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One Must Go
Every year a new group is chosen. Every year there must be a sacrifice. A laughing, drunken god picks three middle school children for his deadly ritual. Two may live as long as they pick one in their group to be given to the dead. Sam an angry child who feels abandoned, along with his best friend Benjamin who fears Sam more than anything else, meet Maggie who is no stranger to death. Sam sees an opportunity in the horror to get back at those who have wronged him, he grows cruel and violent. Someone must be picked. Whether it is through bargaining, treachery, or bloodshed. One must go.
- GenresHorrorParanormal
212 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2024
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279 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 3, 2024
"What good would it do anyway? There was only one door out of this nightmare and only a dead body would serve as the key. Benjamin felt like an old balloon as it shriveled and fell, closer to its final demise without any way to bring itself back up." 🎈
January 24, 2024
3,5*
One thing is for sure, this is going to be a great read for Halloween if you are looking for one.
Every Halloween three children are selected to make an impossible decision. One of them will be sacrificed. But that is not all. They get to choose who will be the sacrificed one.
The lives of three children will change this year. Selected by a mysterious man, they are asked to offer one of their lives before sunrise.
A fast paced entertaining story that takes place during one Halloween night as we follow the three kids trying to make an impossible decision when running is not an option.
The children are all complex characters and have their own backstories, strengths and weaknesses that will all contribute to the final outcome.
A lot of things happened in the book and the action kept the story moving forward adding up to the tension leading up to the final battle. The horror came more from fear and the unknown but it had a good amount of blood and guts to satisfy horror fans.
This is definitely a great read for people that love some gore and fun during Halloween season.
One thing is for sure, this is going to be a great read for Halloween if you are looking for one.
Every Halloween three children are selected to make an impossible decision. One of them will be sacrificed. But that is not all. They get to choose who will be the sacrificed one.
The lives of three children will change this year. Selected by a mysterious man, they are asked to offer one of their lives before sunrise.
A fast paced entertaining story that takes place during one Halloween night as we follow the three kids trying to make an impossible decision when running is not an option.
The children are all complex characters and have their own backstories, strengths and weaknesses that will all contribute to the final outcome.
A lot of things happened in the book and the action kept the story moving forward adding up to the tension leading up to the final battle. The horror came more from fear and the unknown but it had a good amount of blood and guts to satisfy horror fans.
This is definitely a great read for people that love some gore and fun during Halloween season.
January 22, 2024
Every year on Halloween night an ancient ritual is enacted, three children are chosen to fight for survival, two can live if they sacrifice the third. Sam is a troubled child with anger issues, Benjamin his friend and a kind child, Maggie is a star athlete and knows death, who survives the night.
This is a great novella with some really gory imagery. The dead that hunt the children are grotesque and rotting, the god a drunken mountain of a man making sure they follow the rules. Sam is vicious and cruel to Benjamin who tries to see the good in his friend, Maggie is a loner who defends Benjamin from Sam. A fast paced story of survival and facing your fears.
This is a great novella with some really gory imagery. The dead that hunt the children are grotesque and rotting, the god a drunken mountain of a man making sure they follow the rules. Sam is vicious and cruel to Benjamin who tries to see the good in his friend, Maggie is a loner who defends Benjamin from Sam. A fast paced story of survival and facing your fears.
August 27, 2024
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a fast-paced, thrilling horror story. I wasn't able to put the book down. The prologue alone will suck you right into the story. Very well written. Great character development... even if I couldn't stand Sam...lol.
"I have come in on the last harvest winds, the time when the walls between the world of the living and the dead are paper thin. I have come for one of you."... Fomori.
This is a fast-paced, thrilling horror story. I wasn't able to put the book down. The prologue alone will suck you right into the story. Very well written. Great character development... even if I couldn't stand Sam...lol.
"I have come in on the last harvest winds, the time when the walls between the world of the living and the dead are paper thin. I have come for one of you."... Fomori.
October 26, 2024
This book was exactly what I needed to break my reading slump! It was a fairly quick read and it really kept my attention. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. The character development was fantastic and really added to the plot. The pace was fast enough to keep you wanting more but not so fast that you were left wondering what happened. Each step is perfectly placed. I can't say much without revealing the plot, I will leave it at saying I am so glad I decided to pick this book up and I think you should, too!
October 22, 2024
One Must Go is a perfect read for Halloween! Action-packed and grisly with the sole purpose being entertainment.
Haven't you heard the legend? Each Halloween night, a group of friends is chosen. They have until sunrise to choose one member of their group to sacrifice to a dark entity from the underworld. Until a choice is made, the children must fight to survive against the living corpses of past victims.
"It’s simple, I come in on the last of the harvest winds, the time when the walls between the world of the living and the dead are paper thin. I have come for one of you."
One Must Go follows the toxic friendship between sixth graders, Benjamin & Sam, who meet up with Maggie, a star athlete from the other side of town, as they are faced with this impossible decision. The characters are well fleshed out, and I found it easy to connect to them despite the book being on the shorter side. Alex Reid absolutely nailed it when creating the atmosphere for this story. The writing was so descriptive and though I live in a state that doesn't experience a true fall, I could feel the chill in the air, hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, and smell the faint tinge of crisp apple in the air.
The story is dark and bloody, while also providing the comforting autumnal vibes people tend to seek around this time of year. Be sure to pick this one up for Halloween this year!
Haven't you heard the legend? Each Halloween night, a group of friends is chosen. They have until sunrise to choose one member of their group to sacrifice to a dark entity from the underworld. Until a choice is made, the children must fight to survive against the living corpses of past victims.
"It’s simple, I come in on the last of the harvest winds, the time when the walls between the world of the living and the dead are paper thin. I have come for one of you."
One Must Go follows the toxic friendship between sixth graders, Benjamin & Sam, who meet up with Maggie, a star athlete from the other side of town, as they are faced with this impossible decision. The characters are well fleshed out, and I found it easy to connect to them despite the book being on the shorter side. Alex Reid absolutely nailed it when creating the atmosphere for this story. The writing was so descriptive and though I live in a state that doesn't experience a true fall, I could feel the chill in the air, hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, and smell the faint tinge of crisp apple in the air.
The story is dark and bloody, while also providing the comforting autumnal vibes people tend to seek around this time of year. Be sure to pick this one up for Halloween this year!
January 6, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.
First of all I want to start by saying damn. So much happened in this book in a span of one night. This gory horror book got me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down.
