When Only One (Meg Gatland-Veness, Pantera)
Everything changes when Sam’s one-time best friend Emily appears outside his window for the first time in five years. He knows why she’s back and it isn’t good. The story that follows pieces together the lives of a group of teenagers living in a small Australian farming town. Each chapter of When Only One counts down to a school shooting that is revealed in the prologue and then referred to again at the beginning of every chapter. The result is a tension-filled story, comparable to a mystery novel, that slowly unravels as author Meg Gatland-Veness describes each character and their everyday life. The book doesn’t shy away from big topics, such as relationships, assault, family trauma, alcoholism, mental health and grief. They are handled well but when recommending this novel caution may need to be taken. It’s clear that the author is a teacher and has spent a lot of time around teenagers, as the themes and characters feel relevant and for the most part genuine. Certain character traits and plot points seem somewhat exaggerated—but then again these are teenagers who are learning how to navigate life and all its complexities. Readers of Gatland-Veness’s first book I Had Such Friends can expect a story in a similar vein, akin to John Marsden’s novels and almost like a YA version of Jane Harper’s The Dry. When Only One manages to capture both the beauty and brutality of life and is suitable for young adults aged 14 and up, as well as adults.
Lisa Schuurman is an editor, writer and book reviewer.
