What could go wrong in a support group for survivors of mass murders? Well seems like plenty. These women have been through some of the worse traumas you can read about how they try to overcome it in their unique ways. All of this while a new problem may be coming to get them.

I requested this book because of the premise and it delivered!

I found it very unique and entertaining, the science behind it believable and the plot took a path I didn't expect which doesn't happen often!

This one had a great concept but ultimately fell flat for me unfortunately. It was overly long and dragged on, I got bored easily

This was an extremely interesting read. Without disclosing any of the many, many surprises to be found in this story, let me just say that this book is full of twists and turns with ever new chapter.

This is science fantasy at its best. Read it.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* really ended up liking this book! it was really interesting and such a great read to get lost in, would love to own

I loved reading this, it was a great mystery novel with amazing twists and turns. The characters were interesting and I loved the story.

This was one of the most odd things I’ve ever read. I definitely could not predict anything that was going to happen. I loved the odd relationships between the characters that were founded on such interesting ties. Ultimately I felt like this fell a little flat but it did have some good conversations around bodily autonomy, misogyny, sisterhood, and sapphic love. I might even read it again.

I really enjoy dystopian novels and science fiction, but this book fell a little flat for me. I was interested in the science behind these miracle babies and I felt that it was kind of glossed over. I would probably consider this book more of a YA title. It was fast-paced and entertaining, but I just didn't love it. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't like this book. I know that I am in the minority here, and most people who have read it absolutely loved it, but it just wasn't for me. I found it to be too derivative of the genre; too derivative of Brave New World, Handmaid's Tale, etc.

I love, love, LOVE a book that emphasizes both worldbuilding AND character development. If you're looking for a book to immerse in, look no further!

For fans of the show Orphan Black and the book Where’d You Go, Bernadette. It is a sci-fi feminist story with heart.

A gripping and thought-provoking read that focuses on the question of viable reproduction without male involvement. The story follows the first group of girls born in this experimental situation and thoroughly explores all the ramifications in a compelling and unforgettable read.

This was a very unique book set in a completely different world. In this one, there are no males. Josephine is the first baby to be born without male DNA. She and her mother face a lot of problems as she grows up. However, the thing that throws her whole life upside down is the disappearance of her mother. This was a fun and kinda disturbing look at a very different world.

Girl One begins with an interesting premise: Doctor Bellanger has managed to get a group of women pregnant without any male involvement. There are nine mothers and daughters and this story focuses, naturally, on the oldest girl nicknamed Girl One. With the exception of some flashbacks and reminiscing, all of the events occur after the group of nine women and their daughters have split up, and Girl One is enrolled in medical school because she wants to reproduce the Doctor’s discovery.

The book is essentially a road trip where the group picks up new members along the way and the goal is to figure out what happened to Girl One’s mother. She has gone missing at the start of the book and is presented as one of the key mothers in the original group. Violence is present so maybe she is dead. Or maybe she’s investigating a mystery involving the daughters. Let’s go figure it out.

There is some good character development as the story unfolds, particularly between Josie (girl one) and Cate another of the girls. There is action, with the story moving fairly briskly. Science-fiction, action, character development. This is my kind of story.

Or not. The truth is I set Girl One aside multiple times and finally finished it because I felt like I had to be able to provide a faithful and complete review. There are many questions that are raised in the story but never resolved. That’s OK on its own, maybe Ms. Murphy is leaving the door open for a follow-up. But it’s not OK when the people wrapped up in the mystery of those unanswered questions seem totally uninterested in answering them. There is an interesting series of revelations that are specific to each girl. How did they occur? No idea. Are the girls freaked out or voicing frustration about not knowing the origin? Nope. There is the mystery of how the Doctor brought new life into the world without involving men, and it is treated as a mystery. But there is a suggestion that there is a different story behind that, and when the key people mentioned in that story reach the stage they are not interrogated about their roles or what really happened. Finally, there is a whipsaw effect around the good Doctor. He is Josie’s hero and he loved her, he was abusive and manipulative, no he was good, no he was … In the end the truth on that point is clear but it really was frustrating to read.

