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The One Thing

Marci Lyn Curtis (Goodreads Author)

4.12 · Rating details · 2,228 ratings · 478 reviews

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's st ...more

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published September 8th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

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· 2,228 ratings · 478 reviews

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Dec 04, 2013 Hazel (Stay Bookish) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own-copy-read, signed, 2015-lovelies, diverse-reads, hardcover

Visit Stay Bookish for more book reviews and to win a hardback copy of The One Thing!

When a book has you staying up late and crying at 2 in the morning, you know it’s undeniably good. The One Thing, however, is not only undeniably good but brilliant. Upon finishing in one sitting, The One Thing turned instantly into one of the best YA contemporary books I’ve read this year.

I was lucky to receive an early draft from the author and while I was more than excited to read, I didn’t particularly know Visit Stay Bookish for more book reviews and to win a hardback copy of The One Thing!

When a book has you staying up late and crying at 2 in the morning, you know it’s undeniably good. The One Thing, however, is not only undeniably good but brilliant. Upon finishing in one sitting, The One Thing turned instantly into one of the best YA contemporary books I’ve read this year.

I was lucky to receive an early draft from the author and while I was more than excited to read, I didn’t particularly know what to expect. I didn’t expect to be so hooked from the very first chapter that I couldn’t put down the book for the life of me until I turned to the last page. I didn’t expect to laugh so hard at the main character’s sarcasm and fun banter. I didn’t expect to fall completely in love not only with the love interest, but with his completely adorable kid brother too. Most of all, I didn’t expect the strong emotional punches that Marci Lyn Curtis packed with her story.

What I did expect was to read about a girl who was struggling to come to terms with becoming blind. Maggie used to be a soccer star before she lost her sight. Her professional soccer dreams suddenly upturned, alongside with basically her whole life, she’s taken aback when she meets ten year old Ben Milton, and she suddenly can see. Ben’s spina bifida doesn’t stop him from being adorably quick-witted and mature for his age and as Maggie becomes fast friends with the young boy, she learns that while she may have lost her sight, she hasn’t lost her heart.

Nothing beats having a heroine you want to root for. Maggie is probably one of my favourite narrators ever. I only wish I had her sass. I loved her voice and narrative SO much. Not only was she utterly hilarious, she was also so honest and authentic. I just couldn’t help but love her strong personality. Moreover, I loved her growth in the book, especially as she grappled with her strained relationships with her mom and best friend and embracing her life as it is now.

As for Ben, no words can describe my love for this kid. I once wrote a list of List Of Awesome Quirky Contemporary Kids and while it needs to be updated, Ben totally tops the list, with his infinite charm and funny wisecracks. I’ve never read a more vibrantly happy character as him. Still, like Maggie, he was very realistically portrayed. All of the characters were, actually. Ben’s brother, Mason, who is Maggie’s love interest was also awesome and I loveeeee the slow-burn romance between them.

Finally, the writing in this book is also something to behold. The fabulous musical aspect incorporated in the story made Marci’s prose even more lyrical and resounding. Not only do her words give you all the feels, they also inspire you to think and ponder the things (the people most especially) that we value and love and the circumstances that reveal us.

Now can we change The One Thing’s title to The Best Thing yet? I’m mostly kidding- I really wouldn’t change a thing about this amazing book. I swear, it is an excellent read. If you’re looking for your next favourite book, Marci Lyn Curtis’ witty, passionate, heart-soaring debut novel is it. ...more

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Oct 14, 2015 Marci Curtis rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

I thought this book was pretty darn good, all 199,376 times that I read it.

But then, I might be a smidge biased.

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Aug 16, 2015 Kels rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, romance, slow-pace, bag-full-of-meh, magical-realism, i-saw-that-one-coming, yawn, contemporary, witty, disability

That's the one thing about being blind: you see people as they really are.

Six months ago, Maggie became sick with meningitis that caused her sudden blindness, but when that happened she lost more than her eye sight. She lost her dreams of going big with soccer and getting college scholarships, she lost her friends and even her relationships with her parents, which became distant and awkward. Yet things change when an ungraceful fall lands her with a bruised head, and something she never thou ...more

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Aug 30, 2015 Mary rated it it was amazing

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing this ARC.

Oh. My. Gosh. I have no words to express just how much I loved this book. It’s one of the best books that I have read this year and let me tell you, I’ve read a lot of amazing books in 2015. But this one flew right there near the top. It’s absolutely fantastic, cute, beautiful, so intense at times, heartbreaking at others (yes, I cried, shut up). I just want to shove this in everyone’s hands and make them read it, because it is fa Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing this ARC.

