Book Review: One by One

Author: Ruth Ware

Release Date: September 8, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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One by One is a fantastically written thriller like all Ruth Ware novels that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the crazy ending. Ruth Ware fans will not want to miss One by One.

Snoop is the most popular social media app. The app allows you to listen to whatever music the people you are connected to are listening to in real time.  Snoop is having a week long retreat at Chalet Perce-Neige in the French Alps.  All of their employees attend.  Topher and Eva are cofounders and exes. Rik is in charge of finances and longtime friend of Topher. Eliot is Topher’s best friend and the coder. They are all shareholders of Snoop. The other employees are Miranda, Tiger, Carl, Inigo and Ani. Liz is also attending, a former Snoop employee whose purpose isn’t clear at the beginning of the book. The only other active characters in this novel are the chalet employees. Erin is the overqualified ski chalet host and Danny is the chef.

The first impromptu business meeting doesn’t go as expected with opposing viewpoints. They end up skiing before a bad storm is supposed to hit. While they are skiing, an avalanche occurs. Some of the guests went down the slope for one more run and others took the lift down. One of the guests is missing, and nobody knows where they are. It is assumed they have died.  Everyone else is stuck in the chalet with no phone or internet service. Another one of the guests gets murdered. It has to be one of the eleven people between the guests and employees. Then the guests start dying one by one. Everyone has a motive and everyone looks guilty. Everyone is on edge and nobody knows who to trust.

One by One is told from two characters perspectives, Liz and Erin. Honestly I was very skeptical when I started and found out the whole story was only told from Liz and Erin’s perspectives. I am so glad I was wrong. Anytime Liz or Erin aren’t in the room the reader doesn’t know what is going on which added to the story. Liz and Erin were also the most complex characters. I could not get enough of their stories. There were times when I felt bad for them, wanted to be friends with them, and hated them. When their secrets come out they are the most shocking.  Why does Erin have a chalet job she is overqualified for? Why is Liz, an old PA even part of this retreat? What secrets are they hiding?

The way One by One was told was fantastic. One by One is a rollercoaster.  The amount of secrets everyone has is thrilling, and there is so much suspense waiting for the secrets to be revealed.

I highly recommend One by One to all thriller fans. If you like Ware’s other books, I think you will like this one. If you haven’t read any of Ware’s books I suggest you start with One by One.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault is present in One by One.

Thank you Edelweiss and Gallery/Scout Press, Simon & Schuster for One by One.

About the author

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway and The Turn of the Key have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family. Visit http://www.ruthware.com to find out more.

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