The Crash

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.

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.

This is an amazing book, Freida McFadden has done it again! The Crash by Freida McFadden is a fast-paced psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. After a car accident in a snowstorm, pregnant Tegan ends up stranded with strangers in a remote cabin and quickly realizes something isn’t right. The story is full of suspense, secrets, and shocking twists. While a few parts stretch believability, the tension and final reveal make it a gripping, page-turning read for fans of McFadden’s style.

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.

Another gem by Freida McFadden. Love the twists and turns her novels take. Highly Recommend to anyone that loves her books or likes physiological thrillers.

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.

I love Freida McFadden's books and I particularly enjoyed this one. At first I wondered if it was copied by "Misery" but that was not the case. As usual, the book is full of twists which keep you costantly on the hedge of your seat. I also liked the ending so I am satisfied.