Oh. My. Gosh. I have no words to express just how much I loved this book. It’s one of the best books that I have read this year and let me tell you, I’ve read a lot of amazing books in 2015. But this one flew right there near the top. It’s absolutely fantastic, cute, beautiful, so intense at times, heartbreaking at others (yes, I cried, shut up). I just want to shove this in everyone’s hands and make them read it, because it is fabulous.
From Goodreads:

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future... before she loses everything she has grown to love.

I cannot fully emphasize how much I adored this book. It had me laughing out loud withing the first couple of pages. And that’s no easy feat, as I tend to not be amused so easily by books. Maggie’s character is fantastic: she’s sarcastic, funny as hell, likable overall, despite her unlikable moments and very real - her voice was so refreshing to read. The author managed to convey in a simple, yet effective manner, all that Maggie has gone through and how that affected her. I wouldn’t be able to imagine what it would be like to lose my sight from one day to the other, but I got a pretty good idea here - I could relate to Maggie and much of what I’d do would mirror her actions.
I ADORED Ben. Ben was the little brother I wish I’d had. He’s funny, mature for his age, smart and a smartass at the same time, incredibly kind and I felt for him SO. MUCH. My heart swells just thinking about him. All the characters were likable and very realistically portrayed. I loved the family angles in this book - it not only explored Maggie’s illness and interactions with Ben, but also with her family and with Ben’s. I loved that the romantic aspect didn’t overtake the general theme of the book - of friendship, overcoming adversities and finding yourself again, finding that one thing that makes you you. It stayed more in the background and it’s refreshing to see something like this - not every book has to have romance. I felt a lot that it was a coming of age novel, because you can see how much Maggie grows throughout the book. But she grows in a way that stays true to herself, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

I cannot find any fault with this book. I read it in one sitting and hardly felt the time pass by. The writing is phenomenal, heartfelt, real, accessible, engaging. I need you all to read this book. It’s original, and you will have a blast with it. READ THIS BOOK.

★★★★★

Publication date: September 8th 2015 ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, ya, z2015, netgalley

* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really really good! It definitely surpassed all of my expectations. It was funny, sad, real, heart-wrenching, well-written, relatable, smart and fun to read. I think this book is going to be really popular because it's so good! As for Marci Lyn Curtis, I hope she writes more amazing novels like this one. This was an incredible debut novel! It kind of reminded me of something Sarah Dessen would write (one of the brilliant ones) s ...more

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Aug 03, 2015 Laurence R. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dear-friends, to-review, to-interview

I LOVED IT SO MUCH! Seriously, read this book.

I was intrigued by the description of this novel, especially since I wasn't sure what it would be about. I didn't know what to expect, but it made me want to read it even more. I'm so glad I did!

I absolutely loved Ben and Maggie's friendship. Ben is the most adorable kid ever and I just want him for myself (which sounds weird, but it's okay. You'll understand if you read this book). I loved how he reacted to Maggie's news about her seeing him even t ...more

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Jul 09, 2014 Danielle (Love at First Page) rated it liked it

Shelves: e-arc, genre-young-adult, contemporary, laugh-out-loud, read-in-2015, own-kindle-book

3-3.5 stars

As a contemporary romance fan, I expected to love The One Thing. But poor book, it had the unfortunate luck to be read right after Illuminae. When you follow a mind-blowing book with a good book, well, it's hard not to compare, and this one doesn't hold up... to Illuminae or to other contemporaries I've loved this year. I just felt like something was missing, something that would make it memorable for me in the future.

That's not to say that The One Thing doesn't have a lot going for ...more

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May 24, 2015 Yvonne rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: EVERYONE! ♥

Shelves: favorites, 5-stars-books, books-i-own, read-for-review

First of all: I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm over the moon excited that I got to read this gorgeous book! It's Marci's debut and I already know I'll read her next books as well!

Halfway through the book I already knew this would become one of my favorite books ever and well, it's true. It's funny, sarcastic, serious and heartwarming ... it's emotional, unbelievably sad but at the same time cute also makes you so, so happy. Seriously, I love this book with all my ...more

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Feb 16, 2015 Chelsea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-reread, 5-star

You guys, this book was SO GOOD. If you’ve been following my reviews for a while you know I don’t hand out five star ratings for nothing, and this book wholeheartedly deserves it.

I will be the first to say this isn’t a perfect book. It has a number of little flaws that I was well aware of whilst reading it, which made me think to myself, ‘then is this really a five star book?’

