This fast-paced, bloody horror story opens with children Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie. The three set out trick-or-treating Halloween night and meet up when Sam is beating up his buddy Benjamin. Sam is a troubled child. From the early age of 3, his mother finds he's not your normal sweet child after a horrific incident at the pet store. Sam and Benjamin have been friends for years, but Sam has actually resented Benjamin for being everything in a son he never felt he could be. Benjamin is a very self-conscious boy, easily persuaded and often times very lonely.
These two characters feed off the others' trauma, finding a common bond but always rocking back and forth in conflict. Benjamin becomes the punching bag, Sam, his daily companion. Maggie is a well-known baseball player who gets a lot of attention and every so often just needs an escape, somewhere people don't know her. After running into Sam beating on Benjamin, she decides to stick around following them through town. She takes to Benjamin and sees he needs some watching over. They head into the cemetery where they are faced with a creepy character, Fomorti. This encounter changes everything for these kids, as they find themselves running for their lives; being hunted and hunters; who will be the one to go down! Creepy, violent, bloody, and thrilling. It's very entertaining. I kept rooting for Maggie and Ben right to the last page. It starts off light and creepy, but be warned, it gets violent and graphic towards the ending.

Thank you, Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

***Disclaimer: I was provided an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.***

Every year three middle school children are chosen for a Halloween ritual—only two can make it out alive. The fact that the children have to decide who lives and who dies is horrific and got me very excited to read this book.

I was very interested in Benjamin and Sam’s friendship. Though friendship may not be the correct term… frenemies? friends of convenience? There was a scene early on where Sam runs into an older boy they know and ignores Benjamin and denies their friendship to seem ‘cool’. Then, later on when they’re alone, Sam calls Benjamin his friend. This whole dynamic felt quite real to me—I remember being both Benjamin and Sam in this situation when I was a young child—and it helped flesh out these characters and their relationship with one another. I enjoyed learning about Maggie, the third of the chosen trio. She’s a lonely kid and has lied to her parents about her Halloween plans. She has no tie to Sam or Benjamin prior to the start of the book and doesn’t actually meet them until about one-third of the way in when she rescues Benjamin from [redacted] when they’re all out trick-or-treating.

What’s especially interesting about the characters is they all have a dark side which is what attracts Fomori, the creature whose ritual they’re about to star in. I won’t say what they are because they are potentially spoilers. What I will say is that some characters are darker than others and Fomori, in my opinion, is not the scariest character in the book. Also, because I find etymology fun, the name Fomori stems from Irish folklore and seems to allude to beings from the ‘nether’ or underworld. I just thought that was neat. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians)

There were times when there was a bit too much exposition. For example, in the prologue, the author lingers too long on the futures of two characters, Nathan and Justin, who are used to set up the story and the world. I can understand why the author included this as it does hint at the effects of untreated childhood trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that survivors lean on, such as alcoholism. However, we were only with Nathan and Justin for a few pages and then we never saw them again, so it didn’t feel as impactful. There are times throughout the book where these glimpses of the future are used well and add the ominous nature of the story, such as at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the author writes:

“Three children sat in their rooms this particular autumn night. They stared at the same moon while its light whispered to each of them a different secret. None of them knew that the moon would be absent from the sky the following night and that for one of them, this would be their last time in their bed.”

The story is about middle schoolers and I think this is definitely a great book for middle grade and young adult fiction readers who love a spooky Halloween tale. The voice of the book steers young for the most part and, while it deals with themes of violence and death, the themes aren’t too mature that the book’s inaccessible to a younger audience. As with a lot of genre fiction, the pace picks up toward the middle of the story. While this would usually be a critique for a larger book, I enjoyed this in a shorter story as the first half of the book was very character driven while the second half was more action/plot driven (while also keeping the characterisation there).

One Must Go by Alex Reid will be published on 19 January 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all I want to start by saying damn. So much happened in this book in a span of one night. This gory horror book got me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down.

One must go is a fast paced horror book. A group is chosen every year to sacrifice one person. Two can live while one has to die. Sam, Benjamin and Maggie are chosen this Halloween. What happens in this book you’ll have to read yourself but I was blown away.

The author is so good at setting the scene for this. I felt so thrilled and scared while reading this. You’ll have to read for yourself if you want to know why because I can’t say it else I will spoil it. But this book is definitely worth to pick up. I feel like I can reread this every year in Halloween and not get bored because it’s that good.

The only reason why I didn’t give it five stars is because sometimes it went a little bit too fast. Sometimes descriptions were really extensive but some felt a bit lacking and I had to read some parts twice to understand what was happening.

But what I also really liked was that this book was the perfect balance between some backstory/build up and the actual scary part. I got to know the characters pretty well and I actually cared for them. Therefore some of the twists really shocked me.

