Join a book club that is reading The One: A Suspenseful Sci-Fi Thriller about the Pitfalls in Finding Your Perfect Match through Genetics (Dark Future, 1)!

Book Club Babes

A group of women who love to read & want to form new relationships & nurture existing ones. We want to learn new things & build up & support each othe

The One: A Suspenseful Sci-Fi Thriller about the Pitfalls in Finding Your Perfect Match through Genetics (Dark Future, 1)

***Over 1M Copies Sold!***

The USA Today bestseller

A Wall Street Journal Best Science Fiction Book of 2018

''Brilliantly inventive.
'' --Good Housekeeping

"A shock on every other page." --Wall Street Journal

A thrilling speculative novel for fans of Severance, Silo, and Dark Matter


How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you'll be matched with your perfect partner--the one you're genetically made for.

That's the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they've been "Matched." They're each about to meet their one true love. But "happily ever after" isn't guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others...

The nationally bestselling first book in the Dark Future series, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.

Don't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs and the Dark Future series (you'll never see the twists coming!):
  • The Marriage Act
  • The Vacation
  • The Family Experiment
  • The One

BUY THE BOOK

Published Apr 16, 2019

448 pages

Average rating: 7.58

1,121 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

jennimarie9
Jul 21, 2025
7/10 stars
Surprising, thought-provoking, cliff-hanger-ey are the three best descriptions here. I loved the way the author took an interesting idea like the DNA matching and played it out in our current society. I don't think he got too far off from how a lot of it would actually go, and I think he did an excellent job or really playing out some unique outcomes. This also resulted in additional thought provoking moments (Would I take the test? How would this affect people in my life? Would society really do this?). I enjoyed that part of it. It also was fairly surprising throughout (and in a fun satisfying way)- with twist turns and creative plots. I think one review writes "A shock on every other page" and I can't disagree. Every time I thought I had predicted a story line, it veered - sometimes dramatically, sometimes just a little. As the end neared, my prediction vacillated between happily every after for the couples or tragic (as a sort of commentary to the negative impact of something like this). Ultimately, I think I was again (maybe pleasantly) surprised with how each storyline ended. It was maybe (??) too many character stories? Or maybe not, if he had done a better job of building clear and well developed characters (like Christopher) it would have been easier to keep things straight early on (like Mandy and Jade were a little murky and blended with each other). Lastly, this is one of those cliff-hanger-at-the-end-of-every-chapter type of books. This is good and bad. Good because it can be really effective in captivating, engaging, and addicting you to a book. Bad because it feels a little cheap and annoying to do so. Fortunately the cliff hangers were always well resolved (major pet peeve when authors just use them to bait you and then never give you the actual value of the impending shock). Overall I enjoyed this book and the whole concept, but didn't feel like it was a perfect masterpiece.
SLAMMIEST
Feb 09, 2025
10/10 stars
Twists and turns with every chapter! Loved it!
Margaux B
Jun 10, 2024
8/10 stars
This is a book where you will have to suspend your belief. Just go with it and you won't be sorry as you read about what sounds like a great idea - what if there was a way to discover who your soulmate was thru dna? A bunch of singles signed up. But so did married people who wanted to see if their chosen partner was scientifically their perfect match. What if it matches you with a criminal?! And you can see where a good idea can go bad. Right quick. This is an ensemble story about six people and how "The One" worked out for them. A quick and gripping read. It's the perfect beach read that will prompt lots of conversation. Very entertaining. (Side note: the TV Series has little to do with the book it's based on)
KikiStoneCreek
Jun 03, 2023
10/10 stars
Fascinating premise! I couldn't put it dowm
Summerq25
Jul 22, 2025
10/10 stars
This was my first John Marrs book and it did not disappoint!! He’s an amazing author and writer.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.