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One-Two
Igor Eliseev, author
Two conjoined babies are born at the intersection of two social worldviews. The girls are named Faith and Hope. After spending their childhood in a foster home and obtaining a basic education, they come to realise that they are different from other people in many respects. The problems of their upbringing are only made worse by the constant humiliations they suffer at the hands of society.
Eventually, fortune smiles on them, by seemingly opening up the door to happiness: a separation surgery that can theoretically be performed in the capital. Thus begins a journey fraught with difficulties and obstacles for the sisters. Will they be able to get past the wall of public cynicism, together with the internal conflicts they have among themselves? Will they find a justification for their existence and learn to accept it? The search for the answers to these and many other questions constitutes the essence of this novel.
One-Two is a psychological drama, the main events of which unfold in the 1980s and 1990s in Russia. The novel reflects on how difficult it is to be a human and how important it is to stay human until the end. It is a message full of empathy and kindness addressed to all people.
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Thought provoking and well-executed; characters are truly in turmoil and a metaphor for the human condition. The reader is left a little heartbroken yet hopeful at the end.
Prose: Fluid and well-crafted prose. The reader will find herself rereading sentences and reflecting on her own life; the writer has a knack for finding just the right words.
Originality: The novel feels fresh and new. Conjoined twins named Hope and Faith – when there is none – is worth contemplating.
Character Development: The reader sympathizes with the weak and hopeful and criticizes those that cause harm. The characters are true to life and walk among us.
Blurb: Thought provoking -- book clubs will rejoice!
Date Submitted: March 22, 2017