Book Description:

Orphan Black meets Margaret Atwood in this twisty supernatural thriller about female power and the bonds of sisterhood

Josephine Morrow is Girl One, the first of nine “Miracle Babies” conceived without male DNA, raised on an experimental commune known as the Homestead. When a suspicious fire destroys the commune and claims the lives of two of the Homesteaders, the remaining Girls and their Mothers scatter across the United States and lose touch.

Years later, Margaret Morrow goes missing, and Josie sets off on a desperate road trip, tracking down her estranged sisters who seem to hold the keys to her mother’s disappearance. Tracing the clues Margaret left behind, Josie joins forces with the other Girls, facing down those who seek to eradicate their very existence while uncovering secrets about their origins and unlocking devastating abilities they never knew they had.

A spellbinding supernatural thriller, Girl One combines the provocative imagination of Naomi Alderman’s The Power with the propulsive, cinematic storytelling of a Marvel movie. In her electrifying new novel, Sara Flannery Murphy digs deep into women’s extraordinary power and reveals an unassailable truth: so much strength lies in numbers.

Adele’s Review:

Girl One and its unique premise made me curious enough to read the book, though science fiction is not my usual fare. The story centers around a group of women who deliver babies via parthenogenesis, or virgin birth, and their relationships with their daughters, each other, and the male scientist who designs and facilitates the experiment. The subject matter is fascinating and raises almost endless questions.

This book is a saga of adventure and discovery when Josephine, Girl One, sets out on a journey to find the others like her after years of separation. The book has supernatural elements that I enjoyed, and though it’s marketed as Mystery and Thriller, I see this novel as more science fiction than thriller due to its subject matter.

Girl One raises interesting questions about Mother-Daughter relationships, Women’s relationship to Men, and whether we’ll see a future that includes re-creation without male DNA. Thank you to Faurrar, Strauss and Giroux and NetGalley for providing an ARC for an honest review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3887732089

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374601747