User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Reasons to read One Two Three, Laurie Frankel’s much-anticipated new novel following the success of her beloved This Is How It Always Is:
1. Mab. The first triplet born to Nora, named with one syllable, who at the age of sixteen loves with all her heart while carrying the burden and guilt of being the “normal” one.
2. Monday. The second triplet, two syllables, lover of books, defender of truth, physically capable but mentally and emotionally unique.
3. Mirabel. Third triplet, three syllables, insightful, empathetic, and eloquent but confined to a body that doesn’t work, only able to communicate through the tap of a finger or a robotic-sounding AAC device, and my favorite literary character of the last several years.
These three young women are the bright shining lights of this story about a small town dealing with the aftermath of Big Factory chemical pollution. Frankel has set them up to be the super heroes of her tale, the purveyors of justice. While I frequently winced when the action veered too close to Scooby-Doo “meddling kids” territory, I never stopped rooting for them to topple their Goliath.
I received advance copies of the e-book and audiobook from Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio, respectively, via NetGalley. Both formats are recommended, with the audiobook benefiting from three distinct narrators and the inclusion of Mirabel’s AAC device for her dialogue.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
Rating: really liked it
I have never read a novel by Ms. Frankel and was blown away by this audiobook!!!!! The narrators are great and with different voices it was easy to keep track of who was talking and the narrative flow was excellent.
The blurb for the book sounds a bit like something I might have read about or seen a film about before. But I’m here to tell you that this novel is COMPLETELY UNIQUE!!! It’s almost as if the characters are writing the novel themselves as I was listening. THAT IS GREAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!
Triplets, Mab, Monday and Mirebel are young teens living in the small town of Bourne. Mab (one) is very ambitious, very intelligent and is always on the highest track at their school, prepping her for college and her SAT’s. Monday (two) is on the spectrum, she sometimes has trouble understanding issues but with the help of her sisters she is able to do well. She loves only one color, yellow, and all of her clothes, the foods that she eats and things in her room that she chooses are yellow. Mirebel (three) was the third born, she has multiple physical handicaps, is not able to walk or speak, but has a voice machine that she can type into with her one good arm. Because she lives in a small town, she is able to get around in her wheelchair and everyone looks out for her. She is brilliant and really well beyond what the classes in her school have to offer, she teaches herself through books
Nora, the triplets mother, has been fighting for compensation from The Belsum Chemical Company since before the triplets were born. The company was responsible for the town’s water turning green, making residents and animals sick. Nora’s husband died from cancer at a young age, weeks before the triplets are born.
There are many in the town who have been harmed by this company, some are either too poor or too unhealthy to move elsewhere. The Company has continued to deny any wrongdoing or knowledge that they were poisoning the water. Nora’s lawsuit doesn’t have enough physical evidence to prove exactly what the company did to their water supply. She has never stopped fighting for her girls and the town’s future.
They say nothing ever happens in Bourne so the day that large land moving equipment starts rolling into town, everyone knows that something is up!
Nora learns that the Templeton family, the owners of Belsum, are moving to town; she knows that they are planning on reopening the plant.
We watch as this town wrestles with the possibility of jobs with the plant’s reopening and their promises that this time everything has been tested and proven safe. But they certainly have evidence of their past failures, most notably the triplets.
This was such a wonderful surprise and I’m going to miss these characters, they will stay with me for a long time.
I can highly recommend this audiobook to everyone!!!
You may enjoy the interview with the author that I found on Facebook, the link is below!
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?...
Rating: really liked it
“One Two Three” by Laurie Frankel is unlike any book I’ve ever read before. It is wholly originally, complex, compelling, profound, quirky and brilliant. When I saw this book on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it, as I loved Laurie Frankel’s prior book, “This is How it Always Is.” This novel is completely different though it is also utterly compelling.
Triplets Mab, Monday and Mirabel are teenagers who live in the town of Bourne. Raised by their single mother Nora, the four of them are as close as can be, even though all they have ever known is struggle. The same goes for every other resident who lives in Bourne. Bourne isn’t an ordinary town you see.
