Review | One by One by D.W. Gillespie (ARC)

The Easton family moves into an old house after Frank Easton decides the family needs a change. While his wife Debra and eldest child Dean are reluctant and skeptical, the youngest child, Alice, is happy for a new adventure. But when she finds a strange drawing on the wall, and what appears to be a figure at her window, her feelings change. When events spiral into a nightmare, Alice is the only one who knows the truth. But can she save her family and herself before it’s too late?

If I’d stayed that little girl, that sweet, safe little thing, would any of this ever have happened?

One by One begins like a typical haunted house story where a family moves to an old house in dire needs of repairs. The move is due to the father’s plan to shake up their lives so the rest of the family is pretty unhappy, except for the 10-year-old daughter, Alice. But of course soon things start going haywire!

The book is taken from Alice’s point of view. She’s smart but prone to daydreams so when weird stuff happen her family dismisses her concerns. She finds a diary that belonged to a girl who used to live in the house. From there, she learns terrible things about the past. I liked that while Alice is shown to be naive in some ways due to her age, she catches on pretty quickly. I could feel her frustration at her family’s disregard for her worries. When trouble comes, I wanted her to fight and win!

I thought the portrayal of the parents’ marriage feels real and raw, even uncomfortable. It really added to the tension in the house. The way the family dynamic is depicted makes it clear that they love each other but there’s an underlying stress. It asks the question of whether they can survive the move – and whatever else is thrown at them.

The story takes some time to get going so it was a little hard to keep my attention in the beginning. But once everything starts to go wrong, it‘s intense. It goes to places I didn’t expect and brings up the horrors of family secrets and lasting trauma. The epilogue carries on the themes of family and survival that encapsulate the book. There is a pretty gruesome animal death scene so take note if this bothers you.

Overall, One by One is a solid horror story where the fear comes from not knowing who the people you love truly are. A nice twist on the haunted house trope!

I received an ARC from the publisher for review purposes. One by One is out now!

About the author: D.W. Gillespie

Photo by Gregory Culmer