Would I recommend this? Definitely yes. If you enjoy a good horror and you don’t mind a bit of gore this is definitely for you. But do check trigger warnings because this is not for everyone. I really enjoyed this though and I’m definitely signing up for this authors mailing list if they have one because I want to read all their books!!

This book is the type of horror story that you can devour in one sitting. A perfect read for the spooky season, it will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end
"One Must Go" is a fast-paced and creepy horror novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The author, Alex Reid, does an excellent job of creating a tense atmosphere that adds to the overall sense of dread.
The characters are relatable, and the plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. The book also explores themes of morality and sacrifice, which adds an extra layer of depth to the story.
Overall, "One Must Go" is a thrilling and engaging read that is perfect for fans of horror and mystery. If you're looking for a book that will keep you up at night, this is the one for you!

A fun, fast paced read great fir the Halloween season! I really enjoyed reading this, however, it was a little too fast paced in places. Some of the gripping moments could have been slowed down a little, and the ending was a little abrupt. Otherwise, this book was tense, exciting and gory. I loved the concept, and the setting around Halloween. I'll definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.

3.5/5

I give this book 3,5 stars!
This was a fun story to read! In the beginning you start to learn about the three children Maggie, Sam and Benjamin.
Sam is a real prick tho. I really started to hate him. It’s a horror novel easy to read but in the end it went really fast in my opinion.

I would love to know more about the ritual and why “the drunkenman” does this every year.
I think i won’t re-read it but i will recommend the book it’s a fun story to read on Halloween.

This novel was quick and fun. I felt like I was reading a Goosebumps version of I Know What You Did Last Summer through the whole experience. Really appreciate this novel.

Three kids. Tasked with choosing one to be sacrificed to this supernatural being. Not only do they need to work that out, but they are also being stalked and hunted by those chosen in the past.

Now. Sam is the budding psychopath, Maggie who’s got a years on the other two, and then Sam’s best friend who is the opposite of him.

This story was filled with tons of tension, lots of gore and it honestly delivered with its scary Halloween night vibes. I absolutely loved and devoured this book. I would have loved an epilogue explaining the aftermath of that fateful night, as well as more reasoning and back story with the ritual.

Overall? A great chills and thrills read. Highly recommend.

In a book this short, you can either get to know the people or learn more background about the evil. We got to know the kids pretty well. Two of them were good and one was a little psychopath, with parents who made it worse by sending him to stay with his sadistic grandpa when he misbehaved instead of treating his mental illness.
The children have to choose which of them will be sacrificed that Halloween night, and it seems like a no-brainer. The one rule that can affect others is that they can't ask for help.
This was gory, there was animal abuse, and children suffered.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this. It was a fun, unique little horror

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this opportunity to read rate and review this book which will be available Jan 19,2024!

I had an incredibly hard time with this book. It’s not that it was a bad book but the subject matter really got to me. I normally don’t have triggers but I guess horror books with children are my hardline. I do recommend the hardcore readers of horror read this book or rather that everyone reads it if horror is your jam but holy mother of Pearl this one actually gave me a trigger. Damn.

Quite the quick read but gory and spooky, I read it over the course of a night in the middle of a storm and it was the PERFECT setting. I didn't find it hard to enjoy, even with the fact that the MC's are children. It wasn't dumbed down, nor was it too disturbing for me. It was a perfect halloween story.

3.5. Good Iitrle horror thing that’s really well done, though I found some parts went by way too fast (and I’m a really fast reader myself so if I’m saying this)..:; thanks for the arc

I received this book from NetGalley.
Overall, an easy read and definitely a good Halloween story. At times, I was a little confused on what was happening and would have to go back and reread some parts. It is graphic, so if that’s not your thing, I would say not to read this book. I typically can’t read books where children are involved, but I gave this a chance and it wasn’t too bad for me. Because I had some issues with the story jumping around and having to reread some parts, I’d give this book a 3.5 rounded up to 4.

This book sucked me in from the very beginning! I will go ahead and say it needs one TW in chapter 14 for description of animal death.

Benjamin and Sam have been friends for pretty much their whole 11 years of life. Maggie is a star athlete at her private school. One fateful Halloween night they all cross paths and our story is set into motion. Only two will see the light of day and their parents again. One must go.

Once a year a god crosses into our world to claim a soul. He always targets groups of 3 and they must choose who will be sacrificed that year.

As a little glimpse into our characters: Benjamin is a rule follower who everyone adores. Sam is.... Well he's your typical psychopath. Maggie is an athlete who doesn't really have any friends because she prioritizes sports over everything.

This is where my review gets into spoiler territory.

