The Many's beginning was pretty good and hooked me right away. I loved the way it started out all high tension-y with a first date that I just knew was going to go crazy badly. The problem with this story was that the middle was difficult to get through, but I didn't skim it in case I missed something important. Luckily, the last third of the book picked up momentum again.
The Many begins with Stacey, who's out on a first date with a doctor. At first he seems like the man of her dreams, but soon his knowledge of details of her life that she never told him creep her out and cause her to want the date to end early. The next day, Stacey's brother, Karl, notices she isn't acting like herself.
We are then introduced to Isobel and her daughter, Dawn. Isobel also goes on a date with someone who seems to be out of her league, this time a woman. Like Stacey, Dawn notices her mother comes back from the date not quite right. The similarities between Stacey and Isobel's dates are creepy, and both Karl and Dawn know instinctively that something is very wrong. They end up joining forces to investigate what's going on.
I was glued to my Kindle! Field knows how to keep his audience in suspense from the beginning and at the end, but the plot in the middle drags on and could have been fleshed out better. I kept reading, however, because I HAD to find out what was going to happen next. I didn't want to miss something important.
What terrified me the most about The Many was how the characters changed overnight, yet only their closest loved ones could tell the difference in them. Also, no one else really took Dawn and Karl's concerns seriously.
What I loved most is that vital questions about human behavior are explored. Without giving any of the plot away, I will just say it'll have you thinking about the factors that go into how we as a society decide which human behaviors are acceptable or not acceptable. And who has the right to decide which is which?
I'm SO excited a sequel is coming out. While this book has an ending without a cliffhanger, there is definitely room for more story to be told, and I'll be there for sure.
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