Friday, October 7, 2016

One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards


One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official SummaryMurder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…
 


ReviewThis is the first book I've read by Natalie D. Richards, but I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend to people looking for a creepy mystery this Halloween season. I don't remember where I read it, but One Was Lost was compared to The Breakfast Club and I do agree! On a school trip, four students are separated from the rest of their group, left alone with a drugged school teacher who is no help to them when things start to take a dark turn. The Breakfast Club comparison comes in when the four students - Jude, Emily, Lucas, and our MC, Sera - wake up to one word written on each of their arms, labeling them like the students in the film. Jude is Deceptive, Emily is Damaged, Lucas is Dangerous, and Sera...well, she's Darling. What does it mean? Who is toying with these teens, lost in the woods and desperate for a way home?

I can't say you won't figure out who is behind the attacks, though I didn't. I know mysteries are a bit hit or miss when it comes to these things, but I do recommend checking it out, and keep reading even if you think you know who is behind the "games" going on in these woods. You never know if you'll be right or wrong until near the end. Also, the reasoning behind everything was one that I thought was really intriguing. This was a quick read for me, and it's definitely one that I wanted to keep reading. I loved getting to know little things about each of the characters. Sera is trapped by a mom who she doesn't want to become, Lucas is unsure where he stands with people, Jude is sick of people judging him for his two dads or the fact that he's black and they are white, and Emily hides secrets that people tend to guess wrong. Everyone has something, and I appreciated that the author tried to focus on all of these, though you definitely get more background from Sera and Lucas. 

Overall, I really liked this one! It was perfect for the fall season.

4 comments:

Lola said...

Mysteries seem perfect for this season indeed. I have a few planned to read this month. Glad to hear it was a good one, it does sound a bit too creepy for me. And I like it how with mysteries you sometime scan be wrong when you guess who is the culprit.

Lisa Mandina said...

Oooh, that does sound like a good read! And definitely perfect for Halloween season. I'll have to add this one to my TBR. Great review!

Verushka said...

Another familiar cover and one I've been wondering about.I also thought this was a horror from the cover, but it seems to be more a mystery?

Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity said...

I just finished Three Truths and a Lie last night, and I really enjoyed it, and this one sounds a LITTLE bit similar! I have only discovered my love for mystery/thriller books recently, but I have to say that they are some of my favourites to read. I love trying to guess what's happening, and finding out if I'm right or not.

On top of the thrills, it looks like One Was Lost takes a deeper look into some topical issues, which I think always adds a bit more depth to the story. I'll have to check it out! Lovely review, Lauren :)