Five Survive by Holly Jackson, 400 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2022. $20.
Language: R (41 swears, 110 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Using an RV to drive to Gulf Shores where the rest of their friends and classmates flew to for spring break sounded like fun. But then Red (17yo) and her friends got lost. And then the RV not-so-accidently broke down. Now the six of them need to find out who is hiding a secret the other five are not willing to die for.
Tensions are high from the start, and Jackson doesn’t let up. These desperate characters are up all night, and readers get caught up in the fear and frustration. New chapters bring more complications, not the relief everyone is hoping for – and it was thrilling to read, except for those times when I wanted to reach in and punch that one guy in the face. While the ending is somewhat open-ended, I was satiated by the denouement.
Red, Maddy, and Oliver are White; Simon is at least half Korean; Reyna is Mexican; and Arthur is undefined. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs, underage drinking, illegal activity, innuendo, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for blood and gore, gun use, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

When Red and four of her friends take off for spring break she’s excited as Red can be. That’s because she recently lost her mom and because of certain things she didn’t share with her best friend that weighs heavy on her conscious. When they sharp shooting maniac Prince them down in a remote location and shoots out their tires and most of the windows he says he will only let them go if one of them confesses to a secret. Oliver has a humongous ego, he is the big brother two reds Best friend and automatically assumed it has something to do with his district attorney mother in the case she is currently working on. Not only that as time goes by he starts to distrust her and even her best friend Maddie Get over on her making her feel even more isolated. Could she convince Oliver she can be trusted or will his ego get them all killed? This book was pretty good but I found all of her to be so annoying and although a lot of people like this book I found myself getting bored. Having said all that though a lot of people like this book so you may as well this is a teen thriller/horror/mystery and if you like those genres you may love five survive by Holly Jackson. I have read other books by this author and have loved them not so much this one though. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate most of my review.

This was alright. The premise wasn't anything new, and it was sort of a mix of slash thriller meets lost in the woods kind of horror. I was definitely intrigued though, but just felt the premise not anything new.

This book has a slow start and then becomes a real page turner! I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to get to the big reveals.

The actual mystery was not necessarily my favorite, and some of the characters were SO annoying (but that was probably purposeful) which makes it a 3 ⭐️ Read for me personally.

Thank you to net-galley and the publisher for an e-book in exchange for my review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

After absolutely loving the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series (controversial ending and all), I was excited for what Holly Jackson would write next. Although I don’t blame her for wanting to write something different after a massive series, this didn’t really work for me.

Plotting and pacing wise, it does deliver. It’s set largely over a single intense night spent in an RV, with the guarantee that one of the six people in it will likely die, based on the title. The suspense builds quickly, and the atmosphere is well-crafted. There’s a real sense of danger for this group of friends.

But this definitely is a plot-focused story, and most of the characters apart from the lead exist for the sole purpose of forwarding the plot along. You get a vague breakdown of the relationships between people in the blurb, but the characters are all so lacking in depth, I can’t be bothered to remember who was who. They did each have a lot of baggage, making this a super busy book, and I got a vague idea of why they’re all likely targets for the killer, even if I didn’t really care for any of them.

Red is pretty interesting, even if it did take some time to warm to her as well. The ultimate twist is centered on her, and it does ultimately feel pretty satisfying.

Overall, while I didn’t care for this, I can see merit in this, especially if you separate it from Jackson’s previous work. I’m not a fan of this style of thriller, but if you are, it may work better for you.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC copy of this book. This has not influenced my review.

Synopsis: Spring Break. Six friends. One broken down RV. One sniper. Eight hours of terror.

Review: Read this immediately. Immediately. Let me back up. I was a bit hesitant to read this. Only because while I liked A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by the end, it struggled to get through and haven’t gone back to read anymore in the series. However, when I read the synopsis of this book and was approved for the ARC, I had high hopes. And boy were they met. Boy were they exceeded. Every time I thought I had the twists figured out, I absolutely did not. Admittedly, the book was a little slow at the beginning, but then I read from 20% to 100% in one sitting. This is everything I want in a thriller. Everything. Five stars, no question.

