I was so stunned by the overall impact of the story that I was literally speechless after turning the final page. Gross, who recently switched genres to try his hand at writing historical fiction, has never been better.
While the author did change a few historical facts in order to make the timeline of his fictional events work, it’s not overly evident unless you happen to be a historian or World War II expert. Most of the characters, obviously, are not real. However, what the Jews inside Auschwitz go through in the book did happen in real life. Those scenes, while not frequent, are chilling.
Make no mistake, though, The One Man is a thriller. It’s not written to educate, though I suspect many will walk away having learned a great deal, but rather to entertain. Gross came up with an original idea, then wrapped it in nonstop, nail-biting suspense. The end result is nothing short of a masterpiece.
The characters are wonderfully developed and well-written. My personal favorite is a gifted sixteen-year-old chess prodigy who ends up playing a pivotal role in Nathan’s mission. But the entire supporting cast is rock-solid and engaging. Different personality types shine, as everyone can find a character to relate to in one way or another.
Also, Gross pulls off a rather large twist at one point, which is truly surprising and adds to an already emotional plot. Just when you think the story couldn’t possibly be any harder to put down, it soars to new heights.
Unlike a lot of historical fiction novels, this one doesn’t feel too long or bogged down with pages of facts and historical account. Often, novels in this genre tend to lose steam at some point because authors have to explain so much of the facts that the plot is built around.
Gross managed to avoid falling victim to that, though, as his pacing is steady throughout. There are no dry spots where the plot bottoms out or loses energy. Suspense is the driving force here, and you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.
Honestly, I could have easily read two hundred more pages about these characters and was truly sad when the story came to an end because I wasn’t ready to leave their world and enter back into reality. I don’t say that often, especially about books in this genre, but The One Man isn’t like anything else I’ve read in the past few years.
I loved everything about this book, including the emotional rollercoaster of events. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cheer on these extraordinary characters as they attempt to defy the odds and escape beyond Auschwitz’s barb-wired fences.