And the answer is yes, it definitely is. It got me to thinking about the other four star books I’ve read this year, but e ...more

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Jul 11, 2015 Andrea rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, arc, m-f-romance

2.5 stars

Six months ago Maggie lost her sight, naturally her life was turned upside down, she lost her friends and her soccer dreams. Then meets a ten year old named Ben, and she's really surprised about the fact she can see him, and everything around him.

I expected this to be better, especially with that unique premise. As a huge fan of YA contemporary I expected to love this but I just didn't have the same reaction everyone else seemed to have. This book wasn't bad it was just a little too pre ...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Lindsay Currie rated it it was amazing

I had the distinct pleasure of being able to read this book recently, and IT. IS. AMAZING. Fantastic plot? Check. Original and compelling characters? Check. Unique voice? You bet. THE ONE THING drew me in from the first sentence and never let me go. You're going to want to keep your eyes open for this one, and the author Marci Curtis. She's going to light the shelves on fire when this comes out.

* While Marci is a friend of mine, this review is an objective one of her work. ...more

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Sep 09, 2015 Jayvee "Writer For Misfits" rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, tear-jerkers, 2015-awesome-books

Find out how you can win a signed copy of The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis on Writer For Misfits. There'll be 2 giveaways open to US residents and an INTL giveaway.

We take a lot of things for granted, that's for sure. And if we lose a thing that means a lot to us, then we'd feel like nothing else matters anymore, that we're incomplete and we cannot function anymore. The One Thing serves as an eye-opener, that even in times of pain and obstacles, there is hope and you are not alone.

Maggie, a 17 Find out how you can win a signed copy of The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis on Writer For Misfits. There'll be 2 giveaways open to US residents and an INTL giveaway.

We take a lot of things for granted, that's for sure. And if we lose a thing that means a lot to us, then we'd feel like nothing else matters anymore, that we're incomplete and we cannot function anymore. The One Thing serves as an eye-opener, that even in times of pain and obstacles, there is hope and you are not alone.

Maggie, a 17 year old girl, who gets her eye sight taken away from her after getting bacterial meningitis. She thinks everything is over, her relationship with her family, her friendship and her soccer career. To Maggie, not being able to see feels like a burden. She rebels, gets herself in juvenile custody but later encounters a ten year old boy, Ben. To her surprise, she sees him. She actually sees him and she wonders why. Ben becomes the flicker of hope to Maggie's life and almost at once, her life turns into a spirally road, with her heart and faith challenged with every turn.

What is this book? How did it come to exist? This is me in rabid fangirl mode right now. This book is one of the best reads I've had had in a while. Let me get into detail. Maggie is a character that you'd think you wouldn't like, but she's actually honest, no nonesense, sassy, witty, sensitive and kind. Her predicament makes her cold and distant towards others, but meeting Ben, we get to peel off layers in Maggie, and she becomes a revelation of sorts.

Speaking of Ben, HALLELUJAH, praise the Lord for this kid. It's so refreshing to read this kid with his humor and wit. As though the light at the end of the tunnel to Maggie, Ben brings light and hope in this novel. And the best about Ben is his views on everything, as if each turn could turn positive. And he's 10! I can go on and on about this kid. He's sensitive and he cares about his family and friends. I think we all wish we could have a Ben or a kid with this much positivism in our lives. Even with his own predicaments, Ben doesn't fail to shine a bright smile and exude his charm. And please, I'm sure one day this kid is gonna win over a number of girlfriends. There, there Ben. She'll come one day.

I love the Milton family. They've become a way for Maggie to see a sliver of hope in her situation. And they exude so much good vibes, it's great. Of course, with a bit of an exception with Mason, who is Ben's older brother. He's a lot more reserved. If I could describe Mason, I would compare him to Adam Wilde, Where She Went stage, a little rough of the edges, but still has his soft side in him. The romance in this book is subtle, not too "slap in the face", cheesy but in the right way, sweet without being overly sweet and definitely had the right way of build up. I enjoy books that build up romance and doesn't hide the fact that it is existent, rather than denying it. Though Mason is not my favorite in this book, he did bring something nice to the table. The other characters were also quite great! Clarissa, with her overly sweet self, is actually the person you'd want to cling to the most. Lauren made me remember that I had a ton of fake friends in elementary and in high school. Oh well. Maggie's parents are on their way to adjusting, thank the heavens. And Grandpa Keith rocks!