One must go is a fast paced horror book. A group is chosen every year to sacrifice one person. Two can live while one has to die. Sam, Benjamin and Maggie are chosen this Halloween. What happens in this book you’ll have to read yourself but I was blown away.
The author is so good at setting the scene for this. I felt so thrilled and scared while reading this. You’ll have to read for yourself if you want to know why because I can’t say it else I will spoil it. But this book is definitely worth to pick up. I feel like I can reread this every year in Halloween and not get bored because it’s that good.
The only reason why I didn’t give it five stars is because sometimes it went a little bit too fast. Sometimes descriptions were really extensive but some felt a bit lacking and I had to read some parts twice to understand what was happening.
But what I also really liked was that this book was the perfect balance between some backstory/build up and the actual scary part. I got to know the characters pretty well and I actually cared for them. Therefore some of the twists really shocked me.
Would I recommend this? Definitely yes. If you enjoy a good horror and you don’t mind a bit of gore this is definitely for you. But do check trigger warnings because this is not for everyone. I really enjoyed this though and I’m definitely signing up for this authors mailing list if they have one because I want to read all their books!!
First of all I want to start by saying damn. So much happened in this book in a span of one night. This gory horror book got me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down.
One must go is a fast paced horror book. A group is chosen every year to sacrifice one person. Two can live while one has to die. Sam, Benjamin and Maggie are chosen this Halloween. What happens in this book you’ll have to read yourself but I was blown away.
The author is so good at setting the scene for this. I felt so thrilled and scared while reading this. You’ll have to read for yourself if you want to know why because I can’t say it else I will spoil it. But this book is definitely worth to pick up. I feel like I can reread this every year in Halloween and not get bored because it’s that good.
The only reason why I didn’t give it five stars is because sometimes it went a little bit too fast. Sometimes descriptions were really extensive but some felt a bit lacking and I had to read some parts twice to understand what was happening.
But what I also really liked was that this book was the perfect balance between some backstory/build up and the actual scary part. I got to know the characters pretty well and I actually cared for them. Therefore some of the twists really shocked me.
Would I recommend this? Definitely yes. If you enjoy a good horror and you don’t mind a bit of gore this is definitely for you. But do check trigger warnings because this is not for everyone. I really enjoyed this though and I’m definitely signing up for this authors mailing list if they have one because I want to read all their books!!
March 15, 2024
CW: child death, blood, gore, violence, bullying, toxic friendship, murder, death, child abuse, animal death
I received a digital copy for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Every year on Halloween night, three children are pitted against each other in a ritual that has been going on for who=knows-how-long. The rules are simple: one must die so the other two can live. This year, Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie are on the block.
I found One Must Go to be a very cinematic experience. It's a story that would not be out of place at all in an anthology series - just the right size for a 45 minutes to an hour long episode. The majority of this story takes place in a 48 hour time period, keeping the action nice and tight.
There is somewhat of a reliance on flashback, which isn't always successful in such a short piece - I thought Maggie's particularly went on a little too long. Benjamin was the least reliant on flashbacks for his character and I also thought he was the most successful and believable.
I saw some reviewers that were dissatisfied with the ending, but I do think it works here; it all loops back to the cinematic.
I received a digital copy for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Every year on Halloween night, three children are pitted against each other in a ritual that has been going on for who=knows-how-long. The rules are simple: one must die so the other two can live. This year, Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie are on the block.
I found One Must Go to be a very cinematic experience. It's a story that would not be out of place at all in an anthology series - just the right size for a 45 minutes to an hour long episode. The majority of this story takes place in a 48 hour time period, keeping the action nice and tight.
There is somewhat of a reliance on flashback, which isn't always successful in such a short piece - I thought Maggie's particularly went on a little too long. Benjamin was the least reliant on flashbacks for his character and I also thought he was the most successful and believable.
I saw some reviewers that were dissatisfied with the ending, but I do think it works here; it all loops back to the cinematic.
December 26, 2024
This is a great creepy story perfect for Halloween! The characters are all unique and entertaining. The pacing is fast and I had a hard time putting this down. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Alex Reid, Wicked House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2023
3.5. Good Iitrle horror thing that’s really well done, though I found some parts went by way too fast (and I’m a really fast reader myself so if I’m saying this)..:; thanks for the arc
January 18, 2024
This book has a strong opening and the writing is incredibly strong, but I think it lacked depth. The plot follows a group of 3 middle schoolers who encounter a dark child consuming entity, Fomori. They quickly learn that one of them will be sacrificed to him before the end of Halloween night. The trio must choose who survives and who dies.
SPOILERS included in this next session. Ft more in-depth opinions:
Personally I found the switching POVs every few paragraphs within the chapter very confusing. Despite this it maintained such sophisticated and thought provoking writing for a young audience. The whole Maggie not saving her friend Devin falling from the tree scene was devastating. And Maggies crash in the police car was graphic. I enjoyed the themes included here like the cycle of toxic behavior (Bens grandpa ‘disciplining’ him), and the normalization of cutting off toxic friendship to preserve your own safety. Some pretty complex and important ideas for a young audience. What lacked for me was the plot and character development. The story takes place solely on one night and feels thin. It relies heavily on flashbacks and memory to fill the space. Theres a lot of just running around and chasing Benjamin. We meet Fomori so randomly and I wish he was fleshed out more. Him and his dead children army felt a bit cartoonish. Sam is pretty heavy handedly depicted to be a sociopath and predictably meets his fate by the end. The final battle feels unnecessarily drawn out. And the story ends on a weird note answering the question we’ve all been wondering about: why these 3 kids? And the answer: “for a good show” HUH??
SPOILERS included in this next session. Ft more in-depth opinions:
Personally I found the switching POVs every few paragraphs within the chapter very confusing. Despite this it maintained such sophisticated and thought provoking writing for a young audience. The whole Maggie not saving her friend Devin falling from the tree scene was devastating. And Maggies crash in the police car was graphic. I enjoyed the themes included here like the cycle of toxic behavior (Bens grandpa ‘disciplining’ him), and the normalization of cutting off toxic friendship to preserve your own safety. Some pretty complex and important ideas for a young audience. What lacked for me was the plot and character development. The story takes place solely on one night and feels thin. It relies heavily on flashbacks and memory to fill the space. Theres a lot of just running around and chasing Benjamin. We meet Fomori so randomly and I wish he was fleshed out more. Him and his dead children army felt a bit cartoonish. Sam is pretty heavy handedly depicted to be a sociopath and predictably meets his fate by the end. The final battle feels unnecessarily drawn out. And the story ends on a weird note answering the question we’ve all been wondering about: why these 3 kids? And the answer: “for a good show” HUH??
