The One is the final installment in the story of Maxon and America. Finally, after weeks and weeks the competition is down to just four girls, each with their own benefits and drawbacks for the throne of the country. It is finally time for Maxon to choose a bride, but the rebel attacks, the political confusion and America's own confusion may complicate this. America finds herself losing feelings for one of the boys but is the other one slipping out of her fingers at the same time?
I thought this was the worst one yet. The ending was incredibly unsatisfying and left a lot of things still up to interpretation. This book only emphasized the romanticized sexist and old-fashioned ideals of romance that were presented in the other books. It almost felt like a kind of just-for-tween-girls version of Reflections On the Revolution in France by Edward Burke. To me the message really seemed like “Don't protest or dismantle the harmful systems that are in place! Slow change is the only kind of change that will ever work!” and at the same time conveyed “Hi young girls! Remember that the perfect man will not let you do anything and should protect you and you are a kind of property to him! And that’s the most romantic thing possible!”. I would give this a zero stars if possible but I guess one will do.