The One Apart: A Novel

The One Apart by Justine Avery weaves a fascinatingly intricate narrative that will captivate readers from beginning to end. Employing developed, well-rounded characters, The One Apart explores the interconnectedness of fate, spirituality, and purpose in life through a riveting chronicle of events. Avery’s work descriptively probes the complex nature of a soul reborn with daunting recollections of his previous lives. Forced to mitigate these overwhelming emotions and flashbacks, the main character must learn how to navigate a mature, educated mind trapped inside of his adolescent body. Even the very nature of his name proves confounding. While the main character’s soul identifies as Tres, his inability to communicate as an infant with his mother resigns his body in this life to accept the name Aaron. As the main character becomes older, he and his family quickly learn that something special sets this child apart from others. Only through deep psychological and metaphysical exploration can the main character begin to understand his deeper purpose or “mien” beyond this life within the large order of things. As Avery explains, “Mien is free-flowing: subtle but strong, adapting but steady. Mien is akin to what is termed ‘theme’ in your corporeality.” However, before he can fulfill and align with his true chosen position, he will first need to relinquish his role in the physical world and face his counterpart.

This synopsis barely touches on the themes and ideas conveyed in The One Apart. Justine Avery beautifully entwines themes of love across relationships, as well as personal exploration and individual struggles, both of this world and metaphysically. Moreover, Avery touches on the difficulty of accepting death and removing oneself from dangerous situations. While some readers may find the size of the book intimidating at first, with each chapter readers will discover the ease with which Avery draws the reader in to learn and discover more. The end of each section will leave readers craving to know what happens to the main character and his family next or why a situation ended the way that it did. Readers of any age, from teenagers to those more seasoned, will appreciate the masterful narrative that Justine Avery has superbly developed in The One Apart. Her plot accomplishes significant development while not overwhelming the reader with too much information. The One Apart easily garners a five-star rating and will divulge more insight and perception each time readers explore its pages.

Read Justine Avery’s Interview