January 30, 2024
This book follows a group of friends who are basically fighting for their lives in a battle that seems impossible to win. Only one will fall prey, and I didn’t see it coming. This was a creepy, tension-inducing read with a splash of gore and character building so skillfully laid out it’s easy to love and hate the characters throughout. Enjoyable read!
January 26, 2024
3.5 ★
** 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 **
Every night on Halloween three children are chosen. Two will survive. One must go.
"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮"
I think that about sums up how I felt about Sam. Immediately hated him. By the time I got about 25% of the way through this book, I was ready for that little prick to be dragged to the pits of hell where he belonged. I actually found it hard to continue on with the story for the first 50ish% because of just how much I hated Sam and hated having to read from his POV. (but also kudos to Alex Reid for being able to make me feel that much emotion towards a character.)
Benjamin on the other hand was my sweet little angel who I just wanted to go through the page and hug and get him away from his "best friend". I also really enjoyed the character development that Benjamin went through. However, because Benjamin's character felt so developed, it made the other characters feel a little underdeveloped especially Maggie. It felt like Sam and Benjamin were the main characters and Maggie was just thrown in to add a little spice.
For all the doubts I had during the first half of this book, the second half came in and chopped them all to pieces. I loved the second half! It gave everything I was hoping to get from this story. The suspense, the tension, the anticipation of what was going to happen next and who was going to make it through the night, I ate it up. ** I do want to point out though that there is a somewhat graphic animal death that is not listed as a warning in the beginning of the book so if you tend to be sensitive with that kind of content, beware **
I do wish we would have gotten to delve a little more into the history behind the ritual and what/who exactly Fomori was. The ending was a little vague with the explanation of "why" the children are chosen, which I could see a lot of people disliking. It did remind me of the scene in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 though when the wife asks "why are you doing this to us" and the woman responds "because you were home", so I actually kind of liked the vague and rather unexciting explanation being the ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the second half was definitely a lot of fun! If you're looking for a fast-paced horror that gives the creepy and the gory, I would recommend you check this one out, especially if you're looking for a good Halloween read.
** 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 **
Every night on Halloween three children are chosen. Two will survive. One must go.
"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮"
I think that about sums up how I felt about Sam. Immediately hated him. By the time I got about 25% of the way through this book, I was ready for that little prick to be dragged to the pits of hell where he belonged. I actually found it hard to continue on with the story for the first 50ish% because of just how much I hated Sam and hated having to read from his POV. (but also kudos to Alex Reid for being able to make me feel that much emotion towards a character.)
Benjamin on the other hand was my sweet little angel who I just wanted to go through the page and hug and get him away from his "best friend". I also really enjoyed the character development that Benjamin went through. However, because Benjamin's character felt so developed, it made the other characters feel a little underdeveloped especially Maggie. It felt like Sam and Benjamin were the main characters and Maggie was just thrown in to add a little spice.
For all the doubts I had during the first half of this book, the second half came in and chopped them all to pieces. I loved the second half! It gave everything I was hoping to get from this story. The suspense, the tension, the anticipation of what was going to happen next and who was going to make it through the night, I ate it up. ** I do want to point out though that there is a somewhat graphic animal death that is not listed as a warning in the beginning of the book so if you tend to be sensitive with that kind of content, beware **
I do wish we would have gotten to delve a little more into the history behind the ritual and what/who exactly Fomori was. The ending was a little vague with the explanation of "why" the children are chosen, which I could see a lot of people disliking. It did remind me of the scene in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 though when the wife asks "why are you doing this to us" and the woman responds "because you were home", so I actually kind of liked the vague and rather unexciting explanation being the ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the second half was definitely a lot of fun! If you're looking for a fast-paced horror that gives the creepy and the gory, I would recommend you check this one out, especially if you're looking for a good Halloween read.
February 23, 2024
In the compelling and haunting novel "One Must Go" by Alex Reid, the annual selection of three middle school children for a deadly ritual plunges readers into a chilling tale of survival, sacrifice, and moral struggle. Each year, the capricious god chooses three young souls, granting the luxury of life to only two, provided they unanimously decide who among them will be offered to the dead. The story follows three such children: Sam, a volatile and vengeful boy, harbors resentment towards those who have wronged him; Benjamin, Sam's timid best friend, trapped in a cycle of fear and loyalty; and Maggie, a stoic girl who has faced death's door before. As the clock ticks down, the characters' desperation intensifies. Sam seizes the opportunity to settle old scores, unleashing a torrent of violence and manipulation. Benjamin, caught between his terror of Sam and his moral compass, grapples with the weight of the decision before him. Maggie, haunted by her past, seeks a way to break the cycle of death. The narrative delves into the complexities of human nature, exploring the capacity for cruelty and compassion within each character. Reid's skillful storytelling captures the reader's attention from the outset, weaving a tapestry of suspense, horror, and psychological depth. The characters are skillfully crafted, their actions and motivations believable and relatable. The plot twists and turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the very last page. "One Must Go" is a thought-provoking examination of the human condition, delving into themes of friendship, loyalty, and the lengths to which individuals will go to survive. While the novel's premise may initially draw comparisons to "The Hunger Games" series, Reid takes a unique approach to the survival genre. The focus is not solely on the physical struggle for survival, but also on the psychological and moral toll it takes on the participants. The exploration of the characters' inner turmoil and moral dilemmas elevates the narrative beyond a mere fight for life and death. Overall, "One Must Go" is a gripping and thought-provoking read that challenges readers to confront the darkest corners of human nature. Alex Reid's skillful storytelling and exploration of complex themes make this novel a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction, psychological thrillers, and stories that delve into the human psyche.
December 22, 2023
I read this as an arc from Netgalley.
This book sucked me in from the very beginning! I will go ahead and say it needs one TW in chapter 14 for description of animal death.
Benjamin and Sam have been friends for pretty much their whole 11 years of life. Maggie is a star athlete at her private school. One fateful Halloween night they all cross paths and our story is set into motion. Only two will see the light of day and their parents again. One must go.
Once a year a god crosses into our world to claim a soul. He always targets groups of 3 and they must choose who will be sacrificed that year.
As a little glimpse into our characters: Benjamin is a rule follower who everyone adores. Sam is.... Well he's your typical psychopath. Maggie is an athlete who doesn't really have any friends because she prioritizes sports over everything.
