Life in Bourne may look like any other small town in America, until you look closely. You will find the factory closed and more handicapped parking spots everywhere you go. You will notice more residents with missing limbs and more residents fighting cancer than your average rural town. Even in Bourne, the Mitchell triplets stand out. Mab is the oldest, affectionately known as "One." She has one goal in life. Get out of Bourne. Monday, known as "Two" has her quirks, but she is known for rescuing books from the closed library and running a library out of their home. Mirabel, "Three," is the smartest person in town, but new people forget that fact because Mirabel can only communicate through the computer device that speaks for her. The girls live with their mother who nearly works herself to death to pay the bills, but for seventeen years she has been working hard to prove that the factory is legally responsible for her daughters' conditions. For all the conditions that plague the community of Bourne. When the Templeton family moves back to Bourne and rumors fly, they are going to reopen the factory. The Mitchell sisters decide they are going to do everything in their power to stop that from happening. Will the Templeton's reopen the factory that nearly destroyed everyone and everything in Bourne?


While One, Two, Three is a fictional story, it is based on a factual story. And knowing that makes the book terrifying. I didn't realize how much I took "clean" water for granted until we moved to a rural property with well issues. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about our water giving us cancer, but there are some communities that do. I loved each of the triplets for their individual tenacious ways. The girls take turns narrating the book. And even though they had their own sisterly squabbles, they love each other very much. It is also very easy to see where the girls get their tenaciousness. Their mother, Nora, is not willing to back down from what she knows is true and right. Even after seventeen years. One, Two, Three is not the book that gets a "happy ending," but I was very satisfied with the ending. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - One, Two, Three is a book about a relevant social issue (clean water) wrapped into a compelling story.

I have heard of Laurie Frankel and was excited to listen to this book Unfortunately, this audiobook was a DNF for me.

The audiobook version and the narration was too slow and felt too drawn out. It was also a little difficult to follow the changing narratives. While I like the idea of the book, the audio version was not it for me.

Giving 2 stars because while I didn’t enjoy the audio version, I do hope to eventually circle back and read the print version of One Two Three.

I read Laurie Frankel’s This Is How It Always Is a few years back and loved it, so I was eager to read her newest release.

One, Two, Three is told in alternating perspectives via a set of triplets living in a town that has been damaged by a big company offloading chemicals into the water system. The damaged water leads to a myriad of health issues within the small town. Their mom wants justice, and they do, too. The book gets extra interesting when a new family comes to their sleepy, abandoned town!

I thought it was a really powerful and disturbing reality check surrounding capitalism driving unethical behavior for the sake of $$$. This reminded me of Janesville, Wisconsin which became basically a ghost town after General Motors deserted them during the recession. I know many towns around the United States have experienced similar fates. Reading this made me realize I really enjoy novels about small town life and environmental issues.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for the chance to listen to the ALC via @netgalley. I thought the audio production was wonderful, using different narrators for each of the triplets.

I was excited to get an advanced audio copy of this book. I loved Frankel's other story This is How It Always Is. However, I found this to be a much different reading experience. There was much to love about this book. The characters were quirky and lively. The plotline also had many layers. The narrators offered a vibrant performance. My biggest challenge was that it seemed to be geared towards a younger audience. It felt YA to me and I'm not a huge YA fan. It took a lot of patience on my part to listen to this one because I just couldn't connect to the characters. Again I think it was because the MC's were teenagers so the POV didn't appeal to me. I suspect readers who gravitate towards YA will connect much better than I did and enjoy it. Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are a lot of good things going on in this audiobook.

The story revolves around three triplet sisters: Mab, Monday, and Mirabel.

Only one of the sisters is ‘normal’ - Mab, the first born. She feels guilty her whole life for having the chances to thrive that her sisters don’t.

Monday, the second triplet, is neurodivergent. They never say it explicitly, but I’m 99.9% sure that Monday is autistic. The narrator who does her voice is outstanding. She honestly made me feel like I could understand what Monday was going through, being different in a world that doesn’t understand.

Last but not least, Mirabel. Mirabel is less physically able than her sisters. She has a motorized wheelchair, can only move one hand, and has to use a computer to speak. She is also the smartest girl in town.

I just adore how this book discusses the trials each girl goes through in her life, but also makes clear the advantages each one has. None of them are less than the others, and they all help get the justice their town has needed forever. There’s a lot of feelings in this book.

I would have given it five stars, but I couldn’t stand the ending. It felt so off with the rest of the book. It just skips forward in time and then goes back to the present, saying that the future stuff COULD happen. I just felt it was weird. But overall I really liked this, especially the different narrators for each girl!

