I'll admit it: a clickbait-y description caught my attention and that's why I requested this galley. The enticing line was "Orphan Black meets Margaret Atwood in this twisty supernatural thriller about female power and the bonds of sisterhood."

I'd like to read more from whoever wrote that marketing blurb, but probably not more by Sara Flannery Murphy.

Murphy's novel has a promising premise that centers on a group of women, a quest for parthenogenesis, and a rogue doctor who was kicked out of the medical establishment. Unfortunately, the writing doesn't live up to the plot possibilities. The novel rambled on and on without enough direction and could have used some heavy editing. We met most of the 9 mother-daughter pairs during this ramble, but they all bleed together. Murphy gives them a few differences rooted in setting (this one lives in the country and has a lush garden, these live in an urban gated mansion) but none in voice. The women blended together because their voices were all exactly the same. And the novel plodded on at a pace I cannot associate with the assigned genre of "thriller."

There were some high points. One of them is when Cate (Girl 3) says "You know when I'd like to see? A book that discusses the way the Homestead affected women's lives. You writer types love to obsess over the lost science, or Bellanger's grandstanding, or the dead bodies. But what about the way it impacted women? Like, maybe it wasn't strange for a single woman to raise a baby along. Maybe it was a miracle instead" (ch 17). With that in mind, I was much more interested in Margaret and Patricia's back story (we got only the barest outlines of it) than in Josie's doomed quest. In a way, Murphy fell into the same trap as the journalists in the novel.

In the end, there was too little "female power" and too much multi-generational and societal misogyny. Don't even get me started on "Junior" and his lost cause to "restore" his father's (non)work, or Josie's relationship with her graduate advisor. And I would never put a work like this in the company of Atwood's literary masterpieces.

Perhaps I was the wrong audience for this book. But the Atwood tag was the wrong description for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing e-galley access to this title.

Girl One is a bit of a slog. The concept of human parthenogenesis was fascinating and there is a fair amount of action. Plot background and relatable characters with some depth are what is missing. The author also missed the chance to explore in some detail the societal what-ifs that parthenogenesis would present. Somehow, in spite of decent writing, I just couldn’t get into it.

The book was okay. I found it dragged through the first half. The premise was good and there were some really interesting scenes. I think it was more that this isn’t a genre of book I read and had trouble keeping interested in it. The writer is a master at the written word it just wasn’t the book for me. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sarah Flannery Murphy takes us on a wild adventure.as she explores the world of parthenogenesis. Nine women decide to try having children without being impregnated. This virgin birth (parthenogenesis) theory has been explored but attempting it is amazing. Over a period of years, nine girls are born identical to their mothers. Society isn't accepting of the women or their children. After a fire at their compound, they scatter to the wind. The first girl born - Girl One dedicates herself to continuing the work of the doctor responsible for this experiment. Girl One, Josie Morrow, is drawn into the deep secrets surrounding her birth when her mother disappears. How do you locate someone who has disappeared without a trace?

This is a mesmerizing book. Thriller, Sci-Fi, and Mystery don't even begin to describe the story. These women attempt to teach society that it could adapt to the absence of men. Intriguing and thought provoking, this is a wonderful read for people who love surprises.

I am awed, inspired, and ravaged at this end of this book. Each chapter and page was so brilliant and captivating that my mind and soul craved more. The idea behind this novel is unique and was executed so flawlessly I felt I lived it. Everything about Girl One was original and marvelous.

Girl One has a fascinating concept: women become pregnant without sperm. What does that mean for their daughters? What does it mean for the world of science? How is it done? Is it ethical? It it right? What happens to those daughters as they age and become women themselves?

This book dances around some of the questions and flat-out ignores some of the others. Girl A is Josephine, the first girl born of a mother without sperm. An adult, she finds out her mother is missing and their home has burned down. Josephine goes on a quest--ostensibly to find out where her mother is and what happened to her but it becomes a journey to find herself. She meets up with other Girls and the book flashes between present and past. It's an intriguing idea, and I lovey odyssey books, but this one seemed to leave a lot of threads untied.

