I didn't love it. The plot was overdone. The character development was one step up from nil. Warner was completely unnecessary. I also don't think it was necessary to have Michelle be so hated. You'll read this one if you're a Freida McFadden fan. If you haven't discovered her yet, DO NOT begin with One by One.

I'm a huge fan of Freida McFadden's writing style. Her thrillers are great if you are looking for a binge worthy popcorn thriller and this one was no exception. In One by One she keeps you guessing until the very end and the plot twist was completely unexpected. I love how she has you hooked from the very beginning of the story and it only gets better from there. The dual POV was also beautifully executed. I can't wait for her next book!

The One by Freida McFadden

A heart pounding, twisting thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid and The Coworker!
One by one, they will get what they deserve...
Claire Matchett needs this trip. It will be a break from work and raising children. A chance to repair her damaged marriage. A week of hiking and hot tubbing with friends at a luxurious hotel in the woods, disconnected from the pressures of real life.
Then, on a lonely dirt road, Claire's minivan breaks down. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to walk the rest of the way to their remote accommodation. But the forest is dark and difficult to navigate and, hours later, they are lost. Hopelessly lost.
As they venture deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously, one by one. Are they being hunted? And by what—or who? As Claire's dream vacation descends into a nightmare, something becomes clear: only one of them will return home alive.
A taut story of betrayal and survival from New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden that will leave you wondering if there's any way out of the woods…

I give this book a 5 star rating. Absolutely amazing. Kept me on my seat the entire time. Could not put this book down. Read it in about a day. Highly recommended.

I received this ebook arc free from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing this review.
#NetGalley

I'm not sure what to say about this one. I was looking for some more depth from the characters. The plot is over done.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of Frieda Mc Fadden’s One By One.

To summarize this story it was very long winded and twisted. What should have been a four hour drive ended up to last 4 days with the group of six stranded in the wood and someone is killing them off one by one. I found the story unbelievable since the six of them had no clothes, food is water and so the story is a whodunnit. It had to be someone in the group but felt very juvenile with the motive. This was not one I enjoyed as much as McFadden’s other’s books but definitely lots of twists and guesses led astray.

Freida McFadden does it again! This book was very much a rollercoaster for me as far as reading pace and emotion. During the first half of the book I kept falling asleep because it kind of dragged on. But immediately at the 50% mark, the book when “BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.” And I couldn’t put it down. I honestly somewhat suspected what ultimately happened, but McFadden has a way to manipulate the reader and keep them guessing until the very end. I think this novel was very gripping for me because the idea of being stuck in the woods at night terrifies me…. so this definitely kept me on edge. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and anyone looking into getting into McFadden novels. I cannot wait to read more of her work!

One by One is told from two point of views; Claire is the leading character and then an anonymous character who is giving down history of their own life. When I say those anonymous chapters made me uncomfortable to read, that is an understatement. In typical Freida fashion, this book kept me reading and I finished it within 24 hours. The twist was unexpected for me and it wrapped up nicely.

I have read every single Freida McFadden novel at least once. One by One is truly unputdownable. She is at the very top of my favorite author list.

Synopsis: a group of friends drive to Colorado together for a cabin trip. On the way their van breaks down. As they search for help, one by one they start to disappear.
Pros: This was my first Freida McFadden book and I enjoyed how fast paced it was. There was constantly action which led me to finishing it very quick.
Cons: Without giving spoilers, the prologue states: “At the end of this week, only one of us will make it home alive.”
But, um, that’s not what happens. At all. So not sure why it makes us believe that will be the ending. Also I predicted “who” was the villain- just didn’t predict “why.”
But overall, if you like short mysteries with lots of guilty-acting characters, this one is for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this rerelease!

Oh Freida.... I want to like you. But why on earth do you give me such stupid main characters?

Much like my review of The Inmate, I really struggled with Claire, the MC of this book. We find out pretty early on that she's having an affair with her husband's best friend, and while she seems to think she's being sneaky, it's incredibly clear that she's anything but. And the constant complaining about her husband (really, he doesn't "dress nicely" anymore? That's why he sucks?) and peeing in the woods just made me want her to be the first to go.

