It was supposed to be the perfect vacation getaway. Six couples, all supposedly happily in love, start their road trip. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems… and not all of them will return home alive. From the very beginning, we see the deep cracks in Claire’s marriage, but she’s not the only one hiding secrets. Once the van breaks down and strands the three couples in the middle of the woods, the truths start emerging. Who will remain alive when this vacation ends?
Freida McFadden’s writing is addictive! Her knack for writing thrilling tales of suspense with just the right twist at the end and it’s typically a twist you never saw coming. The internet hype on Freida McFadden books is for real as I’ve yet to find one I didn’t devour and ONE BY ONE is another perfect example. ONE BY ONE almost reads like a horror story as we see our main characters being picked off, as we wonder how Freida McFadden can possibly put a surprising twist- and yet sure enough, she does. And oh what a twist!
The characters in ONE BY ONE are interesting. We see from the first page that Claire and Nate are having issues, but some of the other struggles offer hints that there is more under the surface than we realize. I disliked Warner almost from the start. Although truly none of the characters are likable at the beginning. I found myself warming towards Noah and Claire despite their marital issues as they were the most down-to-earth of the three couples. Claire’s love for her children, especially, helps make her easier to like than all the others as does the occasional glimpses of warmth we get from Noah. But will they survive?
ONE BY ONE is one of my favorite books by Freida McFadden so far (I’m still working my way through her list of great books!) as I love the atmosphere of the storyline. Despite knowing it was a thriller and would have a Freida-esque twist, ONE BY ONE felt like an old-school horror novel and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! The creepiness and isolation of the woods are perfect for the story, as Freida McFadden once again delivers a fast-paced and entertaining read!
A night spent sleeping on dirt and leaves is not how Claire Matchett expected to spend her vacation.
She thought this would be a break from the stresses of work and raising her young children. A chance to repair her damaged marriage. A week of hiking and hot tubs with two other couple friends. It sounded like heaven.
Then Claire’s minivan breaks down on a lonely dirt road. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to hike the rest of the way to their hotel. But it turns out the woods aren’t as easy to navigate as they thought.
Hours later, they are lost. Hopelessly lost.
And as they navigate deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously one by one. Has a wild animal been hunting them? Or is the hunter one of them?
Only one of them will return home alive.
No excerpt available.
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