I absolutely loved Holly Jackson's first novel, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and while I didn't like the sequels as much, I really do enjoy her writing, so I was excited to get the ARC for her latest novel, Five Survive. Some of the people I follow on Goodreads were giving it good early reviews, so even though the plot sounded a bit far-fetched, I gave it a go.

Let me tell you: I was annoyed/underwhelmed/irritated/dissatisfied/insert-negative-emotion-here throughout the first 80 percent of this book. But! I'm glad I finished it, because the end is the best part. Jackson doesn't tie everything up in a nice little bow, but what she does is so satisfying after going through all of that early garbage.

The premise here is hugely implausible, beyond the suspension of disbelief (at least to me), and at no point in the novel did it begin to make any more sense. Secondly, I found most of the characters to be some degree of dislikable, even Red at some points, which I don't think was Jackson's intention. She just kind of irritated me. And finally, I get that this is YA and they're teens, but they kept making the dumbest decisions possible, over and over again, and I was getting so fed up! Ugh.

So, all in all, the end saved this book from a horrible rating. But my final thought is that I really do like Jackson's writing and storytelling—to me, this just wasn't a story worth telling.

Fan of murder mysteries? This will be your next favorite read! Five Survive is from Holly Jackson, author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The story is extremely fast-paced as it is set over just eight hours on a road trip bound to turn deadly because as the title suggests..only five survive. Six friends go on a spring break trip in an RV only for it to break down in the middle of nowhere. Did someone trap them there on purpose? Who is lying? The tensions are high among these friends. Who is going to make it out alive? The character development is excellent. I enjoyed the setting of the RV and the unnerving feeling of it being in the middle of nowhere. The drama is at an all-time high with excellent twists throughout. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Five Survive today.

thank you to NetGalley and Random House Childrens/Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy of this book.
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Red Kenny is on spring break! Her best friend Maddy, her crush, Arthur, Maddie’s brother, Oliver, his girlfriend, Reyna, and classmate, Simon embark in their RV on their way down to an epic senior spring break.

But one of them has always known that they would never make it there. One of them is a killer.

When the RV breaks down and they are stuck in the middle of nowhere, the six of them quickly realize that this was no accident. They are under attack by a sniper who has them trapped.

With hours until daylight and no cell service, will they survive the night?
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Holly Jackson does it again! I totally fell in love with her AGGGTM series this year and was so excited to get an ARC of this new one. I read it in just a couple of days - I couldn’t put it down!

I thought Jackson did such a good job of writing the RV well. I was skeptical about whether or not the stagnant setting would be boring but I was so wrong! I felt like I was in the RV with the group, scared, and uncertain. Though the whole story took place over just eight hours and only one middle-of-nowhere setting, it had such a tight grip on me!

Jackson does such a good job of writing her characters. Though, I didn’t love Red, I felt like she was sitting in front of me. She felt so real. Her grief, her determination, her strength, and her scatterbrained nature.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and, if you are someone who enjoys YA, I would definitely recommend. I felt I was able to guess quite a few of the big plot points but there were still some surprises left for me by the end!

After enjoying A Good Girls Guide to Murder I was looking forward to this book, but I was disappointed. I made it halfway through then called it quits. It just moved too slow; not enough action to keep me interested.

After becoming obsessed with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder earlier this year, I was determined to read whatever Holly Jackson wrote next. Five Survive is another YA book. I flew through it in only a few days. It's a fast-paced, chilling read that takes place over the course of eight hours.

This book was entertaining and kept me on my toes. Despite most of the characters being unlikeable and having secrets they hid from each other, I still cared about what happened to the main character, Red, and a few of the others.

The few things I didn't like were the ending and a few minor plot details that weren't fully explained or resolved. However, this took little away from how well done the book was, and it's still worth the read for YA thriller lovers.

Holly Jackson is clearly a talented author, and I'll continue to read anything she publishes.

*Thank you to Delacorte Press, Holly Jackson, and NetGalley for the free eBook ARC in exchange for leaving an honest review!

Red’s mother was a police captain who was murdered. Now, Red, has found refuge in friend, Maddy Lavoy. Still, it is hard for Red to witness the warm family dynamics Maddy and her brother, Oliver, share with their mother, an assistant DA and Red’s late mother’s best friend.