This is where my review gets into spoiler territory.
I hated Sam. My god did this kid get under my skin. He's the 'friend' we've all had that liked to be mean to us for no reason. I hoped he would be the one sacrificed. (No spoilers on who it was)
Benjamin was so wholesome. He's in middle school but holding onto his childhood the best he can. He's just a good little kid who can't see how awful his best friend has been all his life.
Maggie has a dark past that is touched on in one chapter. That may be her issue with making friends. I didn't really feel like her character was as solid as Sam or Benjamin though.
The ending had such a huge build up and I couldn't read it fast enough. Then it just.... Ended. No epilogue about what happened after that night. Personally I would have liked to see what happened when the two remaining kids were found or went home, what they did the following Halloween, how did the town react to the missing kid.
All in all it was a good book and great for the Halloween season (or just when you want a good horror read). But I have to give it 4 stars just because of the animal death I mentioned in the beginning of the review. That for me is something I don't like reading and the story could have done without it.
This book sucked me in from the very beginning! I will go ahead and say it needs one TW in chapter 14 for description of animal death.
Benjamin and Sam have been friends for pretty much their whole 11 years of life. Maggie is a star athlete at her private school. One fateful Halloween night they all cross paths and our story is set into motion. Only two will see the light of day and their parents again. One must go.
Once a year a god crosses into our world to claim a soul. He always targets groups of 3 and they must choose who will be sacrificed that year.
As a little glimpse into our characters: Benjamin is a rule follower who everyone adores. Sam is.... Well he's your typical psychopath. Maggie is an athlete who doesn't really have any friends because she prioritizes sports over everything.
This is where my review gets into spoiler territory.
I hated Sam. My god did this kid get under my skin. He's the 'friend' we've all had that liked to be mean to us for no reason. I hoped he would be the one sacrificed. (No spoilers on who it was)
Benjamin was so wholesome. He's in middle school but holding onto his childhood the best he can. He's just a good little kid who can't see how awful his best friend has been all his life.
Maggie has a dark past that is touched on in one chapter. That may be her issue with making friends. I didn't really feel like her character was as solid as Sam or Benjamin though.
The ending had such a huge build up and I couldn't read it fast enough. Then it just.... Ended. No epilogue about what happened after that night. Personally I would have liked to see what happened when the two remaining kids were found or went home, what they did the following Halloween, how did the town react to the missing kid.
All in all it was a good book and great for the Halloween season (or just when you want a good horror read). But I have to give it 4 stars just because of the animal death I mentioned in the beginning of the review. That for me is something I don't like reading and the story could have done without it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2024
What would you get if you mixed a mini Hunger Games type situation with Halloween?
One Must Go: A Horror Novel.
One Must Go follows the stories of three children. Sam, a rough sixth grader who really seems to enjoy picking on people, pulling pranks, and giving others a hard time. Ben, Sam's best friend, who is pretty much the complete opposite of Sam - sweet, innocent, and still loves watching cartoons in sixth grade. And Maggie, an 8th grader pitching prodigy who goes to a prep school, and is hiding a tragic secret.
Halloween has always been a favorite for Sam and Ben - Sam to steal candy and scare little kids, Ben to try and enjoy the holiday and get candy. But this year, Sam goes too far in the preparation for Halloween. It sets the tone for the rest of the holiday.
The next day, they go out and Maggie ends up finding them after an unsettling moment, and she sticks with them. They are then met with a terrifying realization that this Halloween isn't going to be like the other holidays, and they aren't sure which of them are going to live to see future Halloweens. They are given the night to decide which of the three will be sacrificed, all the while trying to avoid the terrifying army of corpses that are following them and attempting to make that decision for them.
There is a lot of disturbing descriptions in this book. There's a lot of terror, but not just from the corpses. You see what children can really do when they're faced with a life or death decision. You see madness and see when people realize who they truly are. I was on edge for quite a few moments, especially once Halloween night actually hit.
I was also confused about some things. The amount of people out trick or treating really seemed to fluctuate. They were crowded when they needed to be, but then one street over, the street completely lined with pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns were desolate. Do kids really keep trick or treating until 11 pm? Even when I was a kid, the majority of kids and teens were home by 9 or 10.
All in all, I really enjoyed this creepy read. Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Reid, and Wicked House Publishing for the ARC!
One Must Go: A Horror Novel.
One Must Go follows the stories of three children. Sam, a rough sixth grader who really seems to enjoy picking on people, pulling pranks, and giving others a hard time. Ben, Sam's best friend, who is pretty much the complete opposite of Sam - sweet, innocent, and still loves watching cartoons in sixth grade. And Maggie, an 8th grader pitching prodigy who goes to a prep school, and is hiding a tragic secret.
Halloween has always been a favorite for Sam and Ben - Sam to steal candy and scare little kids, Ben to try and enjoy the holiday and get candy. But this year, Sam goes too far in the preparation for Halloween. It sets the tone for the rest of the holiday.
The next day, they go out and Maggie ends up finding them after an unsettling moment, and she sticks with them. They are then met with a terrifying realization that this Halloween isn't going to be like the other holidays, and they aren't sure which of them are going to live to see future Halloweens. They are given the night to decide which of the three will be sacrificed, all the while trying to avoid the terrifying army of corpses that are following them and attempting to make that decision for them.
There is a lot of disturbing descriptions in this book. There's a lot of terror, but not just from the corpses. You see what children can really do when they're faced with a life or death decision. You see madness and see when people realize who they truly are. I was on edge for quite a few moments, especially once Halloween night actually hit.
I was also confused about some things. The amount of people out trick or treating really seemed to fluctuate. They were crowded when they needed to be, but then one street over, the street completely lined with pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns were desolate. Do kids really keep trick or treating until 11 pm? Even when I was a kid, the majority of kids and teens were home by 9 or 10.
All in all, I really enjoyed this creepy read. Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Reid, and Wicked House Publishing for the ARC!
January 26, 2024
I was provided a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Every year three middle school children are chosen for a Halloween ritual—only two can make it out alive. The fact that the children have to decide who lives and who dies is horrific and got me very excited to read this book.
