One Was Lost Review

Natalie Richards' One Was Lost is an intense mystery thriller, which isn't the typical kind of book that I read. I couldn't stop reading though as I was scared of what would happen next to this group of kids. They're a group of high schoolers who are required to go on some type of life experience trip and they go on a remote hiking trip with two of their teachers. About halfway into their trip there's a flash flood that separates the group. Sera is one of the four with one of the teachers and the next morning they wake up with words written on their arms. The words are "Deceptive", "Damaged", "Dangerous", and on Sera's arm is the word "Darling". Their supplies are destroyed and they're groggy from some sort of drug. It quickly becomes clear that they're being hunted.

This book was a pretty quick read for me as it was constantly ending chapters with some kind of cliff hanger. I don't read horror or thrillers all that often cause they freak me out a little and so with this book I couldn't stop reading until I knew the conflict was resolved. Maybe a little clichéd at times, but during a traumatic event you can't expect things to be rational and these are teenagers who are already  typically irrational. They also would have no idea how to do anything in a situation like this and I know I would get incredibly paranoid if I was being hunted in the woods so that I would start suspecting anybody and everybody.

I wish I had gotten to know the other characters backstories more though and what happened to them after everything. There were hints towards Jude and Emily's lives but I was never satisfied. After I finished the book, I immediately wanted a few chapters more or a whole other book where it's after everything and going back to high school. The readjustment and the school's perception of what happened would be so interesting in my opinion.

Overall, I was surprised by how attached I got to this book and how it kept my on the hook the entire time.

One Was Lost comes out October 4th, 2016 and I will definitely be recommending it!!!