The Crash

Wow! I almost gave this book a BAD review! In all honesty, the first half of the book turned me off. I just can't deal with dysfunction. I know that when we are young, we can also be quite dumb, and make horrible decisions. I've known a lot of dysfunctional women in my life, and that is why I found myself turned off by the lead protagonist. In fact, I had to set the book down and didn't open it back up for about a month. The only reason that I returned to it, was because I was a little over halfway through it already, and I had challenged myself this January to read 100 books by the end of the year. I was so close to adding this one to my list of finished books. Anyway, I am now glad that I returned to it! That I didn't fully give up on it! What I loved most and astounds me so much about this author, is how she able to create so many hooks early on in the story that are going to very neatly engage loops that will unfold in time. It is amazing to me how she makes everything fall into place so neatly and beautifully, piece by piece, as time moves on. I loved the momentum that the book carried towards the end. I was reading the last part at work and couldn't stop. I kept turning pages and I even isolated myself so that I wouldn't be bothered. I couldn't believe that I had almost given up on this book! I ended up liking it very much! I can't say anything about the story, itself, for fear of giving too much away. I will only say that in many ways, it reminded me of Stephen King's, Misery. I loved the tension, the tightness in my stomach when I feared what might happen next, and how what I imagined would happen, didn't. In fact, the currents suddenly turned in the very OPPOSITE direction than what I'd imagined! The ending was actually, brilliant! This is my third McFadden book! I am certainly going to continue with more! Enjoy, my friends.

Freida McFadden’s latest novel, The Crash, centers around protagonist Tegan Werner, a young pregnant woman who, you guessed it, crashes her car during a blizzard while driving to see her brother. Pinned inside with a broken ankle, Tegan is rescued by a man named Hank who takes her to his rural home. There, she meets his wife, Polly, a former nurse eager to look after Tegan while they wait out the storm. But, like all of McFadden’s books, something isn’t right. Tegan needs to go to the hospital, and Polly promises she’ll take her after the storm, as soon as the roads clear. In the meantime, Tegan is trapped in a stranger’s basement, unable to walk and without a phone. It’s not long before she wonders if this couple has her best intentions in mind. While some readers have compared this book to an older, well-known story of an injured author trapped by a crazy fan, this not the case. This is its own story and is worth taking the time to read. It grabs your attention right from the beginning and draws you in further with each chapter. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its challenges. For example, the pace is quick and easy, but the story itself unfolds slowly. This can be maddening for those of us who like to get to the action, especially when there’s so much inaction taking place. (i.e., If you’re one who likes to have that resolution right away, this may not be for you.) It also can be a bit repetitive, reminding us several times of characters’ attributes and situations. However, considering the lack of action taking place, these reminders keep our perspectives in line with those of the characters as well as with the plot. The book is presented with alternating points of view which gives us the opportunity to see a more holistic picture, but in this case, knowing more also adds to the tension. We primarily hear from Tegan and from Polly, who each make poor decisions mostly due to their own desperation to change their current situations. Through them, and through other characters, McFadden explores when actions truly are justified and when we’re simply making excuses to not do the right thing. We see this a lot in her books, and you may not be a fan of this one if you’re not comfortable in the gray area, as the lines of good and bad are often blurred. McFadden also examines our sense of judgement, especially when considering how Tegan and Polly often misjudge each other and others. This is a recurring theme we see throughout the book. Polly judges Tegan. Tegan judges Polly. They both assume things about Hank as well as other peripheral characters in the book. Only the reader knows, for most characters, who is correct or incorrect about whom. But even then, it’s hard not to have some sense of empathy, for the, um, “misguided” characters. This can be frustrating, especially with Polly’s conflict between what she wants and what she does, Hank’s inability or refusal to step up, and Tegan’s own collision between naivety and reality. Then there are the other characters, the ones we see before and after that crash. Unlike Polly and Tegan, we are given very little or just enough information about them. Nevertheless, it’s all critical so pay attention. While the book focuses on Tegan and Polly, the other characters, including her brother, the baby’s father and his associate are all very important. In classic McFadden style, there’s a twist at the end, actually there’s more than one twist, and I have mixed feelings about them. While you may predict one or two of them, I’m pretty sure one will catch you by surprise. It felt out of place because there were very few clues leading up to it, but at the same time it definitely gave me a shock, and who doesn’t love that? Overall, I enjoyed this book. While I couldn’t stand the tension or the inaccuracies of what each character thought about the other, I know that’s also what kept me emotionally invested and motivated to see the book through. I finished it feeling good but also as if I’ve compromised my own morals. There’s a guilt from that satisfaction, but it was worth it.