A drawn out "thriller" that doesn't hit its peak until the VERY end...

Red is on her way spring break on the beach wither 5 friends in a 31 feet RV. Everything seems, except for the constant guilt Red feels for her mother's murder, until the RV leaves the 6 friends stranded in the middle of nowhere with 4 tires slashed and an gas tank emptied...oh and the sniper surrounding them with the intention of killing the one with biggest secret to tell!

So....this wasn't great. I enjoyed Jackson's Good Girl series and had high hopes for this one, but it fell flat.


The book spans 8 hours from the moment they pull out of the driveway to the ending of the book and every moment is painstakingly described. The main conflict wasn't introduced until 25% into the book. The first secret not revealed until about 45% in. It is truly the SLOWEST of burns. And the characters aren't great. Red, our MC, is skittish and obviously harboring something that later feels obvious once revealed.

And my biggest issue besides the pacing is the character of Oliver....truly one of the most ridiculous additions to the story. He was giving Lord of the Flies realness and no one, including his sister or girlfriend, could rein him in? Failed plan after failed plan? Almost caricature-like anger, privilege, and lack of self awareness? Just silly.

I'm sure others will enjoy this more than me, but if you're looking for a YA thriller that moves and has characters that feel and act like normal people, this ain't it.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Delacorte Press for the eARC of this read in exchange for my honest review.

Although I haven't read the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series yet, I understand the hype about Holly Jackson's books now!

Five Survive is about a group of six friends who go on an RV trip down to the beach for their spring break. However, along the way they get lost in the middle of nowhere when their navigation stops working and cell service cuts out. They think it's all just a coincidence until their tires and gas tank are suddenly shot at, leaving them stranded with no way to leave. Quickly, they realize that this is not an accident - there is a sniper out there, waiting, ready to kill. The friends must figure out how to make it out alive and secrets are revealed along the way. But, not all of them will survive the night...

This book was so intriguing, considering that the whole story takes place within a 31 ft RV and only 8 hours. All of the characters were so well developed and the book honestly had me on the edge of my seat towards the end.

Admittedly, the first few chapters were a bit slow for me as I felt the narration was a bit repetitive, but once the secrets started being revealed and the action started, I did not want to put the book down. Once I got to the 25% mark, I was invested and had to keep reading!

I enjoyed getting to see all of the characters and their backstories, despite the short time frame. The revelations and betrayals throughout the book were just so good and the ending was just wow 🤯 I thought I had guessed the plot twist but it wasn't even close to everything that ended up happening...

The only thing that I wish would have been different is that I wished they had elaborated more on one of the main secrets that was revealed (can't say much w/o spoilers) and that one of the details that the main character repeated over and over throughout the book would have been wrapped up because it was just kind of dropped at the end.

Definitely recommend picking this book up if you are looking for an intriguing, intense, and suspenseful YA thriller!

This book was ok. It has a great premise. 6 friends, 1 sniper, 5 survive. But I feel like the title gives away so much of the book. You don’t really have to worry if everyone lives or not. You know that only one person is going to die.

It also seemed a little far fetched that a sniper would have such a huge vendetta agains 6 teenagers. Overall, it’s an ok book.

when red and her five friends go on a fun little road trip in their RV for spring break, the teens are met with more obstacles than they could ever expect. once the vehicle breaks down in the middle of nowhere and the group finds out they are being watched by a mysterious sniper, buried secrets are dug from the grave

wow
this book was absolutely thrilling
my previous experience with holly jackson´s writing (a good girl´s guide to murder) had been so much fun, so my expectations for her new release were already high. and it did not disappoint.
the writing is very addicting and fast-paced, so i wasn't PHYSICALLY able to put the book down. i never got bored.
the book kept me guessing until the very end and i was SO stressed out during the entire thing.

as for the characters, i gotta say, they all pissed me off at some point (except for simon, my beloved). but omg, no one made me more mad than red. if she had just idk… used her brain for half a second, everything could've been solved in the first hour. but whatever, i get it. she is 18. her brain isn't really all that developed.
and, ill say, i gave it 4 stars because the whole solution was a tad bit ridiculous.
nevertheless, i simply ADORED the book and ill absolutely read anything that holly jackson writes

thank you NetGalley and Random House Childeren´s for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review :)

Holly Jackson always delivers a bingeable super fun and suspenseful ride that keeps you at the edge of the seat.

