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One Drop
In war-torn Britain, inseparable Black Radicals Axel and Dune are arrested. With SIMs implanted in their heads, they are placed in a prison camp for those who defy the Bloods' white supremacist government. The SIMs brainwash them with the Bloods' evil philosophy, and drones constantly monitor their movements and thoughts.
In this living nightmare, the couple battle to keep their love alive and to break free. The odds on survival are long. Dune and Axel have very different takes on how to escape. But when things come to a head, will their love hold them together and set them free, or will it tear them apart?
In this living nightmare, the couple battle to keep their love alive and to break free. The odds on survival are long. Dune and Axel have very different takes on how to escape. But when things come to a head, will their love hold them together and set them free, or will it tear them apart?
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 4, 2022
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 13, 2022
I found this to be quite a hard read. Very poignant. Being someone who is not a huge fan of the dystopian fiction genre this gripped me.
It is something had I read it a few years ago, I’d have said that it wouldn’t happen in todays society but really, it is something that could become all too real and its upsetting.
The main character held the book, I felt their emotions; their pain; their hardships throughout the book - it was such a realistic read.
I was 100% behind Axel and Dune and their relationship, I loved them together and loved the support they had for each other despite all the trials and tribulations.
Thank you to @kaleidoscopictours for arranging this tour and to @petekalu for sending me a copy of your novel.
It is something had I read it a few years ago, I’d have said that it wouldn’t happen in todays society but really, it is something that could become all too real and its upsetting.
The main character held the book, I felt their emotions; their pain; their hardships throughout the book - it was such a realistic read.
I was 100% behind Axel and Dune and their relationship, I loved them together and loved the support they had for each other despite all the trials and tribulations.
Thank you to @kaleidoscopictours for arranging this tour and to @petekalu for sending me a copy of your novel.
August 10, 2025
Unfortunately, I found the overall pacing too slow. I really enjoyed the flashback moments, which added depth and complexity to the relationship between the characters. However, the resistance storyline left me constantly anticipating a twist that never arrived, which made it feel a little flat by the end.
March 19, 2024
Very interesting concept however quite long winded and difficult to get invested in, DNF
August 2, 2022
Since the recent pandemic I have found myself liking and relating to dystopian fiction a lot more, This is a dystopian novel set in Britain where white supremacists known as Bloods rule and Axel and Dune are Black Radicals who are sent to a prison camp for defying the Bloods rules for brainwashing them with their policies and ways, and brutally had a chip placed into their head so they could always be monitored.
The book was well written and really engaging with a storyline that was brutally real, compellingly horrific and realistic in the way that it isn't a huge stretch of the imagination that this could happen at some point in the future as it has many times before elsewhere.
The character development was great and I loved Axel and Dune and their relationship and I was rooting for them the whole way through hoping that love really could conquer all.
The book was well written and really engaging with a storyline that was brutally real, compellingly horrific and realistic in the way that it isn't a huge stretch of the imagination that this could happen at some point in the future as it has many times before elsewhere.
The character development was great and I loved Axel and Dune and their relationship and I was rooting for them the whole way through hoping that love really could conquer all.
September 27, 2022
One Drop by author Peter Kalu is the third book set in the same dystopian world each written by different authors.
Whilst I have a love for dystopian novels and the plot was really poignant and heart felt the writing itself took some getting used to and at times I had to re-read sections a couple of times to fully understand what was happening, which did cause the story to not flow as well as I would have liked.
However, the tough subject matter and the plot as a whole was so touching that once I had finished the book the above didn't matter so much and I was thankfully for sticking with it.
I haven't read the others in the series so I'm not sure if reading them would first would have helped me connected better, but nether the less the book is certainly a good read and one you should pick up.
Whilst I have a love for dystopian novels and the plot was really poignant and heart felt the writing itself took some getting used to and at times I had to re-read sections a couple of times to fully understand what was happening, which did cause the story to not flow as well as I would have liked.
However, the tough subject matter and the plot as a whole was so touching that once I had finished the book the above didn't matter so much and I was thankfully for sticking with it.
I haven't read the others in the series so I'm not sure if reading them would first would have helped me connected better, but nether the less the book is certainly a good read and one you should pick up.
