One Two Three - Laurie Frankel

⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This book was so different from Frankel's last book in subject, but as soon as I started I knew I was in good hands. This book is told by triplet sisters who live in Bourne, a town that was destroyed by a chemical plant almost two decades ago, leaving a lot of the residents dead, cancerous, or born with birth defects. But the company responsible for it has never been convicted, and now they're back. Of the triplets, Maribel is in a wheelchair and needs an AAC device to speak, Monday is neurodivergent, and Mab is the "normal" one, carrying the burden of being the one expected to get out of Bourne.

The three narrators are all distinct and wonderful, and I felt that her portrayal of them was really well done. This book takes on corruption, bureaucracy, ableism, accessibility, and more. Frankel is a wonderful writer, and although I wasn't particularly interested in the premise at first, I was sucked in right away. The book almost has a dystopian feel, but when you realize it's modern-day and based on real stories, it's disconcerting and heart-breaking. I loved the way this book explores the aftermath of these kinds of incidents, as the residents try to move on with their lives without justice, as well as what it would be like living in a town where most people are different in one way or another, and being "normal" is what's rare.