One by One

The remote wilderness serves as the primary physical setting in One by One. This setting allows McFadden to dramatically amplify the tension as the narrative’s mystery unfolds. One by One begins in the Matchett house in the suburbs. Though Claire and Noah’s relationship is rocky, the general setting of the suburbs is idyllic. McFadden utilizes some tropes typically associated with suburban life. Claire and Noah fight over laundry, a task associated with domesticity. When the group leaves for the trip, they travel in Claire’s minivan—another object emblematic of a stereotypical suburban experience.

Claire believes their vacation will take place at a “cozy inn” with “breakfast buffets, a Jacuzzi, nature walks, and a lake with trout that are basically jumping out of the water” (9). The idea of the wilderness is idealized; it sounds like a high-end resort in a safe, comfortable corner of the North Colorado woods. However, this illusion begins to crack as the group drives into the wilderness. As they get closer to the inn, Claire thinks that the road toward it looks ominous: “The sun is still in the sky, but the left path looks dark and foreboding. If there’s a monster out here in the woods, it’s definitely on the left” (74).