A rollercoaster of feelings, the humor and drama are meshed together so well. I would be laughing at first and then I'd frown and then I'd be staring off to a distance, contemplating, "what if I end up in the same situation as Maggie, what would I do?" It wasn't afraid to show how big of an obstacle Maggie's blindness was but then it made it all the better when she was actually doing something about it. I related a lot with Maggie. Rather than her blindness, crippling her somehow, my sadness would at times take me into a place where I'd feel anxious about a lot of things, and I wouldn't like to mingle with other people anymore. But there are things, like Loose Cannons, that make everything better, or meeting people like Ben who help me. I think we all go through a time in our lives where we actually need to set ourselves free from reigns that hold us back and try new possibilities, no matter how scary they can be or may seem. And the scene with Ben. You don't make me laugh/cry like that. You don't. How dare you? I love you.

My THING. What is my thing? The thing that makes me happy? Reading I would say, but I have a lot of THINGS I would say make me happy and are helping me through tough times. And I'm glad Ben pointed them out. I almost forgot what they really mean.

Marci Lyn Curtis is a genius. Though it might seem kind of vague to believe that if you end up blind you'll see a person from some strange reason, it does give light to the issue that no matter the challenges ahead, and even if you have a disability, it shouldn't hinder you from doing the things you love and trying out new things as well. It was written as if I'm just talking with a friend, discovering new feelings and possibilities, telling me frustrations and I'm like, yeah yeah.

The One Thing is a refreshing read that will give you hope and will instill in you to be more positive about the world and that there are people who love you no matter what happens to you. A truly beautiful book, The One Thing is my new favorite Thing.
...more

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Sep 13, 2015 Nicola rated it really liked it

3.5 stars

The One Thing tells us the story of teenager Maggie who has been blind for six months due to a complication with meningitis. She is struggling to come to terms with her blindness and to adapt to her new way of living. Maggie soon meets ten year old Ben who has spina bifida but is so full of life that she is quickly drawn to his infectious personality. But there is also the small matter of her being able to see him and a small area surrounding him. She doesn't know if she's somehow getti 3.5 stars

The One Thing tells us the story of teenager Maggie who has been blind for six months due to a complication with meningitis. She is struggling to come to terms with her blindness and to adapt to her new way of living. Maggie soon meets ten year old Ben who has spina bifida but is so full of life that she is quickly drawn to his infectious personality. But there is also the small matter of her being able to see him and a small area surrounding him. She doesn't know if she's somehow getting her sight back or if she's just going crazy but either way she loves spending time with Ben. She is also surprised to learn that his brother, Mason, is the lead singer of her favourite band.

I really liked Maggie. She has a very sarcastic humour which I related to well. She has spent her life working towards her dream of being a professional soccer player, following in her mother's footsteps, and having to give up on that has left her feeling a bit lost. She's lost her friends and her college ambitions and doesn't quite know what to do with herself. I liked that she didn't let people get away with being asses and told them exactly what she thought of them. It was easy to respect her in those situations.

Ben was undoubtedly the highlight of the book. He is so adorable! He doesn't let his disability get the better of him and is just so nice to everyone. He's a little bit quirky but has a good heart and tries to make everyone around him happy. Everyone should have a friend like Ben!

Mason is a bit of a love/hate character for me. He was incredibly moody at the beginning and was so quick to judge Maggie without taking the time to listen or talk to her. I found it annoying that she was still so infatuated by him at those times when he was just being an idiot. I did love his protectiveness over Ben though. It was really sweet how he looked out for his brother.

Despite the fact Mason is the love interest, the romance isn't an overbearing element of the story which I liked. It was slow and often in the background to allow other things to take precedence. I'm glad about that as it was much more interesting to see Maggie's friendships with Ben and Clarissa develop as well as see her begin to embrace her blindness.

I didn't really get the point of Maggie being able to see Ben. I won't spoil the reasons for it but I did guess it very early on. We find out why she can see him but it's not really explained in great detail. I think the book would have worked perfectly without this element as Maggie and her relationships with the other characters were so great. I don't think she needed to have seen anybody at any point; I think she could just have easily made those relationships and come to terms with her blindness without the added element of her being able to see Ben.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book but a couple of elements did bother me. Ben and Maggie are both interesting characters to read about but the added, almost supernatural, element didn't really work for me. I did enjoy Maggie's development throughout the book and I was pleased with the way things ended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Disney-Hyperion. ...more

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May 22, 2015 Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-releases, arc, review-books, netgalley, september-release, ya, contemporary, read-in-2015, fave-2015

The One Thing is one of the sweetest and most strangely heartbreaking stories I have ever read!

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews ...more

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Dec 15, 2015 Christine Alibutud rated it it was amazing

I wondered what that sort of ignorance would feel like, wondered what it would be like to not yearn to see the things I loved—the sky and the colors and the life.

description

I miss those minutes right around twilight, when it isn’t quite daytime, but it isn’t nighttime, either. It feels magical somehow, like you could do something phenomenal without even trying. I miss the scarlet in sunrises. And clouds. Stars. God, I miss stars.

description

So, okay, that was... breathtaking.