Years ago, Bourne was polluted, the water unsafe to drink, all because a chemical company screwed up and then closed up shop. Nora has been fighting for justice ever since.
What is amazing about this novel is that the story could have been depressing but somehow told through the eyes of Mab, Monday and Mirabel, (also referred to as “One Two Three”) who are kind, funny, and utterly captivating, it became something else entirely. Sweet, funny and charming, these three characters stole my heart for reasons you will have to find out for yourself. How this book about environmental contamination, birth defects, cancer, and a legal battle evaded being wholly depressing, I cannot begin to explain except to say that Laurie Frankel’s characters brought this story to an entirely new level. The characters are adorable, quirky and deftly written and they will stay with me for a while. This novel made me laugh a lot (yes, I know that sounds strange considering) and tear up a bit but all in all I enjoyed it immensely. While this novel was a tad bit long and drawn out in a few places, I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who enjoy character driven fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company and Laurie Frankel for the arc.
Published on Goodreads on 11.24.20.
Rating: really liked it
Laurie Frankel’s strength is her characters. Here, we have three teenage sisters - triplets. Mabs, One, is the normal one and carries that guilt. Monday, Two, is on the asperger’s spectrum. And Mirabel, Three, is brilliant but confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak except with a robotic speech synthesizer. All three live in Bourne, a town decimated by a man made environmental disaster that led to most folks dying or falling ill (think the Pacific Gas & Electric contamination that Erin Brockovich litigated against). Nora, their mother, has spent the past 16 years trying to sue the company responsible. And then comes word that the plant that caused the contamination is re-opening.
At times I would think this was too black and white. But then I’d think of the real life cases where companies did everything in their power to hide the truth. Hell, you don’t have to go further than the cigarette companies. (And then, when I heard the author interview, I was shocked to find she had a specific town in mind that suffered a similar fate.) Frankel manages to take a story that could have been predictable and makes it fresh. I was surprised at the turns the story took.
This story is incredibly heartwarming. It’s the story of a lot of people in impossible situations. Even the secondary characters were well developed. I particularly cared for Omar, the mayor, who is constantly between a rock and a hard place trying to do the right thing.
Frankel totally gets the mental development of a sixteen year old. Even Mirabel is obviously just as much a sixteen year old as Mabs and Monday.
This would make a fabulous book club selection.
Kudos to the three amazing narrators. They definitely brought the story to life.
My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.
Rating: really liked it
A unique, well researched, thought provoking approach to eco- terrorism/ water pollution with original, creative , well- depicted, remarkable characterization!
Yes, we already know Laurie Frankel is one of the skilled storyteller who can create so extra ordinary, detailedly elaborated, memorable characters! And she did it again!
The story is centered around triplet teenagers: Mab, Monday, Mirabel : they are so different from each other, they have different dreams, expectations, perspectives. The relationship between them set on delicate balances: they can be so hurtful or forgiving. Their arguments can reach to the violent points. But they interestingly formed a tight, intimate bond, more dedicated bond than more siblings can have.
And the town they live suffers as like their people. For years lawsuit pending against the chemical plant which has never resolved. The same chemical plant brought financial security, lots of job opportunities, also poisoned and killed town’s folks.
The story’s progression is a slow burn. It takes your time and patience to get into and learn the dynamics between sisters and the ecological problems that town’s people have to endure. I have to admit it was a little complex for me at the beginning but as soon as characters start to grow on me, I start to enjoy each chapter.
It’s about environmental issues, betrayal, sisterhood, dysfunctional family dynamics! In my opinion those different subjects blended perfect with each other just like the triplets’ polar opposite characterizations.
I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 triple luck, ecological, provocative, original , brave, moving stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt&Company for sending me this digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest thoughts.
Rating: really liked it
i had the strangest sense of déjà vu while reading this. i swear ive read another book about a towns water source being polluted, a dam being built, and a missing river. if anyone else has read something like this, let me know, because its driving me wild not remembering.
regardless of feeling like ive read this before, i did enjoy the story. i think the highlight is definitely the three mitchell sisters. they are all such unique, amazing narrators that you cant help but support them and want to see them succeed.
this story of small town communities, sisterly bonds, coming of age, and social justice is a great read for anyone looking to experience a little slice of life somewhere else.
thank you henry holt and co. for an ARC!↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
If you had told me that I would absolutely love a book about environmental contamination and the search for justice I would have rolled my eyes and said "hard pass." Yet I decided to push against my instincts and give it a try and I am so very glad I did.