Girl One has an interesting premise to it, a good set of characters, lots of action, and a professional set of bones underneath it. Prospects were good but in the end, it just did not deliver. Thinking through what bothered me the most I think it was the notion of suspension of disbelief. If a reader can’t do that they should not read horror or sci-fi. However, the author has to have some explanation that at least prima facie supports. Too often that was missing in this work. I want to believe – just help me out a little bit more.

Twisty plots are my thing and Girl One by Sara Flannery Murphy does not disappoint! The writing, pace, tone, and characters are really good and I read this book in one night! Could not put it down even for precious beauty sleep. I like the premise of these girls, conceived without male DNA - and the commune living. Then when the girls start finding each other later in life, the book opens up to more suspense and secrets! A worthwhile read. Sara Flannery Murphy draws the reader into the story with characters that feel real and a storyline that kept me reading! Well done!

Super interesting read that felt familiar, but new, at the same time. I enjoyed every second of this book.

Josephine Morrow is Girl One, borne by Mother One without the aid of any male reproductive elements. They’re one set in a group of nine women and their daughters who have been living and growing up in this isolated commune/laboratory that’s been helmed by scientist Dr. Bellanger in the late 1970s. He’s been experimenting to refine a process for women to essentially clone themselves without any use for male interference. Religious groups are obviously upset over this and cry that it’s ungodly and unnatural, so eventually the commune is burned down and all of Dr. Bellanger’s work and records are lost. Josephine grows up idolizing her surrogate father and endeavoring to resurrect his work to propel the scientific community forward into a new age. However, her estranged mother has gone missing after another mysterious fire and she must track down her long lost sisters to uncover her family’s secret histories.

I was drawn to this book because of its comparisons to Margaret Atwood and one of my favorite tv shows, Orphan Black. I agree with the latter since this has themes of sisterhood between clones and hints at the complexities of scientific breakthroughs and how they affect society and its norms. However, I don’t think the scope of the novel and the quality of the writing lends itself well to all the Atwood talk. I just didn’t think the novel looked outside itself enough to really draw parallels to real life issues and hard-hitting topics of conversation like Atwood’s novels do. Girl One focuses so much on moving forward from one clone to the next in this journey to find her mother and solve these mysteries about her birth that even though there was always action, the writing slogged and felt faltered to me. The nine sets of women also felt a little flat and forgettable for the most part, until the end when some extra abilities come into play. Even at that point though, I was just ready to see the final resolutions and how everything would turn out.

This had an awesome premise and there were some cool things that happened here, but overall it felt a little underwhelming to me. I wish it would’ve delved more into the sci-fi side of things or the reproductive rights issues or something to make it more memorable and impactful. If it sounds interesting to you though, I encourage you to check it out and see how you like it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

Unfortunately a good concept does not translate well. We meet so many characters that later don't seem to matter. Nothing is ever really explained and left open to interpretation in a bad way.

I really liked the premise of this book and the way the plot developed but it fell kind of flat for me towards the end. Instead of being a visionary and a genius, her father turned out to be a psychotic megalomaniac.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Dr. Bellanger had a vision - remove men from the reproductive process - "miracle babies" or "virgin births." He created a commune in upstate Vermont and had 9 successful pregnancies and births. Each pair had a name - Girl Number and Mother Number based on birth sequence.

Girl One - Josephine Morrow and Mother One - Margaret Morrow are the first pair. Josie is a complete copy of her mother. After the ninth birth, there is a fire at the commune at Dr. Bellanger is dead and the survivors disperse over the country. Unfortunately, one of the mother's and daughter's dies in the fire also.

Twelve years later, Josie is trying to replicate this mission in honor of her "father", Dr. Bellanger, when her mother goes missing under suspicious circumstances. As Josie starts to work on trying to find her mother, clues are found and Josie starts tracing and talking to her "sisters" whom she has not seen since the fire. As they start working on finding Mother One, more clues are revealed and the girls find out more than they bargained for.

This book was a difficult read. I DNF'd it at one point because I could not keep engaged in the book. There were parts that were very intriguing, but parts I had issues getting through.