In middle school Kyle Davis seemed to have it all–good looks, smarts, athletic ability, and a wealthy, close-knit family–but appearances can be deceiving. After his sister dies and his father commits suicide, Kyle’s mom sends him off to prep school, but after just one year he returns to his hometown of Snowy Ridge, North Carolina. There he finds that there is one constant in his life–his friend Chelsea Davenport.
Chelsea and Kyle’s fathers were once business partners, and the two teenagers have know each other since grade school. The One follows Chelsea and Kyle through their last year of high school, a year with typical teen turmoil over dating, balancing school with other activities, and college admissions. Chelsea and Kyle have some additional problems: a girl who is obsessed with Kyle and who seems willing to do anything to keep Kyle and Chelsea from getting close; Kyle’ s role in the death of a football player; Mrs. Davis’s heavy drinking; and the physical decline of Chelsea’s beloved grandmother. Using dialog that is believable and vivid, the author brings these two teenagers and their difficulties alive in a coming-of-age novel that will appeal to teens and adults.
Check this title’s availability in the UNC-Chapel Hill Library catalog.
Look for more books by Mary Flinn including Second Time’s a Charm and Three Gifts, the last book in the trilogy beginning with The One.