The One

Combining five unconnected novelettes into a single novel offers benefits and drawbacks. While critics have described The One as unique and innovative, reader reviews are more mixed. Many readers find the book riveting while others dislike the structure and find it distracting to jump between characters every several pages. In addition, the five storylines never intersect or overlap at any point, which would have added a sense of cohesion, pulling the five plotlines into a single narrative.

However, one advantage is that the structure enables the author to place the emphasis on theme rather than character. Marrs could have written five novels; the individual narratives each contain enough material to explore in a full-length novel, but doing so would emphasize plot and character rather than theme. To get the full perspective on the theme, readers must read all five books and reflect on them all at once. Keeping the narratives separate but synchronous allows the reader to see the theme playing out in all storylines simultaneously. Marrs compensates for the fragmentation by making the transitions effectively, labeling each chapter with its protagonist, and rapidly grounding the reader in the scene.