I love books that cover the special bonds of siblings as it makes me think of my own siblings. This book was a cute take on that same plot, but three times the charm! I couldn't have devoured this book quicker! Recommend to anyone who loves a sweet family story. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook for an honest review.

Loved it! The bond between the triplets is incredible and the three diverse points of view make the story. I felt an attachment to all three. My only slight criticism is that it felt longer than needed--there are parts that are a bit redundant. Overall, though, I highly recommend it!

"One Two Three" by Laurie Frankel is one of the very few NetGalley books I have DNF'd. It had absolutely nothing to do with the writing (which was LOVELY) or the character narrative. That was actually quite creative and well done. However, this book is clearly more of a Character Driven novel and I am Plot Driven Girl, all the way.

I made it through the first quarter of the book, and while interesting, I was not drawn in like I wanted to be.

If you love a creative, character motivated story, pick it up...I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

It is rare when you read and listen to as many books as I do that you come across one that is unique and so exceptionally well written as One Two Three by Laurie Frankel.

First just the brilliance of the title and all it entails. It explains how the 16 year old triplets at the heart of this story are named. One syllable named Mab, two syllable named Monday and three syllable named Mirabel. The chapters are named One, Two or Three depending whose POV is being highlighted.

The premise of the story is not unique but how it is seen through the eyes of these sisters is masterfully handled by the author. Before the girls were born a firm came to their small unknown town and promised jobs and prosperity but all they did was pollute the air and water to the point that people died, including their father, then they just left and now they are back.

The effects of the poison was lethal health issues, poverty and high birth defects. Monday is autistic. Mirabel is bound to a wheelchair for life and must use an electronic speaking device. Mab is burden with guilt for being the one who wants to leave someday.

The performers of this audiobook deserve any and all awards. I felt Mab's frustration while loving her family, Monday's need for people to say what they mean. She takes everything literally especially the word literally! Then there is my heart. The one who had tears rolling down my cheeks not just from her pent up anger but from pride. Mirabel is fierce, honest, and without a doubt the smartest person in the room, hell in the whole damn town. Kudos to Jesse Vilinsky, Rebecca Soler and Emma Galvin for their realistic portrayals of these amazing characters.

If you have never listened to an audiobook this is the one to start with and if you have not enjoyed them this is the one that will change your mind.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have read a previous book from Laurie Frankel and enjoyed it so I was pleased to request the audiobook of One Two Three. This was a totally different story, but the characterization was just as well done. Frankel has a gift when it comes to bringing characters to life and making you really know each person. I think that could have been particularly difficult in this book because of Three who was only able to communicate using a computer and voice. It could have been hard to get a across what a special person she was and how she and her sisters related and their special relationship. In the story, triplets are each affected by a tragedy that occurred in their town. Really, the whole town has been affected. The town is filled with people that have all sorts of health issues and not many people trying to help them. Then the first new people to move into the town arrive and they are an unexpected and unwelcome addition. But it spurs the girl on to try to help their town and see if they can't all move on.

OMG! The multiple readers MADE this audiobook experience one of my favorites of the year (so far). Since there’s triplets who tell the story, Macmillan got three FABULOUS readers to bring this story to life. Beyond that, Mrs. Frankel had yet again, another fantastic story that hit my heart. Her characters always feel so real to me which is why she’s a fantastic reader. I couldn’t turn this audiobook off. I would pull into the driveway and HAD to keep listening as I did chores in the house.