Moving on, it’s spring break and time to party. Red, the Lavoy siblings, and three other friends, Reyna Flores-Serrano, Arthur Moore, and Simon Yoo, borrow a 31 foot RV for a fun journey to Gulf Shores. But they lose all internet connections and are hopelessly lost in the wilderness. Added to that is a tire that looks like it exploded. But there is more to it than just being lost as they find themselves in the crosshairs of a long-range rifle held by a sniper demanding that one of them reveal an important secret. Red battles internally with her guilt and grief over her mother’s death, as her companions become increasingly volatile and paranoid as the group tries to figure out whose secret is the one the hostage taker is after. Lord of the Files anyone?

As the events unfold in the confined space, I found the dialogue to be sometimes tedious as the hours of night slowly ticked by.. But as I read on, I came to understand that in that RV no one is to be trusted as the mind-blowing truths are revealed.

All in all, this is another thriller Holly Jackson fans will not want to miss.

The story is intensely suspenseful and an intricate puzzle that makes this one a thrill ride.

While Red as a narrator was a little hard to get used to at first, the plot definitely starts quickly and does NOT stop! While the characters weren’t necessarily likeable, their dynamics with each other and reaction to the situation were absolutely fascinating! I did not want to put this book down, and I do love a locked room type thriller, it always elevates the tension!

Absolutely loved this one. It was so twisted and every time I thought I knew what might happen next I was completely shocked. Perfect pacing and kept me wanting more

This is another entertaining read from Holly Jackson that kept me guessing until the end. I had high hopes after enjoying the 'A Good Girls Guide to Murder' series, and this standalone didn't disappoint. The story of Red and her friends trapped in an RV while they're being stalked by a sniper was a page-turner until the end. My only critique is it seemed to drag a bit in the middle and could've been a bit shorter.

I was disappointed by this book. I enjoyed the first two books in the Good Girl's series, and I had hoped this book would be similar. Unfortunately, this book was more like the last book in the series. The characters in five survived were one-dimensional and didn't have enough development for me to care about them. Also, the story moved slowly, really slowly, this is supposed to be a thriller, but I found myself bored. Finally, the big surprise twist felt less like a twist and more like a random event that hadn't been foreshadowed or plotted. I'm sure there are fans of this book, but I am not one of them.

Five Survive
by Holly Jackson
Pub Date: 29 Nov 2022
Six friends head out on a Spring Break road trip in a massive RV. A wrong turn lands them in an isolated area that is off the GPS. As they are trying to get back on track, their tires suddenly go flat...all four of them one by one. That's when they realize, someone out there in the dark is shooting at them.
As the night wears on, the shooter tells them that one of them has a secret and if that one person gives himself/herself up before the next day, then the rest will be free to leave. But which one has the secret? Friends turn against each other when they realize they all have secrets...so which secret is the shooter looking for and can they figure it out before sunrise? #netgalley #Fivesurvive #HollyJackson

I loved the first two books in Holly Jackson's "A Good Gir's Guide to Murder" series, did not love the third book, but was still excited to read this one. Unfortunately, "Five Survive" is a disappointment. I couldn't even finish reading it, because it was so boring, and the characters had no personality. I gave up at 51%.

Six teens are on their way to spring break when things start to happen with their RV. With flat tires and no gas, and no cell reception, they're dead in the water and won't be going anywhere anytime soon. But they aren't alone. We watch the story unfold as things go fantastically awry.

What I liked:
It's super dramatic, and I love how fast things turn. The characters, except for Simon, are super fleshed out. Poor Red has lost her mother. Her father has checked out, they have no money, and she has low self-esteem. You can't help but empathize with her. Oliver is a straight out jerk who winds people up, leaving everyone pretty helpless in his wake. Jackson wrote him well enough that I wanted to reach into the book and wring his neck. I love when a book evokes those kinds of feelings. Also, I wasn't sure of the motive behind everything and enjoyed not knowing.

What didn't really work for me:
Why wasn't the relationship between Maddy and Red explained sooner? I had no idea how they were related for too many chapters, which was confusing. I don't know why the explanation was put off. Also, what is going on with Red? Even though it's not spelled out, it's clear she has PTSD. But what was up with her always missing time? She could barely hold conversations because she constantly checked out of them, but PTSD doesn't explain that, nor does Jackson. Also, I think I read roughly 40 times that the RV was 31 feet long, another thing that isn't explained by the PTSD that I'm just presuming she had based on personal experience. So ultimately, what was up with Red?

But back to what I liked:
So I didn't love every aspect of the book, and that's okay because here I am, giving the book 4 stars. Because I am a poly reader and had 3 books going when I started this, I promptly abandoned the other two because Jackson writes this in such a meandering way that I didn't know why we were in this situation, but I desperately needed to find out. I enjoyed how the story is broken up by each hour, and a lot goes on in each hour. The book is stressful in a very fun way. Overall, this was a super fun read, and I am grateful I got to read an early copy of it.

