One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards
Review by Lauren
source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Murder, 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…
Review: This 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.
