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.

Outstanding! A little slow in the beginning, possibly because I went into the book with some trepidation. The subject matter, women having babies without men? I was concerned it would be all scientific or just stupidly off the wall. It was fantasy thriller for me. Had witchcraft and lots of mystery and edge of my seat moments. So glad I picked this book up. I did end up reading it non-stop. It was very absorbing and a great escape. Very much a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

GIRL ONE's comp is Orphan Black and it fits the story so well. I requested the book because of that since there are two things that make me read a book is robots and clones.

The novel is set in the 90s which gives the story a lot of beats. There is the constant need for pay phones when cell phones weren't readily available at the time. There is the inability to check up on people and their addresses because smartphones aren't around. CCTV isn't widely distributed so a lot of actions by some of the characters can't be tracks. But most important, cloning. The story about Dolly the sheep being born as a clone was in the late 90s so setting this in the early 90s was rather awesome.

There are a few things that were predictable but they didn't bug me. They're mostly spoilers so I'm not going to mention them there.

By the time you get halfway through, you start to wonder how it's going to end. This book could have been made into a duology but I prefer its one book premise. Though I was a little let down by the ending (more of its abruptness than anything else), I wouldn't have been able to sit through a dragged down, tedious book 2 to get to the story's conclusion.

Girl One is the fascinating book of women having babies without any biological help from men.
The daughters of those women and their mothers, and the lives they led after escaping from the mastermind of the doctor that created them.
It will blow your mind at the possibility.

I loved everything about this book. Fast-paced, powerful girls, mystery, sci-fi, excellent writing, interesting characters, and feminist AF.

I’ve seen “Girl One” compared to “The Power” in a few reviews — IT IS BETTER

This would be an excellent book club pick.

* longer IG review TK on @leavemetomybooks in late May, closer to pub date

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

When I started, I will admit that I wasn’t sure I would be able to get into the story as this usually is not my genre or type of story. But I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself really getting involved in Girl Ones story and life. I loved the way each character brought more back story and we got to see them all come together and empower each other. Definitely worth picking up even if it’s not your usual type of read.

This is a great book. I was hooked by the first chapter mainly due to the author’s superb writing style. Lots of scientific detail made me this novel both interesting and entertaining. Lots of twists and turns and nail biting suspense made this a solid read for me, highly recommend!

This was my favorite read of 2020! A hybrid of genres with a healthy serving of Orphan Black, Black Mirror feels and Girl One mixes Sci-Fi, Feminism, Gender roles, Family, Motherhood and Cults into a giant pot of thriller soup. The story begins with idea of Parthenogenesis, or women giving birth without the DNA input of men, no longer out of reach for humans. Murphy brings to life the scientific principles of this genetic "miracle" to 9 human women who each give birth to a daughter. These women begin raising their daughters in a commune until a shocking event tears them apart and scatters the family pairs across the US. When Girl One's mother goes missing, she leaves her life in Chicago to investigate her disappearance and find her mother, stumbling across fracturing secrets, betrayals and uncovering even more questions about what really took place on the Homestead. Girl One, Josephine Morrow, reacquaints herself with her "sisters" AND with a complex past which helps her come to terms with her even more complicated present. I couldn't put this book down, was constantly on the edge of my seat, poised to learn about the fate of the Homestead Miracle Girls. This book immediately needs to be made into a comic book series, and movie or TV series. Murphy's ideas are absolutely made to be available in multiple forms of media!

I was provided with an electronic copy of Girl One in return for an honest review. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title and absolutely cannot wait to devour Sara Flannery Murphy's other titles....and probably to immediately re-read Girl One!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Let's start with the cover. I honestly don't like it, but that's just me being picky / particular I suppose. I just feel like they could have been a bit more creative with it.

This was my first book by this author, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect from them.
I was pleasantly surprised, honestly.
I love books that utilize commune / cult / etc types of settings, so when I saw the summary for this book, I just knew I had to read it.
Their writing style is great.
The storyline flowed easily and was easy to follow.
The plot idea was fairly unique. I personally haven't read anything like it.
The characters were well-developed and easy to relate to or like.

I'll definitely be looking out for other work by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for sending me an ARC of Girl One in exchange for an honest review.