Sara Flannery Murphy (SFM) touches on a lot of the interesting concepts, but never really dives into the content. I realize that the science would be imaginary and the doctor in charge was notoriously tight-lipped about the how, but it would have been interesting to hear the theoretical ideas behind the woman-only birth. Were the girls clones? It's alluded to, but isn't really said outright. I would have loved to read more about that.

SFM also has Josephine visit nearly every Girl, which takes a while and some of the passages seem meandering and could have benefited from additional editing. There's also a love story embedded within which didn't really seem necessary--almost as though SFM was trying to add more into an already convoluted plot.

Girl One is a fun ride, but could have been so much better. Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a free copy in return for my honest review.

Loved everything about this book! This intriguing sci-fi mystery was amazing.
The story did star a little slow for me..... But quickly picked up.
The characters were great and interesting also fun to follow along. I enjoyed the story.... This was a wild one.
Amazingly paced, this book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Fascinating and original story about group of girls born via parthenogenesis. Lots of history around the fears the group incited at their birth, leading to great chase and mystery about what’s happening now. Girl One, the first born, is trying to find her mother who has disappeared, Along this journey she deals with a reporter and finds out why their births caused such fear and rage when first reported. And the story isn’t over- are they really witches, whose origins are often shrouded in hysterical theories. And are they just theories. It’s a wonderful story about mother/daughter relationships, a hint of the occult with a scientific gloss, and the classic mystery elements.

I found this to be an ok read. A bit plodding but interesting to power through. Will probably try it again soon. Thanks for the ARC!

Pretty good, ... one of those 3-star books that I can enjoy but with a couple problems that were "just enough" to keep it from being a 4-star. And both problems might be less significant to other readers.

I loved the complexity of the main character. She was growing and discovering, even when it was not really where she might want to go.

My biggest trouble was in trying to keep the 9 mothers and their daughters from becoming tangled up with one another. A second issue was that I felt like we were never allowed an ending to Tom's story.

Although this had a slow start for me, I did enjoy it. The complex characters drew me in, and I loved the theme of female empowerment and strength. This book was an interesting mix of science fiction and mystery.

The description of this novel sounded intriguing, but the book exceeded my expectations. The premise of parthenogenesis in humans is the starting point, but the author takes the concept of conception and births without male involvement and runs with it. This is a thrilling tale of self=discovery and female empowerment, and a subtler exploration of how men have subjugated women in terms of sexuality and reproduction for centuries. A little sci=fi, a lot thriller/mystery, this novel was a page turner!

Is it sci-fi? Is it a thriller? It's both. By the end of the book, I was so fascinated by the Girls, their "origin story," and their journey, that I really didn't want it to end. I would love to see a sequel.

I enjoyed this original novel. It has a mystery and thrills. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

“Girl One” is a Science Fiction thriller about a group of 10 women who, in 1971, with the help of Dr. Bellanger, a disgraced medical researcher, set out to create babies using only the mother’s DNA. The 10 mothers, their daughters and Dr. Bellanger lived on a commune in rural Vermont until a mysterious fire claimed the life of Dr. Bellanger and the youngest of the 10 girls.  

The novel begins when Josephine Morrow (also known as “Girl One”), the first successful birth at the commune discovers that her mother is missing and her home partially destroyed by fire.  Josephine leaves Chicago, where she is in her first year of medical school attempting to recreate Dr. Bellanger’s lost work, returning to her small hometown in Illinois to try and retrace her mother’s steps.  At her ruined house, she discovers the name and number of a reporter her mother had apparently contacted.  Josephine meets the reporter and with his help, starts to track down some of the surviving mothers and daughters who have now scattered throughout the country.  Two of the girls join her and the journalist on Josephine’s quest, and as the young women get to know each other, the mystery of their genesis and abilities is slowly revealed.

This is an intriguing novel that will draw you in as the enigma of the girls is slowly divulged, concluding with a dramatic denouement.  The characters are well drawn with fascinating glimpses into their characters as they interact with each other throughout their journey of self-discovery.

