Okay, let’s start by saying that my expectations with this book were extremy high. Sky high. As everyone knows, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is one of my favourite series of all time and one of the things I like the most about it are the characters.
Which is exactly what disappointed me with Five Survive. I did not like Red as a main character and I am not even sure she was written to be an unlikeable character. Definitely an unreliable narrator, and that part was handled very well, but I do wonder if her unlikeable-ness was intentional or not. It felt more like to make her unreliable, she became unlikeable, but I do prefer when questionable narrators are characters you love, because it makes it way more interesting and fun to read, in my opinion.
The other characters weren’t very well characterised, unfortunately. They didn’t feel like people, they felt like masks. Once again, I am not 100% sure whether this was intentional or not, but it’s hard to care for characters that don’t feel like real people. The only one that was very well constructed, in my opinion, was Oliver. I hated him and his purpose was to be hated, so that’s definitely well done. Holly Jackson is really good a writing horrible men.
What I did like was the thrilling aspect of this novel. The stakes were extremely high and the enclosed space of the RV served the purpose really well. It was suffocating and the movements of the characters in the space were depicted really well. It felt like you were trapped there with them, and that was definitely awesome, I love when that is the case.
The plot was not my favourite ever, as I don’t like stories with a particular kind of “villains” (I’m not gonna say, because I don’t want to give anything away, but that’s totally a me thing), but the plot twists were placed at the right moment and revealed in the right way. I do think that some things were a bit predictable, but some other plot twists I was not expecting at all and I was pleasantly surprised by a couple of them, which rarely happens.
The writing style was amazing as usual. As I said, the thrills were there and Holly Jackson never disappoints in that regard. The book is compulsively readable, the chapters are very short and every section — one for every hour — ends with a cliffhanger that makes you want to know more. I couldn’t put the book down, despite not liking the characters, that for me is saying a lot, since I am a character driven kind of reader. I believe this book would work perfectly as a thriller movie or even a mini series, with one episode for every hour that they spend in the RV, and I really hope some producers pick it up. I would watch the hell out of it and I think there are too few YA pure thriller movies/TV series, so that would be nice.
So, all in all, this was a good thriller and had I had lower expectations I would have liked it more. However, it remains a solid thriller recommendation and I hope that the author is already working on some new ideas, because I will read anything she ever publishes.

HOLLY JACKSON YOU DID IT AGAIN. five survive is another thrilling, page-turning hit that kept me up until the middle of the night (literally).

I can only give kudos to Holly, for she is a master of her craft: she knows exactly how to keep you glued to the page, guessing and thinking up all sorts of theories that seem just right… but then she will go and surprise you again and again with so many twists and turns that will have you holding your breath. it doesn’t matter if you guess something right, she will still find a way to shock you to your core. and I absolutely love that.

what a wild ride this book was. 10/10 would recommend!

thank you to PRH International for the arc!

Six friends on a road trip for spring break in a borrowed RV. When the RV gets a flat tire and there is no service, the group quickly changes the tire to get on their way again. Once they start moving however, all four tires are shot out and they realize there is a sniper trying to kill them. Will they survive the night?

I have loved all of Holly’s books, so I was excited to dive into a new world! First of all, if the sniper could have just taken out Oliver from the beginning, I think it would have been a much more enjoyable experience for the rest of the group. Basically, I really hated Oliver, but I understood why he needed to be there. I spent so much of this book trying to figure out what the secret the sniper wanted was and who was the keeper of that secret! In true Jackson fashion, this one had me from page one!

I lost count of the amount of times I said “OH DAMN!” in this book! This book gave me so much stress and anxiety and I enjoyed the hell out of it! It was fast paced and ominous and terrifying. It gave me One of Us Is Lying vibes, but with a broken down RV in the middle of nowhere and gunfire. I legitimately wasn’t sure what the big secret and twist was going to be and it was a GREAT surprise! Character wise, it took me a bit of time to warm up to Red. She kind of had this Eeyore “Oh thanks for noticing me” vibe and it bothered me. But as the book went on, her strength and smarts really shine through and I ended up really liking her. This book is set in and eight hour timeline and characters were fully fleshed out, all the different relationship dynamics and the pecking order once the attack begins. It was incredibly hard to put down. If you liked A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I think you’ll really enjoy Jackson’s next book. Just maybe go do something relaxing afterwards!
TW: gun violence, death

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, ok, where to start. I've yet to read Holly Jackson's other books, so I wasn't sure what to expect from Five Survive, but man am I glad I read this one. First of all, it's nothing like a YA book you're expecting. It's so graphic and fast paced. Sure, the characters are a little naive, and some of the underlying storylines are a little juvenile (ahem, just hold the girl's hand already). But overall, Five Survive is a stellar read. The last 25% of the book comes at you at break neck speed, I seriously couldn't put it down and needed to know how it ends. The twists and turns and shocking twists in the last few chapters are so good. I am a little disappointed in the final chapter because it leaves you wanting more, but a lot of good books do. Young or old, add this to your TBR now.