I was very interested in Benjamin and Sam’s friendship. Though friendship may not be the correct term… frenemies? friends of convenience? There was a scene early on where Sam runs into an older boy they know and ignores Benjamin and denies their friendship to seem ‘cool’. Then, later on when they’re alone, Sam calls Benjamin his friend. This whole dynamic felt quite real to me—I remember being both Benjamin and Sam in this situation when I was a young child—and it helped flesh out these characters and their relationship with one another. I enjoyed learning about Maggie, the third of the chosen trio. She’s a lonely kid and has lied to her parents about her Halloween plans. She has no tie to Sam or Benjamin prior to the start of the book and doesn’t actually meet them until about one-third of the way in when she rescues Benjamin from [redacted] when they’re all out trick-or-treating.
What’s especially interesting about the characters is they all have a dark side which is what attracts Fomori, the creature whose ritual they’re about to star in. I won’t say what they are because they are potentially spoilers. What I will say is that some characters are darker than others and Fomori, in my opinion, is not the scariest character in the book. Also, because I find etymology fun, the name Fomori stems from Irish folklore and seems to allude to beings from the ‘nether’ or underworld. I just thought that was neat. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians)
There were times when there was a bit too much exposition. For example, in the prologue, the author lingers too long on the futures of two characters, Nathan and Justin, who are used to set up the story and the world. I can understand why the author included this as it does hint at the effects of untreated childhood trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that survivors lean on, such as alcoholism. However, we were only with Nathan and Justin for a few pages and then we never saw them again, so it didn’t feel as impactful. There are times throughout the book where these glimpses of the future are used well and add the ominous nature of the story, such as at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the author writes:
“Three children sat in their rooms this particular autumn night. They stared at the same moon while its light whispered to each of them a different secret. None of them knew that the moon would be absent from the sky the following night and that for one of them, this would be their last time in their bed.”
The story is about middle schoolers and I think this is definitely a great book for older readers who love a spooky Halloween tale. The voice of the book steers young for the most part but while it deals with themes of violence and death that can sometimes feel a bit too mature for a younger audience. As with a lot of genre fiction, the pace picks up toward the middle of the story. While this would usually be a critique for a larger book, I enjoyed this in a shorter story as the first half of the book was very character driven while the second half was more action/plot driven (while also keeping the characterisation there).
Every year three middle school children are chosen for a Halloween ritual—only two can make it out alive. The fact that the children have to decide who lives and who dies is horrific and got me very excited to read this book.
I was very interested in Benjamin and Sam’s friendship. Though friendship may not be the correct term… frenemies? friends of convenience? There was a scene early on where Sam runs into an older boy they know and ignores Benjamin and denies their friendship to seem ‘cool’. Then, later on when they’re alone, Sam calls Benjamin his friend. This whole dynamic felt quite real to me—I remember being both Benjamin and Sam in this situation when I was a young child—and it helped flesh out these characters and their relationship with one another. I enjoyed learning about Maggie, the third of the chosen trio. She’s a lonely kid and has lied to her parents about her Halloween plans. She has no tie to Sam or Benjamin prior to the start of the book and doesn’t actually meet them until about one-third of the way in when she rescues Benjamin from [redacted] when they’re all out trick-or-treating.
What’s especially interesting about the characters is they all have a dark side which is what attracts Fomori, the creature whose ritual they’re about to star in. I won’t say what they are because they are potentially spoilers. What I will say is that some characters are darker than others and Fomori, in my opinion, is not the scariest character in the book. Also, because I find etymology fun, the name Fomori stems from Irish folklore and seems to allude to beings from the ‘nether’ or underworld. I just thought that was neat. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians)
There were times when there was a bit too much exposition. For example, in the prologue, the author lingers too long on the futures of two characters, Nathan and Justin, who are used to set up the story and the world. I can understand why the author included this as it does hint at the effects of untreated childhood trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that survivors lean on, such as alcoholism. However, we were only with Nathan and Justin for a few pages and then we never saw them again, so it didn’t feel as impactful. There are times throughout the book where these glimpses of the future are used well and add the ominous nature of the story, such as at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the author writes:
“Three children sat in their rooms this particular autumn night. They stared at the same moon while its light whispered to each of them a different secret. None of them knew that the moon would be absent from the sky the following night and that for one of them, this would be their last time in their bed.”
The story is about middle schoolers and I think this is definitely a great book for older readers who love a spooky Halloween tale. The voice of the book steers young for the most part but while it deals with themes of violence and death that can sometimes feel a bit too mature for a younger audience. As with a lot of genre fiction, the pace picks up toward the middle of the story. While this would usually be a critique for a larger book, I enjoyed this in a shorter story as the first half of the book was very character driven while the second half was more action/plot driven (while also keeping the characterisation there).
December 18, 2023
One Must Go - Alex Reid
Trope/Genre - Horror, Mystery
Trigger Warnings ⚠️ - language and graphic details
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This book follows three main characters; Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie. Each child has a very descriptive background, each having their own problems. Sam and Ben have grown up together and have been friends for years, but what if only one of them gets to survive? Fits of murderous rage foges Sam as he's always been seen as the trouble kid even his parents had thoughts of getting rid of him. He hated his friend, he hated how his parents wanted him, loved him more. So maybe this was finally a chance to get rid of his 'friend' once and for all.
----
Maggie is a high runner for being the best softball player and he parents are very proud of her comings, but they don't know she isn't as popular as they believe. So, she is forced out of the house on Halloween night and that's when she meets the two friends. One thing leads to another and they lead themselves to an abandoned cemetery. Where they are told by a large man, from not of their world, they must choose who will live and who will die.
But one must go.
----
I enjoyed reading the book as it was a rather easy read. But it lacked better descriptions, I couldn't understand what was going on for a bit of the story and had to really try to guess what it was. They used very good descriptive language, but it didn't flow into the writing to help make sense of what was going on. The concept was very good and good have been a great book. But why did they have to take kids? Why was it them? There was no explanation of the background on the older mans line and could have furthered the story if that was added. Over all it had a great start.
Trope/Genre - Horror, Mystery
Trigger Warnings ⚠️ - language and graphic details
----
This book follows three main characters; Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie. Each child has a very descriptive background, each having their own problems. Sam and Ben have grown up together and have been friends for years, but what if only one of them gets to survive? Fits of murderous rage foges Sam as he's always been seen as the trouble kid even his parents had thoughts of getting rid of him. He hated his friend, he hated how his parents wanted him, loved him more. So maybe this was finally a chance to get rid of his 'friend' once and for all.
----
Maggie is a high runner for being the best softball player and he parents are very proud of her comings, but they don't know she isn't as popular as they believe. So, she is forced out of the house on Halloween night and that's when she meets the two friends. One thing leads to another and they lead themselves to an abandoned cemetery. Where they are told by a large man, from not of their world, they must choose who will live and who will die.