Twenty-three years after her miraculous birth, the first of nine girls conceived without male DNA to be the genetic replicas of their mothers is in medical school hoping to carry on the science of the doctor who had created her. His work was lost after his death in a fire many years earlier. Josephine Morrow had a challenging relationship with her mother, but when her mom goes missing, Josie leaves school to find her. The journey leads her to other girls who were born the same way she was. Together, they find powers they previously weren’t aware they were capable of as well as unraveling secrets and untruths they’d been fed all their lives.

This is listed as science fiction, but it’s also an intriguing mystery. I found this to be original and captivating.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JUNE 1, 2021.

I've recently read two novels where women come to a lot of grief because some men can't deal with uteruses and how they work or don't work. In Outlawed, women are hanged as witches if they can't produce a child. It doesn't matter if the men's sperm aren't wiggling the right way, in Outlawed's world the women are always at fault. I was a little disappointed in Outlawed. Too many things that weren't thought out.

Girl One is a far superior novel. In this one, women are hunted down and accused of being monsters or witches due to virgin births. Some men fear that males won't be needed anymore. They're out to destroy what they consider freaks. Slowly, the women born by unfertilized birth realize they are capable of miraculous things.

Girl One is put together well. There was never a point, like there was when I read Outlawed, where I wondered why the characters weren't a little more careful. Girl One kept me at the edge of my seat (even though I was actually in bed) as she's pursued across the country by bad men, strange men, and unknown men while she seeks her kidnapped mother and the truth about the Girls One through Nine's fatherless births.

Murder, kidnapping, arson, a race against time, mind control, and some supernatural powers. A lot to like in Girl One.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this advanced readers copy.

I loved Orphan Black and there’s a new movie out that’s similar and also awesome on Netflix. This story is the love child of that movie and Orphan Black. Perfect sci fi thriller vibes. You’ll be hooked from the first chapter!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Girl One, Josephine Morrow, finds herself stepping away from her medical studies to search for her missing mother, Margaret. The discovery of her mother’s notebook puts Josie on the trail of the other girls from the Homestead, a place she and eight other girls, along with their mothers, once called home. It was there that Doctor Joseph Bellanger supposedly created the “Miracle Babies,” each a product of parthenogenesis.

Following the clues left by her mother, Josie sets out to track down the other Girls, hoping they will have information that will lead her to her mother. But all is not as Josie believes and it will take the discovery of her own special abilities and the revealing of a long-held secret to unlock the truth.

Told from Josie’s point of view, the unfolding narrative grabs readers from the outset and pulls them into the orbit of the Girls with their unique abilities and their Mothers. An undercurrent of tension permeates the telling of the tale and the sense of impending disaster keeps the suspense building.

The strength of the story lies in the relationship between the Girls. Like their powers, as they come together they discover they are stronger collectively than they were on their own. Emotional and empowered, the Girls learn to believe in themselves as unexpected twists take the story in surprising directions. Conflicts arise, both within each of the Girls and in their dealings with the others who are determined to short-circuit their search. The story is engaging and perceptive; readers are sure to find much to appreciate here.

Sadly, the unnecessary use of a particularly offensive word mars the telling of the tale and lowers the rating for this book.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley
#GirlOne #NetGalley

What a ride this book was. It hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go. It's a mix of genres'. Don't go into it thinking it will be a fast paced ride the whole read. Go into it expecting a book about family bonds and self discovery with a mystery, and a supernatural twist. Think of it as The X-Men if the X-Men were all women created by one man and just discovering what they could do. Girl One (Josephine) is going about her life. Until her mother goes missing. Josephine seems prickly at first (and who wouldn't be? Being known for the way you were conceived... Or not conceived?) no ties to the other women who were born the same way. Estranged from her mother. There were a lot of ends that got tied up the right way. The cast of characters held my interest until I couldn't put it down. I needed to know where Josephine's mother was. What happened to the other Girls... The author also captured how hateful people could be when things happened outside of their comfort zone. This book is a journey and I'm. looking forward to more work from this author.