This book is okay. It’s long and drawn out and then it has a good twist at the end which brought the rating up slightly. This book made me more anxious and annoyed then captivated & interested. I did skim many chapters bc it was painful to read. Not that the writing is bad. It was the characters and their utter naivety and stupidity. I personally don’t handle stupid very well. The story starts good. There is a 8 month pregnant young woman Teagan (love her name) who is 23 years old. She finds herself pregnant and alone living in a dingy studio apartment working at a grocery store trying to make ends meet. I won’t spoil how she finds herself in the situation she’s in. She finds out something terrible happened and decides she’s going to drive 2 hours away to stay with her only living relative - her brother -for a few days. He reminds her a snow storm is coming, that she must leave early to avoid it. But the little ding Dong decides to work an extra shift then leaves for her brothers place. Well, it’s quite obvious that she gets herself into a terrible predicament by taking a back roads where she crashes her vehicle and finds herself stuck with no cell service. 23 is such a naive age really. Anyway, she gets help from a large man….and she thinks her and her baby are going to be saved. But are they???? If you are a reader who enjoys books about captivity, desperation and being rescued, this book is for you.

Freda McFadden does it again with The Crash—a fast-paced, twist-filled thriller that kept me hooked from the very first chapter. What starts as a terrifying accident quickly spirals into something far darker. The tension builds steadily, the characters are layered and unreliable in the best way, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, McFadden pulls the rug out from under you. The short chapters make it incredibly binge-able, and the psychological twists are classic McFadden—shocking, clever, and impossible to predict.

This was a great, quick read. The setting felt so isolated and eerie, which really added to the suspense. While I figured out one small part of the mystery early on, the main twist totally caught me off guard. It’s a bit different from some of her other domestic thrillers, but it still has that addictive "popcorn" quality that makes her books so fun to read.

Pregnant Tegan flees her troubled past and gets stranded in a blizzard in rural Maine. She is rescued by a couple and taken to their cabin, but soon realizes she is in grave danger. She must fight to save herself and her unborn child in this chilling snowbound thriller. I delved into this story with no prior knowledge, and I am grateful that I did. If I didn't have responsibilities and a busy life to attend to, I could have easily finished this book in a single day. It is incredibly addictive, and I found it difficult to tear myself away whenever I had to pause my reading. I was tempted to cancel all my plans just to keep reading! A word of caution: avoid reading this book before bed, as it will keep you up all night. It's nearly impossible to put down. There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed. The intricate plot, unexpected twists, and surprising ending kept me engaged from start to finish. The story was well-crafted and cleverly designed to keep readers guessing. The twist towards the end caught me completely off guard, leaving me in awe. The underlying message of the book is a powerful reminder that people are not always what they seem. It encourages readers not to judge others based on appearances or assumptions. The book's dark and twisted nature, reminiscent of "Misery" meeting "Rosemary's Baby," creates a chilling yet captivating atmosphere. And despite the darkness, the book still manages to deliver a satisfying and uplifting conclusion. The vivid descriptions of the environment in the book add an extra layer of creepiness and darkness to the narrative, making it impossible not to feel a shiver down your spine at times. If you're a fan of Freida's work, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book. It stands out from her other works, as she poured her heart and soul into rewriting it multiple times. The dedication and passion she put into this book are evident on every page. It has quickly become one of my favorite reads. Well done! Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for the ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not only is this one of Freida McFadden's best books, but its one of the best books ive read in a long time.......Very suspenseful but keeps you guessing and you dont want to stop reading. I highly recommend this one.......

I really liked the plot in this one! I also like the characters! There were some twists I didn’t expect, but some of it was easy to figure out which is why I gave it 4.5 stars. But still great to read nonetheless!

Did keep me guessing on outcome, never suspected the ending, going to read more of her books. Looking forward to them

Really good, had me gripped all the way through.

Very good quality

It was a great read

I've just finished reading "the crash" by Freida McFadden, let me tell you what I thought. Tegan, a 23 year old soon to be single mother. After getting pregnant after having a one night stand with a man she didn't even know his name of.. She's struggling, money is severely tight. So much so that she works a lot of double shifts at the grocery store. But, things are getting better, after finding out who she had the one night stand with.. None other then business mogul Simon Lamar, she is to get a boatload of money, after some finalising alterations on the NDA agreement. Jackson, who is Simon's attorney, has the contract ready and he and Simon visit with Tegan to get it all authenticated with signatures.. But then.. After smelling his cologne, the memory of said one night stand return and it WASN'T consensual. Tegan downright declined to sign the NDA after screaming "you raped me!" With everything that's piling up and being emotionally drained she and her brother Dennis decide she needs to skip town a bit, she will be staying at Dennis' for a while. It's a couple hours drive to get there and there's a blizzard on the way.. Just an hour or so to go, the snow is coming down hard and then BANG! After being saved from her car by a big And scary man called Hank, he takes her to his house and reassures her that his wife is a nurse and they will call for an ambulance in the morning.. That morning turns into days, with her being kept in a hospital room setting basement. Confined to bed, heavily pregnant and with a fractured ankle. Eventually after 4 days, one of the two sees the light and takes Tegan to a hospital when the other is out to get some medication.. Then the plottwist hits and I just can't believe what I've just read.. But then again, maybe I can believe it.. I just don't want to. Yes, I liked reading the book.. The whole kidnapping and being imprisoned in a basement was kind off a lot. But then again, everything Freida writes is kind of.. A lot. I have to say that I've kinda read it and am not as excited for her books like I used to be. So, it's a 3,5 stars from me.