Literally took. my. breath ...more

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May 02, 2015 Kim at Divergent Gryffindor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-contemporary, owned-paperback, rating-5-stars, from-giveaway, signed

When I read the synopsis for The One Thing, I was immediately captivated. I read a book about a main character who is blind before in Wattpad and I loved it, so of course I was anticipating this one. I was expecting this to be a bit depressing given the situation, but no. The main character is so snarky and her friend Ben is a ten-year-old smart ass. Gosh, I have so much love for this book, and I read this just at the right moment.

The journey that the main character took was fantastic. She didn' When I read the synopsis for The One Thing, I was immediately captivated. I read a book about a main character who is blind before in Wattpad and I loved it, so of course I was anticipating this one. I was expecting this to be a bit depressing given the situation, but no. The main character is so snarky and her friend Ben is a ten-year-old smart ass. Gosh, I have so much love for this book, and I read this just at the right moment.

The journey that the main character took was fantastic. She didn't rely on anyone else but herself, and she changed mostly for herself too. Yes, Ben and other circumstances were catalysts, but she changed and snapped out of it because of her own realizations and not because she fell in love or was told to do so. This book took me to a roller coaster of emotions; I smiled, laugh, cried and bawled my eyes out. (And yes, I realized that I said cried and bawled my eyes out because those were the stages of my crying.) But what I loved about this book was that even though I cried my eyes out, it made me feel so happy and so full of life. It made me feel so inspired that I just wanted to jump up and start really living. The book was just so honest, so gritty, and so full of life.

Romance was not a central part of this story. It was only on the side that Maggie and Mason's romance bloomed, but oh my gosh, I still felt a rush of feels. This book is also filled with lots of amazing quotes, and now my copy is full of pink tabs because there were just a lot of amazing passages. I haven't rated a contemporary book 5 stars in a long time, but this book is no doubt a solid 5! I couldn't even put this book down while I was reading it, and when I absolutely had to, it was like the Choppin + Clarissa song in Maggie's head - it's constantly there on my mind.

I was a little sad that this book had to end, but I realized that for me, the story will never end because I will bring it with me in my heart wherever I go. This book is just full of meaning, emotions and life; it's monumental. If you haven't read the book yet, then what the heck are you waiting for? Hurry up and go buy yourself a copy! This is definitely a must-read. ...more

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Feb 16, 2014 Karen Rock rated it it was amazing

High school loner, Maggie Sanders, gets the shock of her life when, after years without sight, an encounter with a younger boy, Ben Milton, allows her to see again. Only… she can only see him and the small area illuminated around him. Not sure if she’s hallucinating or experiencing the greatest miracle possible, she befriends the fascinating boy whose spina bifida doesn’t stop him from appreciating and learning about life- right down to reading through every encyclopedia and joining a swim team. High school loner, Maggie Sanders, gets the shock of her life when, after years without sight, an encounter with a younger boy, Ben Milton, allows her to see again. Only… she can only see him and the small area illuminated around him. Not sure if she’s hallucinating or experiencing the greatest miracle possible, she befriends the fascinating boy whose spina bifida doesn’t stop him from appreciating and learning about life- right down to reading through every encyclopedia and joining a swim team. His health-obsessed, vet-tech mother, a great believer in natural treatments to all health problems, is the heart of his off-beat family and welcomes Maggie into the fold. Better yet, Maggie discovers that Ben’s older brother, Mason, is none other than the hot lead singer in her favorite, yet elusive band. Yet Mason isn’t as glad to meet her as he doesn’t buy her story that she’s blind (so hard to fake when she can seem him as long as Ben is around). He believes she’s just using his little brother whom he protects. Thus starts Maggie’s incredible journey toward understanding her ever-growing ability to see certain people, and her growing feelings for Mason, a romance that is as charming and unique as this amazing story.

I adored every bit of this ‘must-read-in-one-sitting’ book (actually it took me all day and half the night…). Maggie is sarcastic, smart, funny, and has a big heart that she’s kept guarded all these lonely years. Ben’s effervescent personality is contagious and you can’t help but fall in love with him, as well as his gorgeous, mysterious older brother, Mason. Ah, Mason. He’s the bad boy with the big heart all of us girls which we’d tamed in high school. It’s wonderful to watch all of these characters grown and change as the novel progresses to its heart-stopping conclusion. This novel will make you laugh, cry and most of all think. Like Maggie, the way you view the world will be profoundly altered after finishing this amazing story. And isn’t that what all great books are about- making us see ourselves and our world in new and amazing ways? I can't wait to read more from this talented author!
...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Catherine Doyle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves

"After all, circumstances don't change us. They reveal us."

