- Mystery
- Sexual Assault
One of Our Own follows Felicia, a single mother and lawyer who volunteers at a suicide prevention call centre in her spare time. Her already demanding life takes a darker turn when a young girl calls in distress after a video of her sexual assault is shared across social media. Breaking protocol, Felicia gives the girl her personal mobile number so she can reach out again.
As Felicia gains the girl’s trust, more details begin to surface, bringing the tragedy far closer to home than she ever anticipated.
Felicia is a very real and relatable character. She’s intelligent yet grounded, shaped by her own difficult past, which makes her acutely aware of how dangerous the world can be.
What I enjoyed most about this novel is how engaging it is. Its shorter length works in its favour; any longer and it might have started to drag. However, for a mystery, it is quite predictable. There’s little sense of suspense, and the direction of the story becomes clear early on, unfolding much as expected.
The book explores heavy themes, particularly rape and sexual assault, along with elements of physical and domestic violence. It’s worth noting this as a content warning, especially as it involves young teenagers. That said, these themes aren’t explored in such graphic depth that they make the book difficult to read.
Overall, this is an easy, enjoyable read. However, if you’re looking for a more complex or challenging mystery, this may not be the one for you.
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