one syllable. Monday popped out second, and thus her name has two syllables. Then there’s the third to be born, so her name gets three syllables, Mirabel. The chapter titles vary between 1, 2, and 3, referring to each triplet by number. I could just hug their names and number scheme.

Mab is the “normal” one. Monday is on the autism spectrum (but highly functional), and Mirabel is wheelchair-bound and has to use an electronic voice to speak—she’s the super brainy one. It’s impossible not to love all three.

This is a mighty fine character study. We get to see inside their heads, always a draw for me. And their connection to each other made me feel good. Each voice is so unique and rich, and the girls are so likable, smart, determined, and quirky. Many authors struggle with creating unique voices, but Frankel is not one of them.

They live in a super small town that had a chemical plant years ago, and the toxic water from the plant wreaked havoc on the health of its citizens, including the triplets. The girls and their mom are obsessed with the damage caused by the big bad chemical company. I won’t say anything about the plot, other than it all begins when a moving van arrives in town.

The story has a lot to do with trust and betrayal, always two juicy components of a story. Should this certain person be trusted? I found myself going back and forth.

The book also deals with the aftermath of a town destroyed by a chemical company. It was interesting to watch the citizens’ changing reactions to the state of affairs that develops.

These days it takes a lot for me to like a book about high schoolers (I’ve just OD’d on them, and I crave adults), but these triplets got under my skin in the best way. I do think it would be a good YA book, but this adult liked it just fine.

My only complaint is that the book is too long (400 pages). At times it was belabored. We get it, no need to drill it into our heads.

Now I’m hot to read “This Is How It Always Is,” of course. And I’ll be waiting for LAURIE Frankel’s next gem.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.