Well. This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read.

Ever since 17-year-old soccer star Maggie lost her sight 6 months ago, she's been a passive participant in a life she never imagined for herself. She's angry at the world and she's all but given up. When she meets Ben, an intelligent and hilarious 10-year-old, everything starts to change. He, quite literally, lights up her life, and together they embark on a friendship that is ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Nancy rated it it was amazing

If I made a movie out of this book (because that's totally in my skill set as a suburban mother and public educator), I'd do a montage of Maggie's easy, happy-go-lucky life, lots of soccer, trophies, friends, high school, all to the background music of "Loose Cannons." Quick intro of devoted parents, Gramps talking about his prostate, then a slower montage of the day she woke up sick, the exchange between her and her mom, maybe have Gramps find her passed out in the kitchen, tense hospital scene ...more

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Feb 26, 2014 Lola Sharp rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-list, young-adult, contemp, magical-realism

Oh my goodness, you guys, YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK! I am blessed to have read this treasure, absolute gem of a book, because IT IS SPECIAL.
This book is what they talk about when they say 'voice'. There is voice in spades here. Marci Lyn Curtis has given us layered , real characters with a voice that leaps off the page from the very first paragraph. At times snort-out-loud hilarious, this story also had me in tears, both sad and happy, heartwarming tears. I promise, I never gush about a book, b ...more

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May 04, 2015 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-books, around-the-world-arc-tours, may-2015

OMG this book is one incredible book. I have no idea how to explain this book to you that is how good it is.

Can you imagine you have it all, school, great friends, and great family? Well Maggie Sanders has it all until she loses her sight and with that she loses her friends and her dreams of being a professional soccer player. Being in the dark for Maggie will not tear her down and will not discourage her from living her life.

So she decides to do a prank and when she is caught she gets in a lot ...more

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Nov 07, 2014 Laurie Flynn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-contemporary, ya-fantasy

I was lucky enough to read this book before its release date and was totally blown away. The concept is so original and unique, and Maggie's voice is very powerful and distinct. I loved her wit and sarcasm, and how she coped with her vastly different life after losing her sight. This book has it all... laughter and tears, romance and friendship, and a hint of magic.

I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but this is one book that I'll remember for a long time. Marci Lyn Curtis is h ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Kristine Asselin rated it it was amazing

I had a chance to read a pre copy edited version of this book. OMG, it's amazing! Layers of emotion, great voice. Maggie Sanders and Ben and Mason Milton will be some of your favorite characters in YA in 2015. ...more

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Jul 04, 2015 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, on-my-shelf, 4-5-stars, stand-alone, young-adult, 2015-favourites, 2015-read

You can read this review and more @Book Enthral

First Thoughts 24/10

4.5 stars
Emotional destroying but absolutely brilliant!! Read in one sitting I just couldn't put it down. I loved Maggie and Ben is the cutest 10 year old ever! The romance was swoon worthy! And yes the she's blind except she can see one person thing is a tad ridiculous but it makes sense eventually! I really, really loved this book!
Review to come :)

Review 27/10

Firstly, I need to ask, WHY THE HELL MORE PEOPLE AREN’T TALKING AB You can read this review and more @Book Enthral

First Thoughts 24/10

4.5 stars
Emotional destroying but absolutely brilliant!! Read in one sitting I just couldn't put it down. I loved Maggie and Ben is the cutest 10 year old ever! The romance was swoon worthy! And yes the she's blind except she can see one person thing is a tad ridiculous but it makes sense eventually! I really, really loved this book!
Review to come :)

Review 27/10

Firstly, I need to ask, WHY THE HELL MORE PEOPLE AREN’T TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK??!! The One Thing is an awe inspiring book that makes takes you through the whole emotional spectrum, and has crazy awesome characters. If you haven’t read this, which I know a lot of you haven’t, YOU NEED TO! I started around 9ish at night and read through to ten to 4 in the morning because I JUST COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!

