One By One (by Freida McFadden)
It’s spooky reading season, and I want to devour as many scary stories as possible. I needed to find the perfect book to listen to while decorating my house for Halloween. I couldn’t have been happier with my selection of One By One by Freida McFadden. A group of friends on their way to a hotel for a week relaxing in nature get lost, and they start disappearing — one by one? Yep, I was sold!
One By One is told from two perspectives: Claire, a mom of two with marriage troubles, and Anonymous, whose role in the story became more clear over time. Three couples venture on a long drive together to a remote hotel in the woods with promises of a spa, hiking and fishing. The dynamics of each couple were different and added to the growing suspense and suspicion of the story. Getting closer to their destination, Claire’s minivan breaks down on a sparse, dirt road. A lack of cell service forces the group to proceed to the hotel on foot, and they quickly get lost.
I will admit, I kept having visions of the numerous horror movies I’ve seen over the years. That is to say, the setting of this story wasn’t all that unique. What made this story clever was Claire’s relationship with her husband and the mysterious ways people disappeared. I didn’t know if there was a serial killer living in the woods or if the culprit was someone left in the group. And, I kept wondering how this Anonymous person fit into the story.
All of my questions were answered, and it came together with a shocking, unanticipated scene. I was blown away by the conclusion of the story. The guilty party was so diabolical and twisted! Kudos to McFadden for telling a common horror story and turning it into an original novel.
I borrowed the audiobook of One By One from my local library with the Hoopla app. Narration by Alyson Krawchuk was excellent.
I recently read Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden and fell in love with her as an author. You can read my review of that book below.
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