The Crash a Psychological Kidnapping Thriller by Freida McFadden

How I Found It

Once again, I turned to TikTok to see how readers were rating Freida McFadden's books. I chose to read The Crash, a psychological kidnapping thriller, although there were mixed reviews. I wanted to read it for myself without bias.

I purchased the ebook on February 2nd, started reading on February 7th, and finished on February 14th. I was actually glad it was over. The book wasn't terrible, but it wasn't one of her best either, though I haven't read Freida's entire catalogue. The slight disappointment I feel brings me now to this review.

What It's About

The Crash follows Tegan, a young woman who is eight months pregnant as she drives through a snowstorm to her brother's house.

Tegan crashes her car and is rescued by a tall, scary, bearded man who takes her to his cabin. With the lights out and roads covered in snow, Tegan soon realizes she's trapped in this kidnapping scenario with the man and his wife, with no way of escaping.

What I Loved/Didn't Love

This kidnapping thriller started out strong, but by the middle it dragged. Near the end, it bounced around like a ball from one POV to the next. The back-and-forth drove me crazy. I was ready to learn the fate of the characters involved. That anxiousness drove me to skim and speed-read the last ten chapters of The Crash.

Tegan, the main female lead, was a bit naive but strong-willed. Her morals remained intact as she refused to barter with her soul. I loved that she tried everything she could to escape her kidnapping ordeal. But I hated that she couldn't see the real evil—the one pulling the strings—right in front of her eyes.

Themes

Betrayal, kidnapping, deception, murder, abuse, trauma, neglect, and alcoholism.

Who Would Enjoy It

Anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with kidnapping at the center of the story would either love or like this book.

My Rating

3½ out of 5 stars.

I gave The Crash three and a half stars mostly because the ending shocked me, and Tegan stayed true to herself throughout her kidnapping nightmare.