August 5, 2022
Brutal speculative fiction with glimpses of a future that seems all too possible. Terrifying.
The main character's voice was clear, as were their motivations. Their interactions with Dune and frustrations with their situation came across vividly through their internal monologue. Because it all takes place in one location and any additional world building is done through flashbacks, it did sometimes feeling like the context was given entirely through the main characters telling us about the society and only offering us glimpses. I wanted to know more but it definitely means you are left more unsettled throughout.
School wise - the swearing, sex and brutality would put it firmly in the KS4+ camp. Not a criticism - it flowed fine in the world being built by the author.
The main character's voice was clear, as were their motivations. Their interactions with Dune and frustrations with their situation came across vividly through their internal monologue. Because it all takes place in one location and any additional world building is done through flashbacks, it did sometimes feeling like the context was given entirely through the main characters telling us about the society and only offering us glimpses. I wanted to know more but it definitely means you are left more unsettled throughout.
School wise - the swearing, sex and brutality would put it firmly in the KS4+ camp. Not a criticism - it flowed fine in the world being built by the author.
January 1, 2023
War-torn Britain in the near future, a terrible regime, and a fast-paced love story between Black radicals. This story fuses current and near-future technology in its dystopia, and the result is gripping and terrifying – with some of the dread resulting from the fact that we know this could actually happen. However, all of this is leavened by the fantastic dialogue and narrative, which is LOL funny, warm and realistic. I loved it. I read it months ago but the characters, events and snippets of dialogue are still in my head.
August 18, 2022
One Drop is a highly emotive read with a lot of sensitive topics. Based around two black MC's navigating a world changed by the Bloods, who are what appear to be modern day white supremacists using the religious second coming to cleanse the world. The story covers topics such as kidnap, rape, murder, racism and religion and integrates them well into the story.
The story definitely makes you go through different emotions, with racism at the forefront of this book, it definitely opens your eyes to the fact that this is not in our past. This an interesting YA dystopian novel, with chips inbedded in their brains and drones brainwashing them at night to believe white is best, it adds a little science fiction as well. I enjoyed reading this book, it definitely keeps you intrigued and has an interesting set of characters.
I hope you all find yourselves rooting for Axel and Dune as much as I did.
The story definitely makes you go through different emotions, with racism at the forefront of this book, it definitely opens your eyes to the fact that this is not in our past. This an interesting YA dystopian novel, with chips inbedded in their brains and drones brainwashing them at night to believe white is best, it adds a little science fiction as well. I enjoyed reading this book, it definitely keeps you intrigued and has an interesting set of characters.
I hope you all find yourselves rooting for Axel and Dune as much as I did.
December 12, 2023
Very heavy book by Peter Kalu, the level of racism will leave your blood boiling. In this book the unthinkable is set in pages, with a mix of fantasy for some spice.
You'll find yourself thinking "thankfully we evolved pass this" but have we?
it's well written but I didn't really enjoyed it, I have other heavy books that I rate 5 stars, I think the fantasy element takes away from the main issue.
You'll find yourself thinking "thankfully we evolved pass this" but have we?
it's well written but I didn't really enjoyed it, I have other heavy books that I rate 5 stars, I think the fantasy element takes away from the main issue.
October 18, 2022
i didn’t finish this one :/
it might be a great story but I just could focus on it
i wasn’t able to connect with it emotionally
it might be a great story but I just could focus on it
i wasn’t able to connect with it emotionally
November 10, 2025
it was so tiring to read and it never got better
November 5, 2022
📚📚One Drop by Peter Kalu 📚📚
Hi everyone, Its Christopher the reader here, the book we are here to talk about tonight is *Drum roll* One Drop. This was my first read of Peter Kalu's work. After reading this book I would like to give their other books a go. I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for a copy of 'One Drop' in return for an honest review. From what I can find online this book is the 2nd book in the 'Ruled Britannia Series'. Before I started reading this book, I had no knowledge that it was a part of a series. If I did, I would have liked to have read the first one 'Three Bullets by Melvin Burgess' which was first published on the 1st of July, of last year (2021) before starting this one. I do think that I may buy a physical copy of both books in the future especially because the first book has its own audiobook. I do hope that 'One drop' will have its own one too. I first read this book in September, of this year (2022), it took me a day to finish reading. This book was rated for readers aged 14 and up. 'One Drop' was first published on the 4th of August of this year (2022). The book was told using first person with it being in Axel's point of view. Which had 31 chapters. All together the book had 336 pages.