But one must go.
----
I enjoyed reading the book as it was a rather easy read. But it lacked better descriptions, I couldn't understand what was going on for a bit of the story and had to really try to guess what it was. They used very good descriptive language, but it didn't flow into the writing to help make sense of what was going on. The concept was very good and good have been a great book. But why did they have to take kids? Why was it them? There was no explanation of the background on the older mans line and could have furthered the story if that was added. Over all it had a great start.
January 6, 2024
This fast-paced, bloody horror story opens with children Sam, Benjamin, and Maggie. The three set out trick-or-treating Halloween night and meet up when Sam is beating up his buddy Benjamin. Sam is a troubled child. From the early age of 3, his mother finds he's not your normal sweet child after a horrific incident at the pet store. Sam and Benjamin have been friends for years, but Sam has actually resented Benjamin for being everything in a son he never felt he could be. Benjamin is a very self-conscious boy, easily persuaded and often times very lonely.
These two characters feed off the others' trauma, finding a common bond but always rocking back and forth in conflict. Benjamin becomes the punching bag, Sam, his daily companion. Maggie is a well-known baseball player who gets a lot of attention and every so often just needs an escape, somewhere people don't know her. After running into Sam beating on Benjamin, she decides to stick around following them through town. She takes to Benjamin and sees he needs some watching over. They head into the cemetery where they are faced with a creepy character, Fomorti. This encounter changes everything for these kids, as they find themselves running for their lives; being hunted and hunters; who will be the one to go down! Creepy, violent, bloody, and thrilling. It's very entertaining. I kept rooting for Maggie and Ben right to the last page. It starts off light and creepy, but be warned, it gets violent and graphic towards the ending.
Thank you, Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
These two characters feed off the others' trauma, finding a common bond but always rocking back and forth in conflict. Benjamin becomes the punching bag, Sam, his daily companion. Maggie is a well-known baseball player who gets a lot of attention and every so often just needs an escape, somewhere people don't know her. After running into Sam beating on Benjamin, she decides to stick around following them through town. She takes to Benjamin and sees he needs some watching over. They head into the cemetery where they are faced with a creepy character, Fomorti. This encounter changes everything for these kids, as they find themselves running for their lives; being hunted and hunters; who will be the one to go down! Creepy, violent, bloody, and thrilling. It's very entertaining. I kept rooting for Maggie and Ben right to the last page. It starts off light and creepy, but be warned, it gets violent and graphic towards the ending.
Thank you, Netgalley and Wicked House Publishing, for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2024
Three kids are chosen at random as unwilling participants in an ancient tradition: one of them must die to appease the maniacal whims of an unhinged god. Ben is a kindhearted but timid boy who seems the most likely candidate for sacrifice. Sam is a self-centered and sadistic bully, who seems to deserve death the most. Athletic Maggie has a life filled with opportunity and promise--and dark secrets she can't escape. Over the course of one fateful Halloween night, they must face both by the apparitions of the rite's previous victims, as well as the ghosts of their pasts, if they hope to survive until dawn.
Reid does an excellent job of combining more innocent aspects of early adolescence with the darker elements in the story. (I definitely got vibes of "the Losers Club" from Stephen King's "It" at times.) Ben is the most likable of the trio of main characters, and Sam, the least, but even with these distinctions made early in the narrative, we learn there are reasons for Sam's cruelty and that Ben isn't always the pushover he first appears to be. And while Maggie initially appears as no-nonsense and tough, we learn she has a softer, more empathetic side, too, as the story unfolds. No one is exactly as they first seem to be, and that goes for the god who instigates the entire ordeal. In the end, however, a difficult and horrible choice must be made, and until the very end, Reid keeps you guessing which one must go.
Reid does an excellent job of combining more innocent aspects of early adolescence with the darker elements in the story. (I definitely got vibes of "the Losers Club" from Stephen King's "It" at times.) Ben is the most likable of the trio of main characters, and Sam, the least, but even with these distinctions made early in the narrative, we learn there are reasons for Sam's cruelty and that Ben isn't always the pushover he first appears to be. And while Maggie initially appears as no-nonsense and tough, we learn she has a softer, more empathetic side, too, as the story unfolds. No one is exactly as they first seem to be, and that goes for the god who instigates the entire ordeal. In the end, however, a difficult and horrible choice must be made, and until the very end, Reid keeps you guessing which one must go.
January 26, 2024
** 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 **
Every night on Halloween three children are chosen. Two will survive. One must go.
"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮"
I think that about sums up how I felt about Sam. Immediately hated him. By the time I got about 25% of the way through this book, I was ready for that little prick to be dragged to the pits of hell where he belonged. I actually found it hard to continue on with the story for the first 50ish% because of just how much I hated Sam and hated having to read from his POV. (but also kudos to Alex Reid for being able to make me feel that much emotion towards a character.)
Benjamin on the other hand was my sweet little angel who I just wanted to go through the page and hug and get him away from his "best friend". I also really enjoyed the character development that Benjamin went through. However, because Benjamin's character felt so developed, it made the other characters feel a little underdeveloped especially Maggie. It felt like Sam and Benjamin were the main characters and Maggie was just thrown in to add a little spice.
For all the doubts I had during the first half of this book, the second half came in and chopped them all to pieces. I loved the second half! It gave everything I was hoping to get from this story. The suspense, the tension, the anticipation of what was going to happen next and who was going to make it through the night, I ate it up. ** I do want to point out though that there is a somewhat graphic animal death that is not listed as a warning in the beginning of the book so if you tend to be sensitive with that kind of content, beware **
I do wish we would have gotten to delve a little more into the history behind the ritual and what/who exactly Fomori was. The ending was a little vague with the explanation of "why" the children are chosen, which I could see a lot of people disliking. It did remind me of the scene in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 though when the wife asks "why are you doing this to us" and the woman responds "because you were home", so I actually kind of liked the vague and rather unexciting explanation being the ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the second half was definitely a lot of fun! If you're looking for a fast-paced horror that gives the creepy and the gory, I would recommend you check this one out, especially if you're looking for a good Halloween read.
Every night on Halloween three children are chosen. Two will survive. One must go.
"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘮'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦; 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮"
I think that about sums up how I felt about Sam. Immediately hated him. By the time I got about 25% of the way through this book, I was ready for that little prick to be dragged to the pits of hell where he belonged. I actually found it hard to continue on with the story for the first 50ish% because of just how much I hated Sam and hated having to read from his POV. (but also kudos to Alex Reid for being able to make me feel that much emotion towards a character.)