This book is narrated by teenage triplets Mab, Monday, and Mirabel who refer to each other as One, Two and Three. Seventeen years prior, their small town's water supply was contaminated leading to illness and death in the animals and people of the town. The triplets' mother has been fighting for justice ever since. As the prior owners of the chemical plant return to the town, the triplets make it their quest to uncover hidden information that will prevent them from reopening. What I enjoyed was that the audiobook has a different narrator for each triplet and the chapters alternate between their pov's. Frankel does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and her writing is beautiful. I did think, however, that it was too long and my mind wandered quite a bit while listening. Overall I enjoyed this book and I do recommend it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @henryholtbooks and @macmillan.audio for this free ALC and ebook. Laurie. Frankel has been on my radar since This is How It Always Is came out (it's still on my shelf, but bumping up significantly on my TBR). Think Erin Brockovich but with the Mitchell triplets leading the cause with their mother Nora. I loved how this audiobook also included an interview with Frankel at the end. She said she wanted to see the story after a generation of kids had lived with the fallout of being poisoned by the big rich chemical company. Each Mitchell sister (Mab, Monday, and Mirabel - rising syllable names so their mom wouldn't get tongue tied when calling to them) have unique personalities, and each lend to the story in unique ways. I loved the structure of the book, chapters titled One, Two, Three respectively over and over again as each triplet told her part of the story. All the characters were complex and wonderfully written. Frankel opens the door for normal a little wider in Mirabel who is nonverbal and bound to a wheelchair and smarter than most of the town of Borne. I loved the writing and the narrators were great.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to listen to this wonderful audiobook in return for an honest review.
At its heart, One Two Three is a coming of age story, told through the perspectives of the three Mitchell triplets – Mab, Monday, and Mirabel (known to each other as 1, 2, and 3).
Seventeen years ago, Belsum Chemicals offered the promise of good jobs, growth for their community, and hope for the future – instead, the water turned neon green, many residents got cancer and other ailments, and a generation of children were born with various birth defects.
The girls’ high school is divided into three tracks – Mab, the eldest, is on Track 1 and is studying for the SATs and is expected to go to college – or at the very least, leave the town of Bourne. Monday is track 2 – kids who are fine physically but with intellectual or neuro issues; Monday is on the autism spectrum and is very literal. She also will only eat yellow foods and wear yellow clothes – except on rainy days, when that switches to green. Mirabel is track 3, for the kids with physical problems. Mirabel is brilliant and confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak, except through a communication app on her tablet.
Their mother Nora, who lost her husband to cancer before the girls were even born, has been fighting to win a class action lawsuit since the incident happened, but little to no progress is being made, and it seems like nothing is likely to change … but then a moving van is seen in town. People (the lucky ones who can) move out of Bourne, not to it so everybody is curious. The mystery residents turn out to be the son of the chemical plant owner and his wife and son. Many family and town secrets will be discovered along the way to the revelation that Belsum intends to reopen the plant, producing a new and improved version of the chemical that tests are supposed to have proved is safe.
Nora and her girls work as hard as they can to prevent the plant from reopening, but the cash-strapped residents of Bourne need jobs, and believe the new test results. Just when it seems like the battle has been lost, Mab, Monday, and Mirabel will take matters into their own hands, but will it be enough to save the town?
One Two Three has a cast of ability diverse characters who mirror the personalities in any small town. The whole town bands together to make sure there are ramps, devices, and accessibility for all of its residents. It’s intricately plotted, issue oriented (think Erin Brockovitch) and told with lots of heart, and plenty of humour. I especially enjoyed the audiobook because it gave the three girls distinct voices which made it easy to keep track of who was speaking, as well as helping to flesh out their personalities.

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Libro.FM and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an eArc. I really enjoyed the first half of the book but then the junior sleuthing got a little overdone for me. This book is about three triplets named Mab, Monday and Mirabel. Their mom named them with one syllable, then 2 then 3 and I loved that idea. It made it really easy to remember who was who and I just thought it was clever. They live in a tiny town called Bourne and all have things that make them very unique. Mab is "normal" in a town full of people with different disabilities due to a chemical plant that poisoned the water years ago. Being one of the "normal" ones brings a lot of different pressures to Mab and the guilt of being unaffected is also mentioned. Monday is potentially on the autism spectrum and has a really hard time not being 100% literal. Social interactions are also an issue, but her body is completely healthy. She houses all the books from what used to be the town library. Mirabel is completely physically disabled. She is unable to speak and is wheelchair bound but she is witty and intellectually brilliant. She talks through a computerized machine and has found a way to make it work. I really loved learning about the sisters and getting to know them. But then this book took an interesting twist. The reason Bourne is so run down and full of people with disabilities is because of a chemical plant that came in years ago and seemingly knowingly dumped toxins into the water. The illnesses killed their father and many others. Their mom , Nora, has spent the last 15ish years trying to prove that the company knew what they were doing, especially now that they are trying to come back to town. The owners have a son that is the girls age and 2 of the 3 girls have a crush on him. They work together to try to find proof that the company was bad and I felt like that part got a little redundant for me. There were certain elements that were focused on too heavily and yet I felt like I didn't get enough information to really understand the full situation. When it all came to an end I felt a little confused and unsatisfied. I also thought the romance was completely unnecessary and could've been a friendship. One sister betrays another in favor of this guy and I didn't like that and thought the resolution of that was really weak.
Overall this book was interesting and enjoyable, but not my favorite book.

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel is the story of triplets living in the small town of Bourne, which is dealing with the long-term effects of poisoned water at the hands of a chemical company. This book deals with themes of disability and ableism, socioeconomic status, environmentalism, and politics.