-I thought that this book had some good character and place detail, I feel like there was some good world building but personally I would have liked a little more at the start of the story. I found this to be quite a hard read, the book made me go through a lot of different emotions. It had many Terrifying scenes within the story which felt realistic. Part of me liked that the book setting took place in pretty much just in one location. I feel like it made the book feel even more realistic, it also made us the reader feel trapped as well. The other part of me wasn't a huge fan of it because of how it was set we only get to really know about the characters before being at the camp through flashbacks which also made things a little jumpy. It didn't feel like it flowed that well, the timeline was out of order. Personally, I do feel like I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. I do feel like I would have liked for the story more if it was told in order and then with short, small recaps of what they remember, and also, we would have known what memories that were disappearing at the same time.
I did find a few things a little confusing while reading but I would put that down to the reason being because this is the 2nd book and that I have not read the first in the series. I do think that I would have liked the story more if the pacing was a little faster and I also do feel like some things could have been worded a little better and that some parts could have been shortened down. For me the writing itself took me some time to get used to, there were a few parts where I had to re-read to fully understand what was happening and I also did notice a few mistakes and missing words.
-Personally, I was rooting for the two characters, Axel and Dune. I really liked them; I liked their bond, the love that they had for each other despite all the trials that they had to face within the story.
-I liked the little bit of action that we got near the ending. I feel like it did leave us off on a cliff-hanger. I hope that there will be another book to this one so that it feels more complete.
For each Book that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 6 Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
Hi everyone, Its Christopher the reader here, the book we are here to talk about tonight is *Drum roll* One Drop. This was my first read of Peter Kalu's work. After reading this book I would like to give their other books a go. I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley for a copy of 'One Drop' in return for an honest review. From what I can find online this book is the 2nd book in the 'Ruled Britannia Series'. Before I started reading this book, I had no knowledge that it was a part of a series. If I did, I would have liked to have read the first one 'Three Bullets by Melvin Burgess' which was first published on the 1st of July, of last year (2021) before starting this one. I do think that I may buy a physical copy of both books in the future especially because the first book has its own audiobook. I do hope that 'One drop' will have its own one too. I first read this book in September, of this year (2022), it took me a day to finish reading. This book was rated for readers aged 14 and up. 'One Drop' was first published on the 4th of August of this year (2022). The book was told using first person with it being in Axel's point of view. Which had 31 chapters. All together the book had 336 pages.
-I thought that this book had some good character and place detail, I feel like there was some good world building but personally I would have liked a little more at the start of the story. I found this to be quite a hard read, the book made me go through a lot of different emotions. It had many Terrifying scenes within the story which felt realistic. Part of me liked that the book setting took place in pretty much just in one location. I feel like it made the book feel even more realistic, it also made us the reader feel trapped as well. The other part of me wasn't a huge fan of it because of how it was set we only get to really know about the characters before being at the camp through flashbacks which also made things a little jumpy. It didn't feel like it flowed that well, the timeline was out of order. Personally, I do feel like I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. I do feel like I would have liked for the story more if it was told in order and then with short, small recaps of what they remember, and also, we would have known what memories that were disappearing at the same time.
I did find a few things a little confusing while reading but I would put that down to the reason being because this is the 2nd book and that I have not read the first in the series. I do think that I would have liked the story more if the pacing was a little faster and I also do feel like some things could have been worded a little better and that some parts could have been shortened down. For me the writing itself took me some time to get used to, there were a few parts where I had to re-read to fully understand what was happening and I also did notice a few mistakes and missing words.
-Personally, I was rooting for the two characters, Axel and Dune. I really liked them; I liked their bond, the love that they had for each other despite all the trials that they had to face within the story.
-I liked the little bit of action that we got near the ending. I feel like it did leave us off on a cliff-hanger. I hope that there will be another book to this one so that it feels more complete.
For each Book that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 6 Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews