Weekend Read? A Review of Freida McFadden’s ‘The Crash

I recently had the opportunity to pick up Freida McFadden’s newest book, The Crash. Having read many of her previous novels, I’ve always appreciated how quickly her stories unfold—and this one was no exception, as I read it in just over two days.

For fans who regularly dive into McFadden’s work, The Crash offers a slightly different flavor. The story follows Tegan, a young woman in her early 20s who finds herself eight months pregnant and down on her luck. Her life takes a dramatic turn when, amid a blizzard, she crashes her car into a tree. With no cell signal and stranded in the middle of nowhere, Tegan’s desperate situation seems hopeless—until a kind couple rescues her and promises to get her to the hospital as soon as conditions improve. However, what appears to be a rescue quickly spirals into a new nightmare.

While I found the premise compelling, I did catch myself skimming through large portions of the book. It wasn’t that the story was uninteresting, but rather that the pace felt slower compared to some of McFadden’s other works. I kept reaching chapters where the narrative seemed to stall, and although I wasn’t bored, I was left wanting a bit more progression between the twists.

McFadden is known for packing her stories with big reveals—and The Crash is no exception. There is a major twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, although I wasn’t entirely convinced that the payoff justified the buildup. The overall plot felt somewhat familiar, as if it could have come from a story I might have read before. That said, the novel does offer moments of unexpected character depth. I found myself particularly drawn to some of the surprising secondary characters, which added a layer of intrigue to the narrative.

So, is The Crash a decent read? Absolutely—it’s a solid option if you’re looking for something you can breeze through over a weekend. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited, which is a great bonus when new releases aren’t immediately accessible on other platforms. However, if you’re new to Freida McFadden’s work, you might want to start with one of her other titles to get a better feel for her style.

In summary, The Crash is a fast-paced thriller with plenty of suspense and a twist that keeps you guessing—just with a pacing that may not be as brisk as some of her earlier work. If you’re in the mood for an easy, engaging weekend read, it’s definitely worth a try.

Should You Read It?

Yes, but not as your first Freida McFadden story.

VERDICT