Maggie lost her site six months ago due to bacterial meningitis, along with her bright soccer future, her close relationship with her mother, and all of her friends. One day while at her probation officers office (a small prank) Maggie slips, knocks her head and then suddenly a miracle occurs, she can see, but only Ben. This start’s Maggie becoming best friends with a 10 year old, crushing on his older brother (who happens to be the lead singer for Maggie’s favourite band) and her road to emotional and mental recovery

Within the first 10 pages of this book I was laughing aloud – TEN PAGES!!! I don’t think that’s ever happened in the history of ever! The reason for my giggles - ten year old Ben, who has spina bifida, and flirts like a 21 year old but with the innocence of a child. This was the start of my love affair with Ben. (NOT THAT WAY YOU WERIDOS – LIKE AN OLDER SISTER LOVE). Ben is one of those characters that would rather hurt himself then hurt someone else, he is made of goodness down to his very soul. Ben is the catalysts for Maggie, starting to view her life in a more positive way. I LOVED Maggie, but Ben was by far my favourite character.

Ben totally reminded me of Jamie from OTH!!
I don’t know if it’s the thirteen year old fangirl in me but I really loved that Ben’s older brother, Mason, was the lead singer of Maggie’s favourite band and OBVIOUSLY you knew they were going to end up together. I just loved it!! It’s a slow burn romance that starts out as tentative friendship and grows into this massive love and ASSKJALFJK I needed a swoon worthy feels fest and this book really delivered.

This book is so much more then just, girl meets boy and poof gets better, there’s a lot of stuff about her relationship with her mother, her old friends, making new friends and learning to live blind. The blind aspect was really well done I believe, I don’t think I’ve read a previous novel were the protagonist was blind so it was a new experience to read more about things being described through sounds and smells before much else. I’m not going to tell you why but this book had me sobbing at one certain part, I was not prepared for Curtis to mess with my emotions so thoroughly, but Hells Yes she does. I love when you connect with a book so deeply that you’re that emotional effected by it.

The only problem I had with this book was that Maggie could magically see Ben after knocking her head. I kept waiting for some medical reason to explain this, and just so you know there isn’t a medical reason. However, it is explained and although the reason isn’t logical, I think if you just view that aspect as a magical realism-ish element you won’t have a problem with it.

Overall, this was a fantastic book! I kinda want to go back and reread it, but read it slower this time to make it last longer. I’m also kinda bummed it’s not a series I would have loved more Maggie, Mason and Ben! You all need to go check this book out for yourselves YOU WONT REGRET IT! ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 Frannie Pan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: z-2015, arcs, cry-myself-a-river

Blind. Character.
I repeat: Blind. Character.
These are the magic words that propelled me to read this book the exact day it was released. All my life I have wanted to find a book that featured the visually impaired, I've always wondered what their life is like, how they can read or wander around without bumping into everything on their path and how strong they are to survive without their sight. Therefore, the moment I found out The one thing I felt like I had discovered the grandest treasure.
And ...more

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Aug 14, 2015 Joy (joyous reads) rated it liked it

It’s tough to review a book that I sort of like and sort of didn’t like. When I can’t reconcile how I really feel for it that I’m left precariously straddling that line. The One Thing could’ve been so good. But I felt that its two major flaws are simply insurmountable that I can’t give it a rating higher than 3 stars.

The summary succinctly gives you the bulk of the plot. Maggie was once a rising soccer star before she went blind. She had meningitis. Ever since then, she’d pretty much shut out th It’s tough to review a book that I sort of like and sort of didn’t like. When I can’t reconcile how I really feel for it that I’m left precariously straddling that line. The One Thing could’ve been so good. But I felt that its two major flaws are simply insurmountable that I can’t give it a rating higher than 3 stars.

The summary succinctly gives you the bulk of the plot. Maggie was once a rising soccer star before she went blind. She had meningitis. Ever since then, she’d pretty much shut out the world and wallowed in self-pity and misery. Upon meeting 10-year old, Ben, however, she realizes she can see. But only Ben and his immediate surroundings. Like a halo of light. Ben, who has been in crutches his whole life because he was born with spina bifida.

Hanging out with Ben has some benefits, to be sure. For one, he’s funny, smart and the seeing thing is a bonus. Also, Ben’s brother just happens to be the lead singer of her favourite band, Loose Cannons. But Mason Milton wouldn’t give her the time of day. He thinks she’s faking her “blindness”. He thinks she’s taking advantage of his younger brother, and that she’s nothing but a rabid fan who’s using Ben to get to him. He’s wrong, of course. Maggie only ever wanted to feel like normal again and the precocious Ben gives her a semblance of that.

There is a reason why she can only see Ben and not the rest of the world. For Maggie, the gravity of that reason may be just as difficult to accept as the loss of the life she used to have.

I’m the type of reader who accepts any unimaginable scenarios in fiction. I don’t care how far-reaching the plots are. If you make it believable, I’ll read it. After reading this book, I found out that yes, I do have a limit. And Maggie’s ability to see certain people without biological or medical relevance just didn’t cut it.

