The Crash By Freida McFadden
A snowstorm, a suspicious couple, and way too many references to tuna
When I’m in a reading slump, I usually reach for Freida McFadden. Her books are fast, twisty, and don’t ask much of you—ideal when your attention span is in hibernation or, in my case, buried under work and Florida heat. I’m a slow reader by nature (thanks, grad school, for training my brain to pause and analyze every single sentence), but I still read The Crash in about two sittings. I was hoping for that signature Freida-style whiplash twist. Instead, I got something that felt predictable, phoned in, and capped off with a truly dumb ending.
Three-Sentence Summary
Tegan—eight months pregnant, broke, alone—is driving through a blizzard to stay with her brother and figure out her next move. But a car crash derails her plan, and she wakes up injured in the home of a couple who insists on helping her. As the snow piles up, so do the red flags—and Tegan has to figure out who she can trust before it’s too late for her and her unborn child.
What Kept Me Reading
One of the best (and worst, if you’re craving originality) things about Freida is her pacing. She sticks to a formula—but it’s one that works. Act one sets the scene. Act two flips it upside down, lights it on fire, drains its bank account, erases its browser history, and changes the locks. Then act three shoves it into a suitcase, duct-tapes it shut, and hurls it off a cliff. She’s not going to win a Booker, but her books are fast, bingeable, and reliably entertaining. The twists here weren’t particularly twisty (more on that in a minute), but the story still held my attention and kept me engaged from start to finish.
While the plot didn’t wow me, I’ll give credit where it’s due: Tegan had grit. She may have made some forehead-smacking choices (you broke your ankle and refused to let the nurse set it—why?) but she fought hard for herself and her unborn baby. Compared to your average thriller heroine, she’s basically Rambo—if Rambo were eight months pregnant, severely injured, and stuck in a cabin with people who are definitely hiding something and not doing a great job of it.
What Didn’t Work
Freida, girl… slow down.
She’s released at least three books this year, and it’s starting to show. The Crash reads like a watered-down version of her usual work—like someone tried to imitate her style, but missed the part where tension is supposed to build or twists are supposed to land.
The plot is almost aggressively predictable. You can see the second-act “gotcha!” coming from miles away, so when it hits, it’s very sad trombone noise, you know what I mean?
And the ending? Not jaw-dropping. Not even satisfying. Just… dumb. Everything wraps up too neatly, with no real logic or consequences.
Also: Tegan calls her unborn baby Little Tuna constantly. I assume it was meant to be quirky or endearing, but by the halfway point, it was just weird. I’m not against a cute nickname, but this one just made me annoyed and kind of crave a sandwich.
The Vibe
Stranded. Injured. Definitely not okay.
If you have a beard, you’re automatically suspicious.
Secrets piling up faster than the snow outside.
A cabin full of lies and tension thick enough to cut with a butter knife.
Plot twists that forget to twist.
Every chapter one step closer to naming your child Little Tuna.
A mom-to-be who will do whatever it takes—and it might involve cutlery.
A Line I Loved
“For God’s sake,” he says. “I should file a lawsuit against the company that made those condoms.”
Simon may be a cardboard villain, but this got a laugh.
Who It’s For
If you’re already a Freida McFadden fan, you’ll probably pick this up no matter what—and fair enough. If you’re new to her work, I’d suggest starting with Never Lie instead; it’s sharper, twistier, and more polished.
But The Crash is free on Kindle right now, if that moves you to read it. Honestly, that might be the best reason to.
My Rating
2 stars on Goodreads. (Hi! Let’s be friends!)
i love a negative review 🖤