Listened to this one as an audio book and the narrators are superb. Each sister has her own narrator that personifies her personality beautifully. It's the story of triplets in the small town of Borne, a town that has deeply suffered from the contamination of their water supply. The girls' mother Nora has been on a fourteen year fight for justice and retribution against the chemical company that she feels is responsible for the death of her husband and the effects on her daughters.
One is Mab, the "normal" one of the three who shoulders the blessing and curse of this fact.
Two is Monday, town librarian, literalist, and on the autism spectrum
Three is Mirabel, most brilliant mentally but confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak except through a voice modulator. When a moving truck is spotted in town, little do they know that their lives are about to be turned upside down in many ways.
There is so much to adore about this book. The personalities of the sisters are so distinctive and unique that I didn't even have a favorite narrator. I loved going seamlessly from one to the next and learning about the joys, triumphs, and heartaches each of them experienced. I was moved to tears as the narrative moved toward its conclusion, sometimes feeling triumph and defeat myself.
The one drawback I have for this novel, and it is slight, is that it's a bit too long and drawn out. There are parts that could have been condensed and tightened to make it flow better. I did appreciate the slowness at times, because it made me think of Nora's fight and how the wheels of justice often turn so slowly that we can't see movement, yet there were other times I just wanted things to start happening.
Overall, I highly recommend this unique and well-written story. It will make you laugh, cry, and think. The audio book is stellar.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
Inspired by a true event of a chemical spill in West Virginia, author Laurie Frankel presents this hard-to-put-down story of teen triplets of fictitious town Bourne. I love the beautiful and well-thought characters. I love the sisters' bond, strength, and resilience. A bittersweet tale.
The novel slowly introduced the triplets; Mab, Monday, and Mirabel or One, Two, and Three as they call themselves and the long-term effects of contaminated water that ruin the lives of small-town folk into poverty, illness, and disabilities. Monday is probably my favorite as her personality and infatuation with yellow made me smile in the midst of all the hardship they endure.
This is my first novel by Laurie Frankel and definitely won't be my last. I want to thank Goodreads Giveaway and Henry Holt and Co. for my copy.
Rating: really liked it
Audiobook ….read by Emma Galvin, Jesse Villnsky, Rebecca Soper
….14 hours and 59 minutes
What I especially admire about Laurie Frankel, as an author, is her passion to explore the ranges of ‘normal’…..give alternative-type-families an inspiring voice.
The three sisters in “One Two Three” are precious …lovable, and awkward in the best of ways……
But….personally, I liked the ‘plot’ in “This Is How It Always Is”, by Laurie a little more— but …..I enjoyed both books…..and both books are inspiring.
Both books, in my opinion ARE MOVING, ENJOYABLE, INSPIRING….
but….both books - had flaws too ….(some parts were like moving through quicksand…a little too wordy)….
Add to that > (in listening) > we are spending hours with ‘young- age- sounding voices ….well, I needed breaks in the same way I would when spending too many hours with children or teens in real life.
But there was plenty to enjoy.
A damaged town….(contaminated chemicals), is not the place a woman wants to get pregnant. ….
….but meeting the triplets: Mab, Monday, and Mirabel …..with their different physical disabilities ……expanding our thoughts about acceptability-and compassion for their struggles- their personalities- meeting their friends, their academic achievements, their resourcefulness, little OCD-type ‘cute’ obsessions, ( Green Day?/!)….Yellow foods only days….etc..
was still a heartwarming novel.
Rating: really liked it
I listened to the audio of “One Two Three” by Laurie Frankel and encourage any audio lovers to do the same. The audio production added to the enjoyment of listening to the novel’s three teenage narrators. An added bonus: at the end of the novel there is a discussion with Frankel about how she was inspired to write the story, plus a discussion with the sound editor of Macmillan Audio. I enjoyed listening to what goes into the production of an audio book….from hiring the perfect narrators to melding the three voices into the perfect production.