I also couldn’t buy into the eventual romance between Mason and Maggie. Mason has that arrogance that was not at all endearing, to be honest. I understand that he’s protective of his brother, but his attitude became intolerable too fast. Their relationship just didn’t work for me. I thought they would’ve been better off as friends who had Ben in common. I think the problem is that there wasn’t enough time for their relationship to develop. Maggie spent a lot of time with Ben, dodging her therapist, and harbouring hurt feelings toward her parents. I get so frustrated with people who can’t express their feelings easily. And Maggie did a lot of suppressing hers that it became too much for me at times.

Over all, this book has been getting so much love. I feel like such a schmuck for not loving it just as much. I think that if you can forgive the things that makes the plot a bit ridiculous, then you might just enjoy this book.
...more

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Jul 06, 2014 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: september-2015, read-for-review, 2015

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
This book was cute. Super cute, really. Not that it didn’t have hard moments, because it absolutely did, but the cute moments are what stuck with me when I was done reading. The life lessons, the relationships, the friendships, the witty characters, those are what endeared me to this book. The plot was fine, but the characters were remarkable!

First up is Maggie. Goodness, I adored Maggie. She was blind, but only recently found herself as This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
This book was cute. Super cute, really. Not that it didn’t have hard moments, because it absolutely did, but the cute moments are what stuck with me when I was done reading. The life lessons, the relationships, the friendships, the witty characters, those are what endeared me to this book. The plot was fine, but the characters were remarkable!

First up is Maggie. Goodness, I adored Maggie. She was blind, but only recently found herself as such. She’s sarcastic, and kind of pessimistic, but very real and honest. She’s not thrilled with her new circumstances, as you’d imagine, and she isn’t going to be putting on airs for anyone.

But then she meets Ben. Ben has spina bifida, and Ben is basically all the awesome things in the world wrapped into one ten year old boy. Ben is a swimmer, which of course captured my heart. He’s incredibly smart, charismatic, funny, and charming, and he wins Maggie over immediately. Maggie’s having a terrible time adjusting, as is her family, and she clings to Ben as an escape. She adores Ben’s family as well, but Mason, Ben’s brother, is leery of her motives.
There’s another really awesome character, but I don’t think it’s fair to tell you who it is, you should find out for yourself! Anyway, these people converge to take Maggie’s sullen, likely depressed outlook and revamp it. Because around Ben, Maggie can see.

There is a reason for this, and the reason is important. But Maggie doesn’t know that, she just soaks up every moment of sight that she can get her hands on. Of course, this inevitably leads to conflict, because who is actually going to believe that someone can randomly see after being blind? I admit that this part detracted a bit from the book for me, because it seemed so implausible. But everything that Maggie experience leads her to where she needs to be, where she can rebuild her life.

Bottom Line: It’s a touching story, even if the plot sometimes felt just a tiny bit cheesy. The characters were amazing, and the messages were fabulous and so, so important.

**Copy provided by publisher for review** ...more

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Jun 29, 2015 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: ala-2015

I normally don't like books that have a main character that is a little kid but Ben was adorable and had quite the personality. He was so random but the perfect friend for Maggie. Bacterial Meningitis took her sight 7 months ago. Struggling with acceptance and after pushing all her friends away Ben becomes her bright light. Literally. She can see him. First time she has seen anything in 7 months. What does it mean? And Ben's brother Mason happens to be the lead singer from her favorite band. But ...more

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May 12, 2014 Rachel rated it it was amazing

I wasn't sure what to think when going into THE ONE THING. Was it paranormal? Fantasy? After reading I'd have to say it's contemporary with a splash of paranormal (reasons not to be disclosed here), and I LOVED it. I thought Maggie was a great character but even better was Ben, the ten-year-old she meets and becomes friends with. I admire Marci Lynn Curtis for writing a book about a girl who befriends a little kid - a little kid who is so charming and funny and real that he bounces off the page ...more

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Apr 04, 2015 Natasha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, favorites, favorite-covers, read-in-2015

Such a majestically wonderful book. I have been yearning for a while to have a book in my hands that just grabbed me until I had to finish it and this one was it. This book has everything you could ask for and more. This book felt authentic and not forced, raw and real. Do yourself a favor and buy it/read it. I promise you won't regret it. ...more

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About Marci Lyn Curtis

Marci Lyn Curtis

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Marci Lyn Curtis is the author of young adult dramedies THE ONE THING and THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW. She lives near Tampa, Florida with her husband. You can find out more about Marci on her website (marcilyncurtis.com), on Twitter (@Marci_Curtis), on Instagram (@marcilyncurtis), or on Facebook (marcilyncurtis).