Ambitious concept balances out a few weaknesses

This standalone YA sci-fi brings a few very ambitious elements to the table that help bolster its weaknesses and make this a pretty enjoyable read overall. While other books have been written about communities with genetic engineering and institutionalized segmentation (The Giver, Divergent), Your One & Only dives more into the actual science, which was one of my favorite aspects. Don't worry, it's not overly "sciency," but it does address things like the fact that you can't keep copying the same genetic sample without it degrading, and it speaks plainly about gene splicing, if in a simplistic and fantastical way (ex. integrating pineapple flavor into pork). I liked the setup of having nine archetypes of humanity; the fact that they all read as a little bit of a caricature (especially when there are multiples of the same type all together) was both a plus and minus. It made them feel flat, but that's also the point of the whole book - that individuality is not a weakness. Jack's anger was very believable, and his emotions are a nice contrast to the clones. The ending wasn't rushed, making this a satisfying read for those interested.