The Mitchell triplets are the sixteen-year-old narrators. As the story opens, Nora, their mother is giving birth to the girls. She wants the girls to have names that begin with “M” with the first daughter a one syllable name, the second will have two syllables, and the third will have three. It does make it easy to follow the girls, as I remembered who was who based upon their names. Sounds silly, but it works. The first daughter is Mab and she is a basic teen. Monday, the second girl is on the spectrum, and she was my favorite. Her insights are hilarious. Finally, Mirabel is the genius who can’t eat, walk, or talk. She is wheelchair bound and uses a voice activating machine for communicating. We get to hear her inner musings. Because she’s in a wheelchair, people treat her like she’s a piece of furniture, so she hears a lot.
The girls live in a fictious town named Bourne, where 17 years earlier there was a chemical spill in the water supply forcing the main employer to shut down, rendering the town a ghost town. The people who stayed either had cancer, birth defects or other health issues, which the townsfolk believe the chemical spill caused. Nora is on a mission to make the employer pay for the town’s devastation. The people who still live there are a quirky group and add enjoyment to the story.
The girl’s chapters are headed by their birth order. In other words, One’s chapters are Mab’s. Two is Monday, and three is Mirabel. The girls’ lives are upended when the previous owner of the business comes back to Bourne and wants the factory to be reinstated. The owners bring their very handsome sixteen-year-old son, River, with them. Well, there hasn’t been a new person in town EVER, and certainly not a cute boy. The girls are conflicted, as their mother is aghast that the family has returned and she wants nothing more than to expose them and bring them down. Meanwhile, River is a sweet boy who just wants to fit in.
This is a very funny, sweet, and touching story of three sisters who are coming-of-age and wanting to help their mother in righting a wrong. The girls are so much fun. Even Mab, who is normal, brings enjoyment to the reader because she is getting ready for her SAT test and she and her BFF, Petra, are working on vocabulary. The words used, LOL, you will chuckle. Monday will only eat yellow things and wear yellow clothing, unless it’s raining, and then it’s green. She’s the town librarian and has books everywhere, including the microwave (because no one uses the microwave). Mirabel uses her furniture status to gain inside information. Nora, who doesn’t narrate but nonetheless is a quirky character adds charm, as do the eccentric townsfolk.
I enjoyed this as a fun story that is well written. It’s nice to have a story that brings a smile to your face.
Rating: really liked it
I LOVED This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel so I was excited about this one but it just was a miss for me, I found myself very bored and I couldn't really keep track of the triplets as they seemed to just have the same voice. I can tell she tried to make them distinct but I still had a hard time keeping track so maybe it was just me? Other than that, this was just an okay read that I thought about not finishing quite a few times but had to push through.
The narrators did do a great job bringing the story to life. Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for the advanced audiobook.
Rating: really liked it
Testing 1, 2, 3. It’s a go!It’s pretty funny that I requested this book on NetGalley. When the author’s previous book, This Is How It Always Is, got rave reviews, I stayed away. The writer’s name is Frankel. How could a reality star/business woman write literary fiction, I wanted to know. Because she didn’t, dumb dumb Deb! Two people can have the same last name, it turns out. Geez, you would have thought I’d check out the first names, but no, I assumed the obnoxious and boisterous TV star, Bethenny Frankel, was doubling as a serious fiction writer. Ha, goes to show me what I can do with my assumptions! I mean, really, what was I doing? If the author’s name was Perry, would I have assumed Katy Perry gave up her “Roar” days and picked up a pen to start a literary career? I don’t think so! Anyway, all of this to say, despite my embarrassing concern about the author’s name, I decided to check out One Two Three. And man am I glad I did.
This is one creative novel! Right off the bat, I’m in. Play with words—like the author did with the main characters’ names—and I’m in heaven.
