The Crash by Freida McFadden

A friend has recommended Freida McFadden’s books a few times, and my wife enjoyed Never Lie, so, when I was looking for my next read, The Crash seemed compelling. My wife, however, was instantly turned off by the premise involving a pregnant woman in a crash, worried it wouldn’t be the “fun” kind of thrilling for her. It didn’t trigger the same reaction in me, and the setting of a pregnant woman involved in a crash during a blizzard simply sounded intriguing. That was as much setup as I knew going into this book.

If you read my reviews, you know that thrillers set in snowstorms are generally in my wheelhouse. Perhaps living on the sunny side of California all my life makes this setting more mysterious and thrilling to me. The thought of enduring a full-blown blizzard is a lot to process; I dream of a fully stocked, heated cabin with electricity and large bay windows, perfectly poised to watch a storm rage outside. That’s about the extent of my desire for snow. Being trapped and forced to survive in that kind of climate seems daunting, making these types of stories incredibly fun reads for me.

With all that said, I must admit, there was very little blizzard in The Crash. The snowstorm, unlike in Dead of Winter, wasn’t really a character; it was merely a plot device contributing to the crash. And honestly, for about 95% of this book, I found myself thoroughly annoyed. Then, in the last 5%, it surprisingly tugged at my heartstrings and made me choke up.

Spoiler warning: Major plot details ahead!

We follow Tegan, a young, eight-month pregnant woman in her twenties, desperately trying to get a leg up in life. She was saving for nursing school until her pregnancy changed her plans. The book opens with her attempting to settle a child support agreement and sign a non-disclosure with the baby’s father, who wants nothing to do with either of them. This is her ticket to a better life for her and her baby, providing the money for the baby and nursing school. However, during the signing meeting, the father’s presence triggers a horrific memory: she realizes he drugged and raped her the night of their one-night stand. Overwhelmed, Tegan refuses to sign the agreement, kicking the father and his lawyer out of her apartment.

 This inciting incident is what convinces her to travel to stay with her brother during an oncoming blizzard, a journey that ultimately leads to her crash. After the accident, she’s rescued by Hank and brought back to his house, where his wife, Polly, a former nurse, cares for Tegan while the storm continues. Up to this point, the motivations and reactions of all characters are understandable.

The character I identified with most was Hank, which I guess isn’t a shock since I’m a man who often comes off as naturally intimidating to others (just ask my wife!). It’s a burden I bear, though internally, I’m generally non-threatening and often have goofy thoughts running through my head. That said, I was incredibly annoyed at Tegan for instantly painting Hank as an abuser based solely on his appearance. While I understand she was traumatized and would naturally distrust men, Tegan made so many leaps of logic about what was happening in the house where she was eventually trapped, all based on just one initial interaction. And Polly does the same thing on her side, making wild assumptions and logical leaps to justify her desperate desires, which also greatly annoyed me.

Polly desperately wants a baby but has been unable to conceive, causing her immense distress, to the point of having an episode that cost her her job. Now, she has a pregnant woman in her basement whom she’s judged an unfit mother, and she clearly wants Tegan’s baby. Tegan, injured and in distress, is convinced that Hank is preventing her from getting the help she needs even though all her interactions are with Polly. Polly is keeping Tegan captive because she has convinced herself that the baby is destined to be hers and she can convince everyone this is a great idea. Eventually, Hank finally realizes his wife has essentially kidnapped Tegan and won’t let her go. Days pass while Tegan is trapped in Polly’s basement until her injuries worsen. Thankfully, Hank takes her to the hospital, where she finally gets the medical attention she needs.

I believe McFadden intended to create sympathy for both sides of this twisted situation, but honestly, I found little sympathy for anyone. The only character I truly felt for was the child next door, living with an abusive father, who makes brief appearances. I had very little sympathy for Hank in the end, as he attempts to protect his wife from any consequences for her actions. And then, in the end…

Major, major spoilers

everyone gets a happy ending! This is what genuinely choked me up about this book. Don’t ask me why. Polly, who came frighteningly close to murdering Tegan for her child, suffers no consequences for her actions and ends up adopting the neighbor’s daughter, whose father, according to the police, simply got too drunk and passed out in the snow. But here’s the kicker: Hank killed that father, in front of the little girl, and the child seems perfectly fine with it, having developed a great bond with Hank afterwards. Tegan gets the money she was seeking, and it’s revealed that the crash was deliberately caused by her baby’s father and… her brother. Yes, her brother. What?!?! But Tegan has her baby, begins a new relationship, and is on a better path. And she apparently decides to never tell anyone what Polly did to her in that basement. Wild.

Even with me spoiling most of the twists, I imagine my synopsis must still seem convoluted. Trust me, the ending comes out of nowhere. The crash, for instance, is revealed to have been orchestrated by the baby’s father with the help of Tegan’s brother—a twist I recall no meaningful foreshadowing for, beyond it simply feeling like another bad decision on Tegan’s part. And Tegan credits Hank and Polly with saving her life twice… oh, I forgot to mention, on the way to murder Tegan, Polly actually stopped Tegan’s brother from murdering her, which apparently lets her off the hook.Honestly, I’m not sure what I would do in that situation, though I certainly wouldn’t have pegged Hank as an abuser just based on his looks. But what would you do? Would you let what was essentially an attempted murder go unpunished just because they saved your life at the last moment? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!