Red and five of her friends are lost on an isolated road in rural South Carolina on their way to spring break when their RV breaks down because of a flat tire. It doesn't take long for them to realize it wasn't an accident. There's a sniper out there in the dark who wants a secret out of one of them. Oliver and his girlfriend Reyna are the chaperones for this spring break trip, but when it's revealed that there's a secret the sniper's looking for, they start to crack. Maddy, Red's best friend, seems to be on the verge of speaking up, but never does. Simon is either drunk or acting, but his behavior seems to wax and wane and it's too hard to tell if he's lying or speaking the truth. Arthur, the only one who doesn't judge Red based on her past is determined to see things from Red's point of view. As tensions rise with every shot of the rifle, the atmosphere inside the RV becomes increasingly dangerous. This thriller is a satisfying mystery for any fans of Mindy McGinnis or Holly Jackson's other books.

Holly Jackson really knows how to create addictive suspense in her writing, and FIVE SURVIVE is just another example of this. This thriller takes place over the course of one night, with six friends trapped in an RV with a killer outside who will let them go if one of them gives up the desperate secret they are hiding. It's told through the eyes of Red, probably the most damaged and least privileged person there, still reeling from her mother's murder and blaming herself for the outcome, but who has other secrets she's hiding from her friends as well. I liked how we slowly got to see all of these characters go from unbelieving, to unwilling, to desperate, and how Jackson carefully lays out the pieces of evidence as to what is going on and brings it all together in believable ways. I did find Red's inner monologues a bit monotonous at times, and some of the antagonistic character moments are VERY two dimensional, but none of it ever comes off as unbelievable. The twists and turns are well earned, and once it kicks into high gear it really doesn't stop until the last pages. I took this book on a trip to Lake Superior and it was the perfect kind of lakeside reading.

FIVE SURVIVE is another fun thriller from Holly Jackson. I recommend it for thriller fans of all ages!

⭐️: 3.5/5

Six friends decide to take an RV down the east coast from Philadelphia to their beach destination. When a wrong turn is made and the RV gets stranded in a remote area with a flat, they’re disappointed. Their disappointment quickly turns into fear when they realize that getting stuck was no accident, and they are being targeted by a gunman, because one of them has a secret that the gunman will kill to know. Six go in and only five survive.

I was such a fan of the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, and was hoping to love this book just as much. Although the mystery within the book and the dynamics between the characters were interesting, and the book held my attention, the magic was just not there. I didn’t really relate to the main character very well, since her internal monologue was almost annoyingly fragmented, and her grand references to “the plan” got tiresome, to the point where when we learned what “the plan” was, although it was a relatively large reveal, I felt a little apathetic to it all. I think this book could have benefited from either a change in POV or a format change throughout (like how in AGGGTM, we get a format change to interviews or other evidence sometimes), which could potentially help the monotony. It dragged through the middle, since there’s only so much an author can say about how scared six kids are, and there’s only so many plans they can make using the contents of an RV. In the end, I enjoyed this book enough to recommend it to others who enjoy YA mysteries/thrillers, but don’t expect it to be as good as AGGGTM.

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Five survive is a YA mystery/thriller novel that follows 6 teenagers on their journey to their spring break destination. While traveling in an RV, they get stranded in the middle of nowhere, joined by a sniper who needs answers. To which question? That's what the group needs to find out.

I was already familiar with Holly Jackson through A Good Girl's Guide to Murder so I was definitely excited to see what she came up with in this new universe.

I really enjoy stories that are set during a night/day/weekend/etc and in one space (31 ft RV in this instance). It feels like you are encapsulated with the characters and have to rush against the time to survive and it's more immersive. This story does this perfectly, the pacing is perfect & since it's broken down hour by hour, you don't think it's impossible for the events to happen in that hour which I always appreciate.

We follow the story through our main character - Red. What I really enjoyed about her is the depiction of ADHD, anxiety, and depression (I do also think she has PTSD which is understandable after you know her backstory). You see the world through her eyes, you get to be in Red's head despite the book being in 3rd person.

We also have her best friend Maddy, her brother Oliver, his girlfriend Reyna, and two of their friends - Simon and Arthur. You WILL despise one of these people so much you'll be shaking with rage. Which is honestly a good thing - you want books to make you feel different emotions, to care enough to hate or love characters.

I will not go into spoilers but I do want to say I really enjoyed the plot twists, they are classic Holly Jackson - aka I did NOT see most of them coming but they are really clever and tie in perfectly. That's what I adored about AGGGTM, and that's what I loved here. Shock me, make me gasp, and throw my kindle across the room, it's the best feeling - to have your view of the book/characters/plots changed.

Overall, this was so much fun! It's a suspenseful story and you won't be able to put it down. In some instances, I was even scared, my heart pounding. I love every page of this story and I hope everyone reading it will enjoy the intense and life-changing RV experience!

5/5, I am in my mystery/thriller era now, thank you Holly!

And thank you to Netgalley & Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

You have got to be kidding me. If this was a book and not on my iPad I probably would have thrown it across the room.

Also, no plans to ever get in an RV again.

