Title: One Was Lost
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Pages: 320
Genre: Suspense, Thriller, YA
Source: Free ARC from Sourcebooks FIRE
Rating: A-
Note: As stated under the Source (above), I received this book for free from Sourcebooks FIRE via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review (and trust me, honest is always what you’ll get).
Summary: What was supposed to be a meaningful Senior Experience turns into a nightmare when Sera and her friends find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere, in unfamiliar terrain, with half of their group missing, their supplies vandalized or stolen, and their adult camp leader drugged into unconsciousness. Clearly someone is after them, but why? Do they want someone in particular? And what is their end game? Will they all make it out alive?
Review: YA suspense/thriller is a genre that I’ve only recently gotten a lot of exposure to, but this was really, really good. The characters were well fleshed out, the relationships and connections felt natural. And the overall story was pretty intense. Much more so than a lot of the adult suspense/mystery/thriller’s I’ve read this year. The best YA thriller I’ve read this year, to be sure.
A couple things to note. A lot of it was predictable. If you’ve watched any horror movies, you know what kind of bad decisions the “prey” always make, and that same pattern was evident here. There were several moments of me yelling at them “Don’t go that way!” or “It’s a trap, don’t fall for it!”. But they did. Every. Time. And while the whodunit wasn’t obvious right away, the clue that gave it away was super obvious (even if it was well-placed near the end). And once I got it, it fizzled for me. Somehow the end felt anti-climactic.
But.
On the whole, it was excellent.
And I’d definitely recommend it.