If I’m looking for a quick popcorn thriller there’s a few go to options and one of them is Freida McFadden. One By One is a quick reading thriller about six friends on their way to a vacation cabin in the woods only to hit a road bump and realize their lives are in danger and not all of them will get their alive.

I love when the killer has POV chapters throughout the book cause it definitely leaves you guessing about who the killer could be and what are their motives. Definitely pick up this book if you are looking for a quick popcorn thriller read with some questionable characters.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have to say this was not by favorite Freida McFadden book. It was good but not great. I found it boring and repetitive. It also lacked suspense. It did have an interesting twist at the end but it took way too long to get there. Thank goodness it was a short read

Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick short read! I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was happening. I really enjoyed having the anonymous chapters sprinkled in. It definitely kept you guessing on who planned all of this. There were lots of red herrings but everything gets summed up well in the end.

I'm on the fence about how to rate this one. I was intrigued by the premise - three 30-something couples set off on a trip to a luxurious but remote resort, the car breaks down, and bad things start to happen to them "one by one". The set- up: Claire, the main narrator, and Noah, her lazy and entitled husband, hate each other, and are just staying together for the kids - for now. Claire is dreading this trip and the forced proximity to the man she wants to divorce (and TBH, I can't blame her), but the only solace on the horizon of this couples retreat is a little secret hooking up with her side-piece Jack, who is Noah's best friend (and also married to a successful divorce attorney that nobody likes). There's a whole lotta rationalizing going on. The third couple is picture-perfect Lindsay, Claire's best friend, and her picture-perfect (but super controlling) new beau, Warner.

Unfortunately, this didn't really live up to my expectations. The writing was kind of sloppy - excessive physical descriptions, repetitive thoughts and observations, continuity errors (for example, mid-anecdote, a character forgets that the subject was a banker and turns him into a plastic surgeon instead). The characters are supposedly intelligent, educated, and in their mid-30s, yet they are very illogical and poor decision makers. A lot of the plot threads just don't make sense - when they were clearly on a little-used back road, no one thought to double back to the highway and get their bearings. Before their phones lost signal, no one thought to use GPS to plan the drive (including the driver) - they just trusted the stranger with a paper printout map and called it good enough. After the van broke down and they started walking, they didn't turn around and go back to the van for shelter when they couldn't find the hotel right away. No one else looked closely at Warner's map, or checked if anyone had a magnetic device which might be messing with the compass. Nobody but Claire seemed all that sad when a character died right in front of them. And the reason for the whole thing, the character's motivation, is just incredibly implausible and tenuous.

I'm going to give it 3 stars because I did finish it (rather than DNF) and it did keep moving along energetically and sustained my attention, but I wish I could say I enjoyed it more. It wasn't awful. But it wasn't great.

I'm thankful to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, although I preferred never lie and the locked door to this but again I’m wanting to read more by Freida McFadden. I found this book to be a little more predictable than some of her others but that may just be a product of just how much I liked the other two I had read!

Always love a Frieda McFadden book! Suspenseful without being terrifying. I feel like I do always have to suspend disbelief a bit with details of the story, but a fun read.

One by One had all the ingredients for a great thriller: a remote location, a group of friends with secrets, and a dangerous situation. The suspense built effectively as the group got lost and their numbers dwindled. However, the execution fell a little short.

Here's what worked:

Fast-paced plot: The story moved quickly, keeping me engaged and guessing who the threat might be.
Intriguing premise: The idea of a friend group turning on each other in the wilderness was creepy and suspenseful.
However, these aspects were overshadowed by:

One-dimensional characters: It was difficult to connect with or care much about any of the characters. They felt more like tropes than fully realized people.
Predictable ending: While there were some twists and turns, the overall reveal wasn't very surprising.
Overall, One by One was a decent read, but it didn't quite live up to its potential. If you're looking for a quick, suspenseful thriller, you might enjoy it. But if you're looking for something with more depth and memorable characters, you might want to look elsewhere.

This book was just so good with so much suspense keeping me glued till the very end. When 3 couples leave the city to go on a weekend away things do not go as planned. Not everyone returns home alive. When things go wrong, the characters start to question each others credibility, that you don't know who is telling the truth. No-one could have predicted the end. It really was a huge surprise for me. Just goes to show that anyone is capable of murder, given the right or wrong circumstances. Loved the book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it comes to Freida McFadden, I have high expectations. I've been slowly reading through all of her books and I would consider her my favorite author. With that being said, what would have been a 4 star for any other author to me is a 3 star for Freida to me.

We follow a group of 6 friends as the van they're driving in breaks down on their way to this inn. They are going through the woods on foot to the inn. But the days pass when the inn wasn't supposed to be that far away and they start to wonder why they haven't found it yet. Especially when one of them has a compass and another a map. The group starts disappearing one by one and we start to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

This book kept me intrigued and was a super quick read for me. However, the plot wasn't as shocking or jaw dropping for me as most of her other books. I was able to guess that the person that anonymous probably at least wasn't the gender the book lead you to believe. I feel like this type of book has been done many times before so it felt a tad overplayed to me.

