Monday, 3 November 2025

One was Lost by Natalie Richards


✦ BLURB ✦

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…

✶ PRE-READING ✶

I was drawn to this one for the classic “isolated in the woods” setup combined with the promise of psychological suspense. The synopsis suggested a slow-burn of paranoia, secrets, and the constant question: who can you trust? I was ready for tense pacing, claustrophobic fear, and the creeping sense that anyone could be the villain.

POST-READING

As I thought…

  • The tension in the woods is relentless. Natalie Richards makes isolation feel suffocating, and even small actions feel loaded with potential danger.

  • The dolls are creepy perfection. They’re a small but highly effective horror touch that amps up both dread and intrigue.

  • Sera is a compelling protagonist: clever, wary, and fiercely determined to survive without descending into paranoia.

It surprised me by…

  • How effectively everyone could feel like a suspect without the narrative ever feeling unfair or manipulative. Each character has shades of grey, so figuring out the “villain” is genuinely tricky.

  • The moral ambiguity in the group dynamics. Loyalty, deception, and self-preservation all collide in ways I didn’t fully anticipate.

  • The pacing - while it’s intense, there’s space for character development, making the stakes feel more real.

MUSIC PAIRING

🎵 Featured Song: bury a friend – Billie Eilish, for that creeping, unsettling energy.

🎶 Vibe Album: Gone Girl: Original Motion Picture Score – moody, tense, and perfectly eerie.

🎧 Artist Recommendation: Lord Huron – for woodland atmospheres with a hint of haunting danger.

VIBE CHECK

  • Colour Palette: Dark forest greens, shadowy browns, splashes of red

  • Soundtrack: Whispering winds, snapping twigs, heartbeats

  • Season: Late summer - long days, dark nights

  • Mood: Paranoid, tense, survival-focused

  • Scent: Pine, dirt, and a faint metallic edge

TAROT PULL

🌙 The Moon (Dark Grimoire) – a lone figure runs under a full moon, shadowy shapes looming behind. This card mirrors Sera’s nightmarish journey: danger lurking in every corner, trust constantly in question, and the sense that the woods themselves might be alive with secrets. Every step is survival, and every shadow could hide a threat - or a truth.



FOR FANS OF…

  • Book: Camp Murder by Stephanie Keenan – for teen camping horror with clever twists.

  • TV Show: Yellowjackets – for survival, suspicion, and dark psychological tension.

One Was Lost is available now. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.


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