I really enjoyed this story. Laurie Frankel was able to create a beautiful and emotional story with themes that really resonated with me. While I felt that the overall pace of the story was good, there were times that I felt like it went a little long and I was waiting for the next event to progress the story. The characters were the real standouts in this story, and each one was created with depth and characteristics that were relatable. As a speech language pathologist, I was delighted to see the inclusion of augmentative communication for Mab's character. Overall, I would highly recommend this novel for readers looking for a character driven story.

I was fortunate to be able to both print read and listen to the audiobook for this title. One of my favorite aspects of the book was that the story was told from the three perspectives of the triplets Mirabel, Monday, and Mab. Each character had such a distinct voice, and the audio narration by Emma Galvin, Jesse Vilinsky, and Rebecca Soler was beautifully done to capture the distinction between the characters. It was captivating to listen to the story. The audio came in at just around 15 hours, but that time passed quickly as I was immersed in the stories of these triplets.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and to Henry Holt Books for the finished copy. This did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

'One Two Three' by Laurie Frankel, narrated by Emma Galvin, Jesse Vilinsky and Rebecca Soler.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a complimentary audio-ARC for an honest review.

The characters in this book are very well-developed. Each of the triplets have distinct personalities and the narrators do an amazing job differentiating them.

As the story developed, I was cheering on the teenage triplets known as One, Two and Three. They researched new information and continued their mother's fight against the Plant that poisoned their water and affected the health of so many of the residents. I loved the ending of this book.

#NetGalley #OneTwoThree

It’s with a heavy heart that my review doesn’t come with a recommendation. Creative storytelling yes. The 3 sisters made for fascinating characters and I loved stepping into their world, unfortunately the story dragged on and on and it never really made me feel like I just have to keep listening. It never felt like a chore but I was never really into it, which is a bummer because I adored This is How it Always is and believe that all new parents should read it.

Laurie Frankel made a name for herself with This Is How It Always Is, and her latest novel, One Two Three, is just as poignant and beautifully written, tackling an equally difficult but quite different subject – what happens to a town when the water supply is contaminated.

Triplets Mab, Monday, and Mirabel are beloved by the residents of the small town of Bourne. Mab is the typical one, in the highest track in school, studying fervently for the SATs so she can get out of Bourne. Monday, second born, is quirky, literal, and somewhere on the spectrum. Maribel is wheelchair-bound and nonverbal, born with birth defects that affect her body but most definitely not her mind.

The girls live with their mother, Nora, who works multiple jobs around town to support them, but sees her main job as fighting the chemical company that poisoned the river, causing the cancer that killed her husband and many others, and the birth defects that plague the children born within the last 17 years.

When the family of the chemical company’s founder moves back to Bourne, old wounds are ripped open, while also bringing first love to one or more of the triplets. The girls are determined to stop the plant from reopening, while Nora has hope that the decades-long lawsuit will finally come to fruition.

The girls refer to each other as One, Two, and Three, which is both how the chapters are titled and ordered, each told in first person. They have an understandably strong bond, fighting as sisters do but also supporting each other no matter what. I loved all three girls, and the first person POV really works well to give each their own personality.

While there’s a bit of a “meddling kids” vibe at times, and Mab’s excessive use of SAT words can be a bit grating, I really loved One Two Three and highly recommend this book.

Notes on the audiobook: I enjoyed the narration of One Two Three very much. Each triplet has a separate narrator and they are all fantastic. I loved that Mirabel’s “voice” computer is presented as such. With a running time of almost 15 hours, it’s on the longer side, but worth a listen. The audio also includes an interview with the author, explaining the inspiration for the story and other details on the characters.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Triplets, Meg, Monday, and Maribel have varying degrees of physical and mental disabilities due to chemical poisoning from a company in their town around the time they were conceived. This chemical poisoning was leaked into the water and affected many people in the town. The company is now coming back many years later, trying once again to poison the town with their chemicals. The sisters work together to bring justice to the town for themselves, their family and their friends and neighbors.

Overall, this book was just OK for me. I will add that this book is definitely YA, although it was labeled as women’s fiction. The book is told from the point of views of the three teenage sisters and is most definitely a YA book.

I generally do not enjoy YA Books and that is probably part of the reason that I did not care for this book too much. As with most YA books, in my opinion, I find the dialogue to be somewhat cheesy and some of the storylines sophomoric.

I listened to this book on audio and Monday’s parts were almost unbearable. Her repetitiveness and whininess just grated on my last nerve. I did enjoy Mab’s and Maribel’s storylines much better.

This book is like a YA version of Erin Brockovich. The characters were sympathetic and overall you definitely wanted to root for the sisters. There were many “love stories” interwoven throughout this book, all of which seemed to come out of left field. I do not think I would recommend this book, unless you love YA, then I think that you would find this book enjoyable.