The book was fine. I didn't dislike it but also it wasn't one of my favorite books ever or even this year. It's worth a read though. 🙂

3.5 stars rounded up. Another binge worthy book from Freida McFadden! I couldn't put it down. You get creepy lost in the woods vibes, secrets and betrayals. Told with two POV's with different timelines the reader is left guessing who the other narrator is. The book was fast paced and thrilling. However, I did not think the writing itself was anything spectacular. I will be sharing my review on instagram this week.

3.5 ⭐️
It is no mystery that I don’t consider Freida McFadden the most talented writer. She is very gifted at the turning pages thriller, but for the most part I find her books lacking in character development and substance.
Either way, I did enjoy this read. It was suspenseful and fast paced, two of best qualities.
If you’re looking for a true page turner, she’s your girl, and this is a good one.

Another great story by Freida!!! She has become one of my favorite go to authors for a good thriller. She’s always keeps me guessing until the very end and I love all the twists and turns. I liked the way the plot of this book was presented and getting a little background info on each character. I really enjoyed trying to guess what the heck was going on out there in the woods. I thought I had this one figured out, but NOPE!! Great book and I didn’t want to put it down!!

This was not my favorite Freida book. I did not like Claire. and hated her husband. he was grumpy. this book just was not good and I was disappointed.

For an author who has written so many books, Freida writes such unique stories. One by One had such a interesting group of characters that made guessing the twist impossible. Noah and Claire's broken marriage story line was busy enough, and then add in multiple affairs, their friend group, and their children, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. One thought I've had lately is that I could read multiple McFadden books in a row and not get bored because each story she writes is unlike any other she has written. One by One is up high on my ranking of her books mainly because I was trying to guess twists up until the last sentence.

One by One by Freida McFadden is a captivating psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The story follows a group of six friends who embark on a vacation to a remote cabin in the woods, only to find themselves stranded and picked off one by one by a mysterious killer. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Claire, one of the friends, and an anonymous narrator with a sinister agenda.

What makes this book so compelling is the way McFadden masterfully weaves a web of twists and turns that constantly subvert the reader's expectations. Just when you think you have the plot figured out, she throws in a new revelation that leaves you questioning everything. The pacing is steady, building tension and suspense with each passing chapter.

Beyond the thrilling plot, One by One also explores deeper themes of marriage, trust, and the dark secrets that can lurk beneath the surface of even the closest relationships. The characters, while not always likable, are complex and multi-dimensional, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the story.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking read that will keep you guessing until the very end. McFadden's skilled storytelling and ability to surprise the reader make One by One a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Freida has the right recipe for creating the most fast-paced, engrossing thrillers. She is the moment and queen of suspense. This story made me feel like I was actually in the forest. I would recommend this thriller to everyone!!

"One By One" by Freida McFadden is a heart-pounding thriller that plunges readers into a chilling tale of suspense and betrayal. As six friends set out on what should have been a relaxing vacation, they quickly find themselves stranded in the wilderness with no way to call for help. Tensions mount as they struggle to navigate the treacherous terrain, only to discover that they are not alone.

Narrated in alternating chapters between Claire's perspective and an anonymous voice, "One By One" keeps readers guessing until the very end. While the pacing may start slow, the story soon accelerates into a pulse-pounding race against time. With its unexpected twists and shocking revelations, "One By One" is a gripping thriller that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Freida McFadden has crafted a tale of terror and intrigue that will linger in readers' minds long after they've turned the final page.

Once again Freida McFadden has written a great book. I was hooked from the first few pages and devoured this book. I thought i had this one figured out but i should have known she had a great twist that i did not see coming. Highly recommend this!!!

"One By One", by Freida McFadden delivers a captivating tale that left me thoroughly impressed. Three couples set out on what seemed like an idyllic week-long trip together, only to find themselves tangled in a harrowing nightmare as each member vanishes, one by one.

Gripping, shocking, and filled with tension, the book had me hooked from the very first page.

The story, told by Claire, the main character, along with a mysterious unidentified narrator whose perspective kept me guessing throughout. With its myriad twists and turns, the book culminated in a shocking revelation that caught me off guard. The story is a riveting, fast-paced read that had me eagerly anticipating each new occurrence.

As an enthusiastic fan of Freida McFadden, I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley, Poison Pen Press/Sourcebooks, and Freida McFadden for the Advanced Reader Copy.

One by One was very well written. Compared to the other books I have read by Freida it was just okay. I really enjoyed the suspense of not knowing what will happen to them in the woods, but the story just wasn’t a Wow to me. The plot twist was a surprise I didn’t predict that one. All in all I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.