I don't know if I loved this much as I loved A Good Girls Guide to Murder. The twist at the end could have been more believable.

That being said, Holly Jackson did do some very cool things in the story with how she depicted Oliver and Red. Red and how she's always hyper-focused on not taking up too much space, and Oliver just because it's so interesting to see such a vile person in action. He's an abusive asshole, and he'll probably go so far in life because everyone is ready to let it go. After all, human decency doesn't match up against practicality. As a whole, Holly Jackson writes characters that feel so real that you can imagine things happening in front of your eyes.

This book was very interesting. The first half did drag just a little, but the second half was really action packed and engrossing. All the characters were very interesting and felt pretty well developed l especially considering the entire book takes place over the course of a few hours. There were a few interesting twists that I didn’t totally see coming, and even with it dragging a little in the beginning, I was super interested to find out what was going on. I enjoyed the ending in general , although I wish it hadn’t ended without hearing from Red again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I'm a HUGE Holly Jackson fan! I was obsessed with the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series. The second book of that series - Good Girl, Bad Blood - is one of my favorite reads to-date.

Moving on the Five Survive, this book was incredible. While its premise is different from Jackson's other books, the addicting nature and my lack of ability to put this book down at literally any point were the same.

There are twists, there is drama, and there is emotional depth here that you have to read this book to understand. If you're a thriller fan, this book is a must-read!

This was a fast paced, well written thriller that kept me reading straight through in one setting. The characters were engaging, if a little bit stereotypical. Fans of Holly Jackson's "A Good Girl's' Guide to Murder" series may be put off by this intense psychological thriller with less likeable characters, but as a thriller reader I put this up there with the best.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy.

Disappointed in this. I loved A Good Girls Guide to Murder but this just fell really flat for me. I felt like the story dragged if was predictable and there was nothing really interesting of new in it. It took me forever to get through.

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

My rating:
3/5

This book was an instant request for me when I saw that Holly Jackson came out with another book. I absolutely loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder so when I saw this I was so excited. Sadly it just wasn’t for me 😔 To be fair, I really should have read the premise before requesting.

6 friends are on a trip to Spring Break in an RV. When they hit a dead zone and all GPS activity fails, they take a wrong turn and get a flat tire. From there, they notice that they are getting shot at by a sniper who wants answers. One of them has a secret. Who is it?

This Young Adult book had a lot of potential for me but it was just a little too far fetched for me. Also, a lot of the characters were unlikeable, especially one. It was just kinda all over the place for me.

It was definitely filled with suspense and I was curious how it would end so I kept going with it, but overall it just gave me anxiety and I was bored 🥸 I’m giving this a 3 star rounded up. It was truly a 2.5 for me.

If you read it, I would love to know your thoughts. I think that overall anything with action / gun violence just gets a no from me, so I’m a bit biased.

Thank you @netgalley and Random House for the ARC! You can read this one now as it was published on November 29th!

I devoured the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series this year, so I was excited to read Holly Jackson's newest novel!

In Five Survive, Jackson sets herself an interesting challenge — with mixed success. 99% of the book takes place inside a 31 feet long RV, over the course of one night, & with only 6 characters having real screen time.

Within these confines, Jackson compels you to keep turning the pages as the tension rises inside the RV & relationships start to deteriorate. The lack of cell service means the 6 young adults are truly on their own, but they are proactive & resourceful as they come up with plan after plan to survive the night, rather than waiting for help to come — it feels almost like an escape room, but with real stakes.

However, the fact that it takes place over one night means that there isn’t a lot of room for character growth. Red, the narrator, is naturally the most developed, & the pattern of her thoughts suggests that she has anxiety, memory issues, & maybe some form of OCD. Her inner voice does feel a bit juvenile at times, though, mainly due to her insecurity & the fact that she is slow to realize things that seem obvious to the reader.

Of the other characters, only two have much development, & they still feel rather one-dimensional — but Jackson very effectively makes you hate [redacted for spoilers]. The slow reveal of their true nature is the most riveting aspect of the novel, & the source of most of the suspense.

Some of the more unrealistic or illogical aspects did strain my suspension of disbelief, & the denouement is kind of rushed & infodumpy. There was also an incident with the police that felt like it should have been given more weight, in light of the rising social consciousness around police brutality.

Ultimately, Five Survive was an average read — I didn't love it & I didn't hate it, but it definitely fell short of my expectations after AGGGTM.