The story is about 16-year-old triplets. Their names are a kick. The oldest is Mab. Since she was born first, her name is just one syllable. Monday popped out second, and thus her name has two syllables. Then there’s the third to be born, so her name gets three syllables, Mirabel. The chapter titles vary between 1, 2, and 3, referring to each triplet by number. I could just hug their names and number scheme.
Mab is the “normal” one. Monday is on the autism spectrum (but highly functional), and Mirabel is wheelchair-bound and has to use an electronic voice to speak—she’s the super brainy one. It’s impossible not to love all three.
This is a mighty fine character study. We get to see inside their heads, always a draw for me. And their connection to each other made me feel good. Each voice is so unique and rich, and the girls are so likable, smart, determined, and quirky. Many authors struggle with creating unique voices, but Frankel is not one of them.
They live in a super small town that had a chemical plant years ago, and the toxic water from the plant wreaked havoc on the health of its citizens, including the triplets. The girls and their mom are obsessed with the damage caused by the big bad chemical company. I won’t say anything about the plot, other than it all begins when a moving van arrives in town.
The story has a lot to do with trust and betrayal, always two juicy components of a story. Should this certain person be trusted? I found myself going back and forth.
The book also deals with the aftermath of a town destroyed by a chemical company. It was interesting to watch the citizens’ changing reactions to the state of affairs that develops.
These days it takes a lot for me to like a book about high schoolers (I’ve just OD’d on them, and I crave adults), but these triplets got under my skin in the best way. I do think it would be a good YA book, but this adult liked it just fine.
My only complaint is that the book is too long (400 pages). At times it was belabored. We get it, no need to drill it into our heads.
Now I’m hot to read This Is How It Always Is, of course. And I’ll be waiting for LAURIE Frankel’s next gem.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Rating: really liked it
4 sisterly stars
This unique book is narrated by a set of triplets – hence the title – one, two, three! Set in the small town of Bourne, which has seen better days. Nearly 17 years ago, tragedy struck Bourne when the nearby chemical plant turned the river (and the town’s drinking water) green. Plagued by cancer, birth defects, and unexplained illnesses, the town is limping along with a higher-than-average number of residents in wheelchairs.
The Mitchell triplets – Mab, Monday, and Mirabel– have very unique voices and I loved how each triplet took turns telling the story with alternating chapters. Their mother Nora has championed the class action lawsuit against the chemical plant for years, searching out evidence for the case. She has an unfortunate connection with the case as her husband died because of the chemicals and her children, especially Mirabel, were affected. Mirabel is in a wheelchair and only has the use of her right hand and can’t speak without an assisted device and she’s very smart!
Monday runs the town library out of their house since the original library is shut down. Mab is studying hard to get into college and out of Bourne. Everything is about to change though when the chemical plant’s founding family returns to town. What can happen if they reopen the plant?
I adored these characters are rooted for them as they dug deep to figure out a way to fight the plant. Deceptions and secrets can go hand in hand with deep pockets and it’s easy for some to turn the other way.
This was a terrific read with great characters and I look forward to reading others by this author!
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Rating: really liked it
Print giveaway from Goodreads
In a town that experiences an environmental disaster similar to the one that took place in Flint, a set of triplets take it upon themselves to promote social justice. In a curious (I’m being facetious) turn of events, they are not charged. I assume I don’t have to tell you their race?
Rating: really liked it
The small town of Bourne bears the scars of a chemical company that poisoned their water 17 years ago and left them with no recourse. The Mitchell family was devastated more than most. Nora Mitchell's husband died unexpectedly of cancer just weeks before she gave birth to triplets, two of whom were born severely disabled.
Now that the triplets are 16 years old, it could be happening all over again. The chemical company is back promising much-needed jobs and promising they have fixed what was wrong with their process.
I liked that the author attempted to show different points of view and how the tragedy affected different townspeople differently. I think she could have dug a little deeper, but it is written for teens so I think it is age-appropriate. However, some subjects did seem overly simplistic. The book does a good job of writing from the points of view of the three 16-year-olds. The adult characters seem just as immature or charicaturized, though.
I might recommend this to a young reader, but it isn't all that interesting for an adult, even if they enjoy YA and middle-grade lit.