I was hooked right away. This definitely has a unique plot and a story line I've never experienced. Six friends are traveling for a spring break getaway in an RV. After getting lost in the middle of nowhere, without cell reception, they find themselves trapped inside the RV with it's tires and gas tank shot out. There is a sniper watching their every move. They are given a message - one of them has a secret and they aren't going anywhere until someone confesses. Are they going to work together or start pointing fingers? Is one of them working with the sniper?

Five Survive is a must read and I love Holly Jackson's writing. Much like her other novels, I couldn't put this one down!

Thank you to Holly Jackson, Random House Children's, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

3.5/5 stars. To be released November 2022.

I always enjoy these types of books. They make for quick reads since they are written to be fast paced. The whole book takes place in 'real time'/hour by hour. I did find myself skimming over a few sections of the explanations of how they were setting up ways to protect themselves or plotting to escape since they were a little long winded. Overall, it was a good read that was slightly predictable but still had enough twists you didn't see coming!

This book was so good! I have never read Holly Jackson, but I will be reading her books now! This was a thrilling story with an unreliable narrator. The action was so good it was fast pace. I made the mistake of starting this when I had a much of things to do, and every time I had to stop reading, I was so stressed cause I didn't want to put the book down.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children for this arc!

Holly Jackson continues her success with her latest YA thriller novel. This is a fast paced "dark" novel spanning no more than 8 hours with 6 friends traveling in a RV heading to spring break. Red, the point of view character; Maddy, her best friend; Oliver, her best friend’s brother and his girlfriend and two other friends, Arthur & Simon. This was the cheaper alternative as red, in the years since her mother's death, is low on funds. As they travel, they get themselves lost with a "dead' cell phone zone and blow a tire. However, it seems they are forced into a predicament with a sniper in the air demanding information......And they all seem to all be harboring a secret. As the night wears on, sides will be drawn, secrets revealed, and life altering revelations take place.
This novel is well delivered, providing thrilling suspense as well as delves in to the human beast when under duress. The connections that are made are riveting. well done.

Always a fun ride with Holly Jackson. Definitely popular with the kids at my school, and she's been cranking out fast reads since AGGTM! It was a little hard to follow at first - so many characters - but after awhile it came together for me :)

I really enjoyed this novel! In the GGGTM series, I really enjoyed the main characters, so I was worried I wouldn’t feel the same with this one. However, she was likable and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Felt very similar to GGGTM.

I really enjoyed Holly Jackson's Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, so I was excited to read this new one. And while I do think it's great when authors branch out into new series/change up the style a little, I realized that what I really liked about her previous books was the investigative format, with the main character trying to solve an old mystery (and maybe running into some "excitement" in the meantime). This new one is more of a thriller format rather than an investigation - the action is currently happening to the characters - and it's just less of the style for me. It could be great for those who enjoy this kind of thing, especially that sort of "And Then There Were None" story but with a YA feel. For me, I found the beginning a bit convoluted and hard to follow, especially as the main character, Red, is so confusing as the narrator. Maybe she's set up to be an unreliable narrator to make things interesting, but she felt to me like an 18 year old with dementia - kind of weird, and I just couldn't get into it, so I unfortunately had to put it down. I will be looking for other Holly Jackson books in the future though.

I read this book in one sitting because it was so good I physically couldn’t stop reading! It definitely captured my attention from the beginning and felt like non stop action The rest of the way! Everything was so neatly wrapped up in all of its layers, that I didn’t even realize what the real mystery was until the answer slapped me in the face! I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Five Survive. I am NOT WELL after reading this book! A group of friends are on a road trip for spring break and end up getting lost in the middle of nowhere. The characters are well developed and the plot is intense. I could not put this book down!