Benjamin on the other hand was my sweet little angel who I just wanted to go through the page and hug and get him away from his "best friend". I also really enjoyed the character development that Benjamin went through. However, because Benjamin's character felt so developed, it made the other characters feel a little underdeveloped especially Maggie. It felt like Sam and Benjamin were the main characters and Maggie was just thrown in to add a little spice.
For all the doubts I had during the first half of this book, the second half came in and chopped them all to pieces. I loved the second half! It gave everything I was hoping to get from this story. The suspense, the tension, the anticipation of what was going to happen next and who was going to make it through the night, I ate it up. ** I do want to point out though that there is a somewhat graphic animal death that is not listed as a warning in the beginning of the book so if you tend to be sensitive with that kind of content, beware **
I do wish we would have gotten to delve a little more into the history behind the ritual and what/who exactly Fomori was. The ending was a little vague with the explanation of "why" the children are chosen, which I could see a lot of people disliking. It did remind me of the scene in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 though when the wife asks "why are you doing this to us" and the woman responds "because you were home", so I actually kind of liked the vague and rather unexciting explanation being the ending.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the second half was definitely a lot of fun! If you're looking for a fast-paced horror that gives the creepy and the gory, I would recommend you check this one out, especially if you're looking for a good Halloween read.
December 17, 2023
I enjoyed this grisly creepy novel. It's set on Halloween, has a really unique premise, and delivers on the scares along with a few gory scenes.
This is about three kids who are tasked with choosing one of them to be sacrificed by a supernatural being. They must pick one of them to die and, in the meantime, they are being hunted and stalked by the spirits of dead children who were chosen in the past.
Sam is very troubled budding psychopath, his best friend is the opposite and more like a small child, and Maggie is a couple of years older but is lonely and driven by playing sports. When these three meet on that Halloween night, they will never be the same again.
While frightening and filled with tension, I wish this novel would have delved a bit deeper into the background of this ritual and the being who makes it happen. We know a little but the "why" behind it all was vague.
Other than that one small gripe, this is a fantastic book that wil give you some thrills and chills and it's one I highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
This is about three kids who are tasked with choosing one of them to be sacrificed by a supernatural being. They must pick one of them to die and, in the meantime, they are being hunted and stalked by the spirits of dead children who were chosen in the past.
Sam is very troubled budding psychopath, his best friend is the opposite and more like a small child, and Maggie is a couple of years older but is lonely and driven by playing sports. When these three meet on that Halloween night, they will never be the same again.
While frightening and filled with tension, I wish this novel would have delved a bit deeper into the background of this ritual and the being who makes it happen. We know a little but the "why" behind it all was vague.
Other than that one small gripe, this is a fantastic book that wil give you some thrills and chills and it's one I highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book with no consideration. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
May 16, 2024
Every year on Halloween, a bloody ritual sets in motion events that can not be undone. Three children are chosen, only two survive. This is a fast paced horror set over the course of one night, as readers follow the three chosen children through their impossible choices. The pacing was pretty intense, which I definitely enjoyed. Alex Reid did an incredible job of making you love/hate the characters as well as setting the scene. However, due to the breakneck pace of the story, sometimes things got a little muddled and I had to go back. The story could have benefited from slowing down just a little, and being just a little longer, to properly convey everything. Overall, this was an intense, breath taking read that I would recommend for Halloween night!
Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.
March 13, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for the copy. My opinion is my own.
A great read, especially for spooky season!
Very well written and fast paced, well worth checking it out.
The protagonists are children and they go through the wringer in this book. It takes a while for the action to truly commence - exception is in the prologue that starts with the end of the previous year's ritual - and it served to present to use to our protagonists - Benjamin, Sam and Maggie.
Out of these three Maggie I would argue is the weakest section and character, which is a shame but is a consequence of not actually being friends with Sam and Ben before the action, where these latter two are "best friends".
There is gruesome descriptions of dead children - and of children getting injured - so it's not a book for anyone to pick up.
A great read, especially for spooky season!
Very well written and fast paced, well worth checking it out.
The protagonists are children and they go through the wringer in this book. It takes a while for the action to truly commence - exception is in the prologue that starts with the end of the previous year's ritual - and it served to present to use to our protagonists - Benjamin, Sam and Maggie.
Out of these three Maggie I would argue is the weakest section and character, which is a shame but is a consequence of not actually being friends with Sam and Ben before the action, where these latter two are "best friends".
There is gruesome descriptions of dead children - and of children getting injured - so it's not a book for anyone to pick up.
December 14, 2023
One Must Go was an easy read, yet brutally detailed book depicting three children over about 48 hours as they know one must die at the end of the night. Middle schoolers can be terrifying, and this book certainly played on that. The horror in this books boils down to basic cruelty and the desire to survive. I think this book is well suited to a movie adaption one day.
In the first half, some of the dialogue felt awkward and stilted, with an overuse of character names (sometimes in every sentence of dialogue between the same characters). Exposition, however, was nicely detailed. However, this isn’t a book I would re-read, but may tell as a spooky story at a future Halloween party.
In the first half, some of the dialogue felt awkward and stilted, with an overuse of character names (sometimes in every sentence of dialogue between the same characters). Exposition, however, was nicely detailed. However, this isn’t a book I would re-read, but may tell as a spooky story at a future Halloween party.
January 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked House Publishing for this opportunity to read rate and review this book which will be available Jan 19,2024!
I had an incredibly hard time with this book. It’s not that it was a bad book but the subject matter really got to me. I normally don’t have triggers but I guess horror books with children are my hardline. I do recommend the hardcore readers of horror read this book or rather that everyone reads it if horror is your jam but holy mother of Pearl this one actually gave me a trigger. Damn.
I had an incredibly hard time with this book. It’s not that it was a bad book but the subject matter really got to me. I normally don’t have triggers but I guess horror books with children are my hardline. I do recommend the hardcore readers of horror read this book or rather that everyone reads it if horror is your jam but holy mother of Pearl this one actually gave me a trigger. Damn.
January 9, 2024
***Disclaimer: I was provided an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.***
Every year three middle school children are chosen for a Halloween ritual—only two can make it out alive. The fact that the children have to decide who lives and who dies is horrific and got me very excited to read this book.