Josephine “Josie” Morrow, known to the world as “Girl One,” was born in 1971 as the first person conceived with only DNA from her mother. Over the next few years, Dr. Joseph Bellanger brought eight more “Miracle Babies” into the world, from eight other women, on a farm known as The Homestead. But in 1977, one of the Mothers died, and then others began to move away, until tragedy struck and Dr. Bellanger and the youngest Girl were killed—and his research lost—when an arsonist burned down The Homestead.

In 1994, when this story takes place, Josie is now a first-year medical student, planning to try to rediscover her father figure’s research. But when her mother disappears under suspicious circumstances, Josie’s search will lead her on a cross country trip and reunite her with the other surviving Girls and Mothers. Along the way, Josie learns new information that challenges her beliefs about everyone, including herself, who was at The Homestead—and what really happened there—all those years ago.

To say anything more specific would spoil this entertaining thriller. Josie, the first-person narrator, is a fully developed character with a distinctive voice: wary, inquisitive, confused as things she accepted as fundamental truths are turned upside down. The sexual tension between her and her love interest is very well written. The story is long but well plotted, with new characters introduced consistently throughout to provide new information and/or place old information into a new context. There’s a good mix of scenes built on dialogue and action set pieces, and the story builds to a satisfying climax. Indeed, the book has a very cinematic feel, and I can easily imagine it being turned into either a movie or, even better, a Netflix series.

Girl One is the first book I’ve seen that openly compares itself to Naomi Alderman's The Power, one of the best books I’ve read in the last few years. It’s a bold but fair comparison, as both books use a science fiction thriller to tell a feminist story about women literally being stronger together. I can only hope more stories are written claiming both of these books as inspirations. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Girl One.

The premise was so interesting and I was excited when my request was approved.

What a great read! I could barely put it down and I can't say that for many of the books I've read this year.

Josephine Morrow is a miracle. Or an abomination, depending on your perspective. The first child created without a father, a product of parthenogenesis, performed by a controversial doctor.

Girl One was raised on the commune along with her sisters, also products of parthenogenesis, but when a tragedy struck, killing the doctor and a young girl, all the women went their separate ways.

Many years later, Josephine is a medical student and her mother, Margaret, disappears, leaving behind cryptic clues and it is up to Girl One to discover the meaning behind them and to find her mother.

Josie's journey of self discovery will lead her to the other girls, her sisters, the truth behind their miraculous origins and reawakening abilities she had never known lay inside of her, until she had the power of sisterhood standing with her.

This was a powerful tale of love, sisters, motherhood and empowerment. The author weaves what sounds like a familiar premise; a radical doctor performing experiments to change the field of reproduction, but underneath it all lies the truth.

Josie's journey is multilayered; she is not just searching for her mother, but for her own identity. She has grown up believing in the myth of the powerful doctor, believing she was special because she is Girl One, and in the belief that her self worth was tied up with his creations, namely she and her sisters.

But, Josie will eventually discover that women are powerful, especially she and her sisters, stronger together than apart.

My favorite element of Girl One was how each Girl manifested unique abilities, sort of like a family X-Men.

Yet, they were not boastful about it, slowly coming to terms with their abilities as they progressed, protective of their newfound skills and mindful that they were all connected together in a deep emotional and psychological way.

The story is told from Josie's POV and she is a strong, relatable character, as are her sisters, Cate and Isabelle. Their individual voices shine through and decent character development is paid to each of them, enough that you get to know a little about them yet they still retain a bit of mystery since this is, after all, Josie's story.

I enjoyed joining Josie, Cate, Isabelle and Tom on the road trip; finding out who they were but especially who their mothers used to be.

Josie learns her mother was not who she imagined; Margaret was fierce, opinionated, open minded and progressive but in some ways constrained because she was a woman with no formal education despite the big ideas she had.

The doctor represents the patriarchal society, greedy and selfish, eager to take what he feels is owed to him because he's a man. He is jealous and petty; broken and desperate, and he never deserved the Girls or their mothers. He never did.

There are many themes woven in the story; feminism, empowerment, strength and belief in shared experiences, but the most profound takeaway is belief in yourself, as seen in the final chapter in Margaret's letter to her partner.

I highly recommend Girl One to anyone who enjoys a story with strong female characters and science fiction/supernatural elements done right.