Of course she wasn't, because if she was she wouldn't be the main character. Thankfully, despite my dislike for clear, I did like this novel in general. It's a quick, easy read that kept me guessing up until the end, where my jaw dropped when the killer was revealed. I definitely did not see that coming.

I'm not sure about McFadden's cult following, because for me she's kind of generic, But I'm still willing to give her a shot, and if this premise sounds good to you, then I recommend you checking this book out.

Freida McFadden sure does write great thrillers, with always a surprising twist or two in the end.

Three couples go away for a week to an inn in Northern Colorado with plans of relaxation, some hiking and fishing - and some secrets ready to spill out as well. What follows is a broken down van, getting lost in the woods, and something or someone hunting them down, one by one...

I really enjoyed this!

I've read a few books by Freida McFadden now and she's definitely in my top 5 authors now. One by One was such a page turner and I finished it in a day. It follows 6 friends as they head off for a week away in the middle of nowhere but they don't quite make it that far. One by one, they start getting killed off and they appear to have no way out. It's wonderfully far fetched and quite creepy in places. I suspected everyone and loved the alternative perspective of the murderer. The motive is questionable but I'll forgive that as it was a really fun read that kept me guessing right to the end.

Holy shit what a book!

I did not formulate any theories. I went into it blind and the twists and turns were gripping and unexpected.

One of the best mystery books I've read this years.

Definitely recommend especially if you love a more adult version of Five Survive.

I thought this was an ok thriller, it certainly had many moments that kept me guessing but it also had a lot of parts that were just too unrealistic for me to cope with.
With a thriller that’s not normally a problem for me but I guess I just don’t like the writing style, and the pacing varied wildly leaving me at times bored and at other times wondering what just happened.
I always find Freida McFaddens characters to be grating and unrealistic I think that’s my biggest annoyance here.
It’s ultimately an ok thriller but nothing genre defining, it would be fine for anyone who wants a quick none taxing read.

Thank you Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC! McFadden does it again with this thriller! Three couples venture off together for a getaway. While traveling their van breaks down and of course what was supposed to be a nice vacay turns into the week from hell when one by one they start to go missing. This book is most definitely a page turner with twists and turns throughout. It has you on edge the entire book.

This is marketed as a thriller, but, for me it's an OK drama. A group of friends are headed to a holiday at a luxury retreat. Then the lead character's minivan breaks down in the woods and, as they walk to the hotel and subsequently get lost, one by one, they are killed.

The issue for me was the characters and the repetitive nature of the writing. We are told over and over that Claire (the main character) is unhappy in her marriage and ad nauseam about how good looking Warner (another character) is.

It's an easy read if you want an escapist tale.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to preview.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The grit and suspense, despair and fear of being lost in the middle of nowhere, and not knowing who you can really trust. I love Freida's work, and devoured this title within 4 hours. I love that even when we think we have it all figured out in the Epilogue, there's still that hint of "no you don't" that keeps us wondering. I have yet to find one of her works to be boring or bland, and look forward to more! The only confusion I have, is that while I love to promote new and upcoming titles, there is an air of confusion surrounding whether this was truly an ARC or not. A few of my reading group members have found that they have had access to this book since 2021, whereas a printed release date is set for April 2nd. All in all, Loved this experience! Freida can take me on a journey anytime!

I devour everything this woman writes! The twists, turns, second guessing, and almost always getting it wrong, it's always such a fast paced edge of my seat ride!

Loved this book!! Loved the characters, love mystery. Very fast paced, easy read. I devoured it! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this great book!!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I liked the whodunnit aspect and how the author kept me guessing until the very end. My first guess was actually the correct guess but the author added several 'hmmm' moments to keep me second guessing myself. It is hard to review this one without spoiling anything so I will keep my thoughts short. Overall, it was a fun story but not exactly thrilling. The pacing was all over the place, lots of slow moments. The writing was extremely basic to the point where this felt like it could have been a debut. There was a lot of repetition and too many parts that felt unnecessarily wordy. The story was obviously unrealistic, but I didn't care about that because with a plot like this I was looking for over the top. I would still recommend this one because it is short, I read it in two days. While I have several issues with it, I did still enjoy it for the most part. Just don't go into this one expecting a suspenseful story, definitely lower your expectations and you will enjoy it for what it is.