I was very interested in Benjamin and Sam’s friendship. Though friendship may not be the correct term… frenemies? friends of convenience? There was a scene early on where Sam runs into an older boy they know and ignores Benjamin and denies their friendship to seem ‘cool’. Then, later on when they’re alone, Sam calls Benjamin his friend. This whole dynamic felt quite real to me—I remember being both Benjamin and Sam in this situation when I was a young child—and it helped flesh out these characters and their relationship with one another. I enjoyed learning about Maggie, the third of the chosen trio. She’s a lonely kid and has lied to her parents about her Halloween plans. She has no tie to Sam or Benjamin prior to the start of the book and doesn’t actually meet them until about one-third of the way in when she rescues Benjamin from [redacted] when they’re all out trick-or-treating.
What’s especially interesting about the characters is they all have a dark side which is what attracts Fomori, the creature whose ritual they’re about to star in. I won’t say what they are because they are potentially spoilers. What I will say is that some characters are darker than others and Fomori, in my opinion, is not the scariest character in the book. Also, because I find etymology fun, the name Fomori stems from Irish folklore and seems to allude to beings from the ‘nether’ or underworld. I just thought that was neat. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians)
There were times when there was a bit too much exposition. For example, in the prologue, the author lingers too long on the futures of two characters, Nathan and Justin, who are used to set up the story and the world. I can understand why the author included this as it does hint at the effects of untreated childhood trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that survivors lean on, such as alcoholism. However, we were only with Nathan and Justin for a few pages and then we never saw them again, so it didn’t feel as impactful. There are times throughout the book where these glimpses of the future are used well and add the ominous nature of the story, such as at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the author writes:
“Three children sat in their rooms this particular autumn night. They stared at the same moon while its light whispered to each of them a different secret. None of them knew that the moon would be absent from the sky the following night and that for one of them, this would be their last time in their bed.”
The story is about middle schoolers and I think this is definitely a great book for middle grade and young adult fiction readers who love a spooky Halloween tale. The voice of the book steers young for the most part and, while it deals with themes of violence and death, the themes aren’t too mature that the book’s inaccessible to a younger audience. As with a lot of genre fiction, the pace picks up toward the middle of the story. While this would usually be a critique for a larger book, I enjoyed this in a shorter story as the first half of the book was very character driven while the second half was more action/plot driven (while also keeping the characterisation there).
One Must Go by Alex Reid will be published on 19 January 2024.
Every year three middle school children are chosen for a Halloween ritual—only two can make it out alive. The fact that the children have to decide who lives and who dies is horrific and got me very excited to read this book.
I was very interested in Benjamin and Sam’s friendship. Though friendship may not be the correct term… frenemies? friends of convenience? There was a scene early on where Sam runs into an older boy they know and ignores Benjamin and denies their friendship to seem ‘cool’. Then, later on when they’re alone, Sam calls Benjamin his friend. This whole dynamic felt quite real to me—I remember being both Benjamin and Sam in this situation when I was a young child—and it helped flesh out these characters and their relationship with one another. I enjoyed learning about Maggie, the third of the chosen trio. She’s a lonely kid and has lied to her parents about her Halloween plans. She has no tie to Sam or Benjamin prior to the start of the book and doesn’t actually meet them until about one-third of the way in when she rescues Benjamin from [redacted] when they’re all out trick-or-treating.
What’s especially interesting about the characters is they all have a dark side which is what attracts Fomori, the creature whose ritual they’re about to star in. I won’t say what they are because they are potentially spoilers. What I will say is that some characters are darker than others and Fomori, in my opinion, is not the scariest character in the book. Also, because I find etymology fun, the name Fomori stems from Irish folklore and seems to allude to beings from the ‘nether’ or underworld. I just thought that was neat. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians)
There were times when there was a bit too much exposition. For example, in the prologue, the author lingers too long on the futures of two characters, Nathan and Justin, who are used to set up the story and the world. I can understand why the author included this as it does hint at the effects of untreated childhood trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that survivors lean on, such as alcoholism. However, we were only with Nathan and Justin for a few pages and then we never saw them again, so it didn’t feel as impactful. There are times throughout the book where these glimpses of the future are used well and add the ominous nature of the story, such as at the beginning of Chapter 5 where the author writes:
“Three children sat in their rooms this particular autumn night. They stared at the same moon while its light whispered to each of them a different secret. None of them knew that the moon would be absent from the sky the following night and that for one of them, this would be their last time in their bed.”
The story is about middle schoolers and I think this is definitely a great book for middle grade and young adult fiction readers who love a spooky Halloween tale. The voice of the book steers young for the most part and, while it deals with themes of violence and death, the themes aren’t too mature that the book’s inaccessible to a younger audience. As with a lot of genre fiction, the pace picks up toward the middle of the story. While this would usually be a critique for a larger book, I enjoyed this in a shorter story as the first half of the book was very character driven while the second half was more action/plot driven (while also keeping the characterisation there).
One Must Go by Alex Reid will be published on 19 January 2024.
January 11, 2024
This was so much fun! A must for every lover of spooky kids and Halloween. I really appreciated how different the three main children were and the odd friendship between Sam and Ben was intriguing in its reality. Very believable characters made for an extremely disturbing read ..in all the right ways. This needs to be on every October TBR list out there!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title free of charge. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title free of charge. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
January 21, 2024
** Thank you, Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **
HOLY MOLY, where do I start?
The character development in this book is amazing. The writing is very strong and lyrical at times. In the beginning, I thought the writing was repetitive with the number of times the author said "she" in such a short span of time.
I can't believe how much I hate Sam. He is quite a his personality is unbearable, and I wish he never existed. I can't believe he accidentally and wanted to I absolutely hated the way he treated Ben. He is super sweet, same with Maggie.
HOLY MOLY, where do I start?
The character development in this book is amazing. The writing is very strong and lyrical at times. In the beginning, I thought the writing was repetitive with the number of times the author said "she" in such a short span of time.
I can't believe how much I hate Sam. He is quite a his personality is unbearable, and I wish he never existed. I can't believe he accidentally and wanted to I absolutely hated the way he treated Ben. He is super sweet, same with Maggie.
August 28, 2024
For such a short time span in this book I was amazed at how much the author was able to pack into this book! For my horror lovers this book will have you on the edge of your seat the whole way through! This could not have been written more perfectly. I absolutely love it and it will be going on my reread list!
This was an ARC review from Netgalley. Thank you so much to the Author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this one of a kind piece of art! This is my honest review. I was not paid for this review.
This was an ARC review from Netgalley. Thank you so much to the Author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this one of a kind piece of art! This is my honest review. I was not paid for this review.
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