Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I enjoyed Holly Jackson's Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy and was looking forward to what she did next. This did not let me down. Red embarks on a spring break trip with five of her friends and it's all fun and games until it turns deadly. Someone is holding them hostage until one of them reveals their secret. The only problem is no one knows whose secret the killer is looking for.

While this was a fast-paced read that left me turning pages even after it was done, I felt like it was unnecessarily long and repetitive. The plot was a bit predictable, while still being thrilling. All in all, I found this standalone to be a bit lacking after AGGGtM but I still enjoyed it.

Five Survive is out now!

In this YA thriller, four high schoolers plus one of their older brother and his girlfriend are en route to spring break in an RV, when they not only get stuck in the woods, but they’re also being shot at by a sniper. The book unfolds in a less than 12 hour period as we try to figure out what is happening, why, and his they’re going to get themselves out of it.

I’m sorry to say that this one was a big miss for me. I loved Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, even the third book that a lot of people liked. But sadly, this book was nowhere near that quality. Main character Red is no Pip from AGGGTM; she’s annoying, mostly unsympathetic, and do obviously keeping secrets from both her friends and the reader. But more than that, the issue is that the book is just SO preposterous right from the start, and only gets more so as it goes along. The characters were not believable, the various plot points were not believable, and the book seriously just went downhill from there. I will say that I really wanted to find out what happened and couldn’t put the book down. But sadly I finished it feeling not just disappointed but kinda angry.

2.5 stars

In typical Holly Jackson fashion this was truly an edge of your seat type of book. I found the book flowed amazingly well and I didn't find myself bored. Some books add filler content to bulk it up and that tends to make the content drag, that was absolutely not the case here. The characters were so/so. I didn't find myself loving them but I didn't dislike them either. I was surprised how much this book pulled on my heartstrings too. I usually am so into the thriller portions of books that I don't feel that deep of an emotional tie that was not the case here. The "secret" was a little predictable but that didn't make this any less enjoyable. Definitely a quality YA thriller!

This was a good read, I love how dramatic it was and I love how fast things turn. The plot is interesting once they were stuck inside the RV, it made me want to wait around to see what happens and as they grew desperate to escape, secrets started being revealed, the characters were a bit stereotypical at times, but as time passed their true colors began to be revealed which added to the suspense!

I’ve always loved Holly Jackson’s work, so I was excited to pick this one up and see the new world she was able to create.

I’ll be honest: this one took awhile for me to get into. The staging and getting to know each character took awhile, and I could tell there was a lot more under the surface than was being revealed, but I also knew Jackson would bring it all together – as she always does – so I continued on.

I remember as I read this thinking that there was no way this would be one of my favorite books by her, because I was really struggling to connect with the characters, BUT … BUT.

Wow. The twists and the turns and the unexpected curveballs she throws at us. Just wow. The second half of the book just had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put the book down.

Red and five of her friends set out for spring break in a worn out RV, but get lost on their way and end up with a flat tire. Yet, after changing the tire, they start moving again and suddenly find themselves with four flats … and someone off in the distance shooting at them. Now it’s a test of their limits and courage to see how long they can last, what escape plans they can manage, and who they can trust.

If you’re into mysteries and thrillers, I definitely recommend this book – but know that it might take you a bit to get into it.

I really loved her first book. I think it was a big hit but maybe she is trying too hard to put out books too quickly? This was kind of a mess. It was super fast-paced and quick to read but I didn't really connect with any of the characters or care if they lived or died. The RV was a boring location.

This book was amazing! It started out strong and with a bang and kept me going the whole way through. Its been a while since a read a YA that grabbed like this one. The menace of being in that vehicle and the atmosphere throughout the whole book kept me on edge, will highly recommend to YA and adult readers alike

Holly Jackson is an amazing story teller. She creates believable characters that stand out to her readers. This book showed how young adults struggle to survive while questioning their friends and their relationships. A basic trip with friends in an RV, what could go wrong. Everything! You find out the secrets and lies they tell to survive and in the end, no one really wins.

#FiveSurvive #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out!

I just reading Five Survive by Holly Jackson, and I’m shook. It’s dark, twisty, and mysterious. Lord of the Flies meets locked-room mystery. If you liked the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series I think you’ll like this too.

More about Five Survive:
Red is on her way to spring break with her friends. They’re driving in an RV and are just about at their campsite when one of the tires blows out. The stretch of road they’re on is completely deserted and has no phone reception. Just as they finish changing the tire, and are about to drive off, all of the tires blow. It becomes apparent they’ve been shot out and someone is stalking them. They scramble to get try and figure out who would want to hurt them, and what the heck is going on. One of them has a secret worth killing for, but will they come forward if it means saving the rest of the group?

Red has experienced some serious trauma from her mother being shot a few years ago, and it’s clear she’s never gotten any help to deal with it. Being inside her head is not a stable place to be, and as she second-guesses herself she becomes quite an unreliable narrator. The rest of the group starts to turn on each other as the situation gets progressively worse. Will any of them still be alive by the end of the night?

This book had me on the edge of my seat, with plenty of twists and turns. None of the characters are very likable, so I had a lot of mixed emotions as I learned more about each of them, never really knowing who to root for.

First of all, I loved the Good Girl's Guide to Murder trilogy, so when I saw Holly Jackson was releasing a new book I just had to get my hands on it. This book is super fast paced, taking place over the course of one night and the story is broken up with time (e.g. 1am), which really kept the story moving forward. Unfortunately, I was still a distracted reading this, my attention wasn't held like her other books. I can't exactly figure out why I felt this way, but I did. It might have to do with the characters, who all had their own secrets and I didn't really connect with any of them. But I will still recommend it to the right people, I know my library is going to buy it, and read the next book Jackson graces us with!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC to read and review!