I hated Sam. My god did this kid get under my skin. He's the 'friend' we've all had that liked to be mean to us for no reason. I hoped he would be the one sacrificed. (No spoilers on who it was)
Benjamin was so wholesome. He's in middle school but holding onto his childhood the best he can. He's just a good little kid who can't see how awful his best friend has been all his life.
Maggie has a dark past that is touched on in one chapter. That may be her issue with making friends. I didn't really feel like her character was as solid as Sam or Benjamin though.

The ending had such a huge build up and I couldn't read it fast enough. Then it just.... Ended. No epilogue about what happened after that night. Personally I would have liked to see what happened when the two remaining kids were found or went home, what they did the following Halloween, how did the town react to the missing kid.

All in all it was a good book and great for the Halloween season (or just when you want a good horror read). But I have to give it 4 stars just because of the animal death I mentioned in the beginning of the review. That for me is something I don't like reading and the story could have done without it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

*Spoilers ahead*

Sam was a literal psychopath. I didn't see that one coming. I thought he was just a troubled kid, and in the beginning, I actually felt bad for him. It took me until the scene where he killed that bird that I finally realized how psychotic he was. I could be wrong about this, but it felt like his grandfather was the one feeding into his hunger for killing people.

Maggie's backstory was very unique and interesting. What happened to her friend Dev shocked me. I had to re-read it twice, it was so good.

Benjamin was the one with the most character development and progression, I think. Although he got his revenge on Sam, he also saved himself. That scene made me love him more.

There were a few moments where the action was so quick and fast-paced that I had to go back and re-read it. When Sam killed Jeff, I didn't understand that's what actually happened until I went back and re-read that part. It was very subtle to me.

Some of the descriptions were overly used. It took away from the action and the intensity. I also would've liked to have seen the parent's reactions. It also bothered me that there was so such vulgar language in it. It wouldn't have bothered me at all if the characters were at least high schoolers, but middle schoolers? Maybe I'm overreacting, but the language in here felt un-necessary and excessive.

One Must Go - Alex Reid
Trope/Genre - Horror, Mystery
Trigger Warnings ⚠️ - language and graphic details

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This book follows three main characters; Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie. Each child has a very descriptive background, each having their own problems. Sam and Ben have grown up together and have been friends for years, but what if only one of them gets to survive? Fits of murderous rage foges Sam as he's always been seen as the trouble kid even his parents had thoughts of getting rid of him. He hated his friend, he hated how his parents wanted him, loved him more. So maybe this was finally a chance to get rid of his 'friend' once and for all.

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Maggie is a high runner for being the best softball player and he parents are very proud of her comings, but they don't know she isn't as popular as they believe. So, she is forced out of the house on Halloween night and that's when she meets the two friends. One thing leads to another and they lead themselves to an abandoned cemetery. Where they are told by a large man, from not of their world, they must choose who will live and who will die.

But one must go.

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I enjoyed reading the book as it was a rather easy read. But it lacked better descriptions, I couldn't understand what was going on for a bit of the story and had to really try to guess what it was. They used very good descriptive language, but it didn't flow into the writing to help make sense of what was going on. The concept was very good and good have been a great book. But why did they have to take kids? Why was it them? There was no explanation of the background on the older mans line and could have furthered the story if that was added. Over all it had a great start.

I enjoyed this grisly creepy novel. It's set on Halloween, has a really unique premise, and delivers on the scares along with a few gory scenes.

This is about three kids who are tasked with choosing one of them to be sacrificed by a supernatural being. They must pick one of them to die and, in the meantime, they are being hunted and stalked by the spirits of dead children who were chosen in the past.

Sam is very troubled budding psychopath, his best friend is the opposite and more like a small child, and Maggie is a couple of years older but is lonely and driven by playing sports. When these three meet on that Halloween night, they will never be the same again.

While frightening and filled with tension, I wish this novel would have delved a bit deeper into the background of this ritual and the being who makes it happen. We know a little but the "why" behind it all was vague.

Other than that one small gripe, this is a fantastic book that wil give you some thrills and chills and it's one I highly recommend.

3.5 stars

This was a brutal and dark read, just the way I like them. It had minor flaw that I suspect will be dealt with in editing, but other than that, it is an enjoyable read and will be great for Halloween season.

Also, that gorgeous cover must stay!

One Must Go was an easy read, yet brutally detailed book depicting three children over about 48 hours as they know one must die at the end of the night. Middle schoolers can be terrifying, and this book certainly played on that. The horror in this books boils down to basic cruelty and the desire to survive. I think this book is well suited to a movie adaption one day.

In the first half, some of the dialogue felt awkward and stilted, with an overuse of character names (sometimes in every sentence of dialogue between the same characters). Exposition, however, was nicely detailed. However, this isn’t a book I would re-read, but may tell as a spooky story at a future Halloween party.

This books is a four star read This was a perfect quick fast paced read, This book is perfect for Halloween time.