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I've recently seen this book cover. It says:
Elle est morte. Pour treize raisons. Tu es l'une d'elles.
I assume
Tu es l'une d'elles
means "You are one of them". Why is there a definite article before "une"? What grammar rule requires you to put an article before that "une"?
There is no grammar rule that forces one to put a definite article. The cover could as well have said
Tu es une d'elles.
According to Grevisse's book, the definite article in "l'un(e)" serves two purposes: it sounds better, and it is part of "elevated language" (as opposed to colloquial language). It can also help to avoid hiatuses (two vowels in succession, as in "tu es une [...]" which doesn't flow right when you pronounce it). But grammatically, there is no rule which forces you to use it.
On peut dire : «Une des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai fait ceci ou cela»
mais on ne peut pas dire : «Tu es une d'elles» (aucun Français ne dira cela ni en langage soutenu ni en langage familier)
On doit donc dire : «Tu es l'une d'elles» ou bien «Tu es l'une d'entre elles»
A mon sens, la principale raison pour mettre un article défini juste avant l'article indéfini "une" réside dans le fait que l'objet auquel on se réfère, ie "raisons" est placé avant le mot "une".
You can say: “Une des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai fait ceci ou cela”
but you can't say: “Tu es une d'elles.” (No native will ever say this)
You have to say: “Tu es l'une d'(entre) elles”
According to me, the main reason why you should put the definite article is because the object referred to, “raisons”, is before the article "une".
