Book Review: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Genre: YA Thriller Mystery
Publication: October 4th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire
Acquisition: read a free eARC via NetGalley

Synopsis:

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

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…

(from Goodreads)

4 / 5 Stars

Finally! A YA thriller that actually thrilled! A mystery with actual unsolved problems that were difficult to explain! Why am I shocked?! What's with all the "!"?

Well, I'll tell you why!!

...sorry...

YA thrillers don't always pack the punch they promise. I've been burned in the past.

But not this time!!

Ok, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic but seriously, I love thrillers and SERIOUSLY, YA books need to quit it with the, horror / thriller / mystery / suspense stated genre if the book contains virtually 0% of these things.

One Was Lost was pretty spot on for me - exactly what I'm looking for in YA thrillers. The characters weren't all likable, because you're not suppose to love or hate the obvious people because - there is always a twist! The setting was scary - for this city girl at least. Don't get me wrong, I love the outdoors and I did move to the middle of a freaken forest but still. Straying from the path? Not knowing what the hell is over that ridge or around that bend in the river? No thank you.

The mystery part was a little shaky for me. I honestly didn't know who the 'bad' guy was until the reveal and then...I couldn't really make it all fit the way I wanted it to.

For me, One Was Lost was more about the journey then the destination. Even though Sera's story has an ending, when I think back on it, I still see her and her friends wondering around the woods. Alone. Afraid. With terrifying things happening. Confused. Without hope.

In other words, Once Was Lost has staying power.

The spot on thriller aspect was 5 stars no problem. But the ending...didn't really work for me and what actually brought this down to a 4 star read for me was the romance. I didn't see it as necessary and it was messy and didn't add to the plot in my opinion. Not every YA needs a romance!

Still, would 100% recommend to fans of YA thrillers.