When I tell you I SCREAMED when I got this one. I love Holly Jackson. I loved the GGGTM series. I was excited to see how Jackson handled a single, faster-paced thriller, and she did NOT disappoint. If you like closed-room mysteries, unreliable narrators, and high-stakes action that doesn't stop, this is it. I felt a few twists were a little predictable, but some still were truly twisty, and the nature of our narrator helps a LOT with that.

In fact, our narrator, Red, is what I found most remarkable and interesting about this book. She's probably one of the most unique characters I've read a POV from, especially in this genre. Her mind is constantly racing, absolutely unsettled, cannot focus on a single thing (or, as it would have it, hyper fixates on the wrong thing - WHAT PATTERN WERE THE CURTAINS, HOLLY?) Though it isn't named, I interpreted Red as either having some form of neurodivergency or an extreme lasting trauma response. Red does not have a clear head, but she's the smartest one on that bus and she's vital to the group. It was a great way to direct the action of the novel, and I never knew for sure what was true because of Red's racing thoughts.

The novel stayed tense throughout, and I was on the edge of my seat tearing through it. Fantastic thriller from Jackson once again.

3.5 stars - couldn’t justify 4. I may end up being in the minority on this, but I just didn’t like this one. I didn’t like the main character, found the plot to be far-fetched and sloppily thrown together, and was never invested in any of the characters. I also thought that the literal ending was an easy way out that lacked imagination and was dull. Just really not for me.

This book will definitely be in high demand as soon as it hits the shelves at my library! I appreciated how some elements throughout were thrilling / scary, and kept you on the edge of your seat - all while remaining teen-appropriate. This is a great pick for kids wanting more mystery / thriller books, and I would also recommend it to a reluctant reader. Very different from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (in my opinion), but Holly Jackson fans will still enjoy!

Happy Saturday y'all, and happy early December! It's been a busy few weeks for me, but I'm so excited about today because it's my stop on the Five Survive tour with TBR and Beyond Tours! Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me as a part of this tour! I really enjoy Holly Jackson's writing, so I was the most excited to read Five Survive!
Five Survive 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive. A road trip turns deadly in this addictive YA thriller from the bestselling author of the worldwide phenomenon A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER.

Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend – the older brother – his perfect girlfriend – a secret crush – a classmate – and a killer.

When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night. . . .
Content Warning: guns, death threats, mob violence, death, injury
Oh man, not only did this book have the coolest premise, it was done in such an interesting way! We've got six characters, all with secrets to hide, in an RV that's being shot at and they have to figure out who has the secret the sniper wants. The only thing I thought was a little weird, mainly because we didn't have any explanation for it, was Red's memory loss- I think if we know why her memory was spotty or if it was mentioned in passing by one of the other characters, it would have made more sense for us as readers, because it was definitely an effective plot device to make Red seem like an unreliable narrator and unreliable character. In terms of characters in general, I really like how Holly Jackson made all six of them both likeable and unlikeable, relatable and unrelatable. The way things inside that RV evolved were so real, and then when we got to near the end, they became over the top, but not in a way that didn't fit with the story, but in a way that you couldn't see it happening in your own life. I thought the mob plot may not have been needed, but I'm a sucker for mob stories, so I didn't mind it. I thought the pacing was great and I was really hooked throughout- I devoured this whole book in one sitting! Overall, I highly recommend pick

The Good Girls Guide to Murder Trilogy is one of my favorites and I recommend it to people all the time. Holly Jackson is incredible at creating a captivating high school detective mysteries. Five Survey is about six kids being trapped in an RV with an active shooter outside holding them hostage until they can share the secret one of them is holding onto... for dear life. It’s crazy what unfolds over the span of one grueling evening that changes everything. Relationships are put to the test and they soon realize everyone has a secret but which is the one they are looking for.

I will say this book is not going to be very everyone. It had all the staple Holley Jackson writing qualities but I would recommend Good Girls Guide to Murder first.

This book is hard for me to review. I enjoyed the story overall, but I found the characters annoying and it got a little boring. I would say it’s still worth a read, but wasn’t a favorite.

This was a wild ride. I've read Jackson's "Good Girl's" series previously and had mixed feelings but this turned out to be really fun! We follow Red and her five friends as they road trip in a borrowed RV for spring break. Shit immediately hits the fan after the RV gets four very suspicious flat tires, and then it's non stop action from there.

I really enjoyed reading from Red's perspective and found her very likeable and real. The other characters are less fleshed out but still believable and in some cases - appropriately unlikeable. Red's character has a lot of secrets and we find out early on that she is clearly trying to bury specific trauma that is revealed as the story progresses. We also find out the rest of the group may have their own secrets they want to keep hidden.

My only real complaint was I wanted the secrets and drama to be juicier and more scandalous. The situation is already kind of unbelievable so why not go full steam ahead into crazy town with the secrets and lies? I feel like the "Good Girl's" series got absolutely bananas and I was hoping for some of the same. I still really enjoyed this and I think if you have enjoyed the author's previous work or if you enjoy YA thrillers you will definitely like this story.

I won’t be finishing this:(
All of the characters are annoying and impossible to connect with. I was really excited for the premise, but I couldn’t get into it.
Dnf at 25%

This was really good. Finished the whole book in less than 24 hours. This was a great locked room thriller and a wonderful follow-up to AGGGTM series. Holly Jackson will be an auto-buy YA fiction author for me. She isn't scared to make her YA books a little edge of your seat scary and I so appreciate that. Her characters were well-developed and I loved some and was happy others were no longer around by the end. Overall a great read that I would recommend.