I mean SERIOUSLY with that ending?? These are like two separate books that never found one another. And I hate an unreliable MC. So, the first half is a horror story where everyone is trapped in an RV by a sniper. And then we have a mob story of who-dun-it and an absolute PSYCHO in charge.

I will never get that time back.

1 Sentence Summary: Red and her friends are on a road trip for spring break, but the trip turns deadly when their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere, only it wasn’t an accident; someone has trapped them and wants one of them dead.

My Thoughts: WHAT?!?!?!?! Okay, did I stay up until 2 am to finish this book? Yes, I did. But was it worth it? Yes, it was. Although maybe reading it at night in the dark wasn’t the best idea…I was so scared! And then I got to the end and went from being terrified to literally tearing up at all the emotions. Ughhhh it was incredible!

First, the writing style. Wow! It really makes you feel like you’re there, like you can’t help but panic along with the characters. It flows so well and has so much great tone and mood, and is just all around fantastic writing.

Then we have the story: so suspenseful, keeps you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, and there were so many twists and turns I did not see coming. And the ending!!!! Holly Jackson really went and trampled my poor heart. It was not what I was expecting, and was really open-ended in the best way (which, if you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a good open-ended ending). But even though it was a satisfying conclusion, would I sell my soul for an extra epilogue or sequel? Yes, I would. Oh, and the whole story takes place over the course of 8 hours, which was so cool and really well executed!

And lastly, Red!!!! Can I just say, she is one of the most interesting, well written characters I’ve come across. She felt so real. Her inner voice, her mannerisms, the way she thought about things, it was just so well done. I feel like I actually know her, and I love her.

My one complaint is that I wish there were less swearing; specifically the frequent use of the f-word.
And a warning: the story got pretty dark at times, so take care of yourself and read the content warnings before going in:)

Recommend to: Fans of the group-of-friends-trapped-together-with-a-killer trope & twisty YA thrillers.

(Warnings: swearing; death; blood; gun violence)

I was really excited to receive an ARC of Holly Jackson's new book "Five Survive." I read her previous series, "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" and I already knew that I loved her writing style and her mysteries. My teens also really enjoyed her previous books.

In this story, Red and her friends are in an RV headed to Spring Break. Red's friends were kind to agree to a Spring Break road trip as she could not have afforded to go with them otherwise. Red really needs the break, from her father who is having issues, her financial woes and to get away from the memories of her mother's death five years earlier. Soon into their adventure, the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere and the teens all learn they are being targeted by a killer. The question is who is targeting them and why.

While this book was well-written and really kept me on the edge of my seat with the suspense, I had a hard time reading this as a YA mystery novel. I thought some of the more brutal scenes did not fit in the YA genre and were quite shocking. Also, I thought the book could use some additional editing. It was often repetitive and several parts were just too long. Overall, it was a well-thought out mystery with appropriate clues throughout the book, but I thought it was too mature for the intended audience and I really missed some of the fun and quirky characters and scenes that the author's other YA novels contained. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. ((3.5 stars rounded to 4))

2.75 stars

I loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, so I was really excited that I got approved to for this galley! However, I have mixed emotions about this book.

Red and five of her friends are traveling in an RV to their spring break destination, when a wrong turn quickly turns catastrophic. Soon, the six are trapped in the RV and can only get out alive when one of them admits the secret with deadly stakes that they've been keeping.

So, I'm gonna break this down point by point:
-The pacing was off. The first half was tedious and difficult to get through, and I think the second half's pacing should have been applied to the whole book. Frankly, I think the whole thing could've been shorter.
-The plot....doesn't make much sense. And look, I realize that thrillers are not true to life, but there were so many things that were just never explained.
-We spent a lot of time in Red's internal monologue, which is very nonsensical and scattered at times (which is never really explained).
-The side characters (besides Oliver, who I actively wanted to get sniped) were likable enough and were given just enough backstory for me to care about them.
-Speaking of Oliver, why was everyone letting him be such a tyrant? No one really took a firm stand against him despite his insane behavior.
-All the characters were supposed to be 18-21 years old but acted more like 14-16 year-olds
-The ending was too ambiguous in my opinion. I think even just a bit more tying off of loose ends would have really helped.

Honestly, all in all, I think that for a Young Adult Thriller, this gets the job done. I just might not have been the right audience for this. I would recommend this more for the YA demographic or maybe people who are just getting into/haven't read a lot of thrillers.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for giving me access to this in exchange for this honest review!

Incredible. Holly Jackson is a master. This book will make me think twice about ever getting into an RV.

What a book, what a book. This was my first Holly Jackson book and I was VERY impressed, her writing style keeps the reader interested and the storyline kept me up late because I needed to know what happened next. This book is described as YA (Young Adult) but I think anyone who appreciates a well written, edge of your seat thriller will enjoy this book.

Brief synopsis from Amazon:
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.

A special thank you to Holly Jackson, Random House Childrens and Net Galley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This book starts off weird-no other way I can put it. The way the MC narrates her story is so REAL, it almost feels as if you’re just listening to a friend explain their weekend. It’s full of suspense and paced just right. Towards the end, I couldn’t put it down! I did figure out the “who” behind everything rather quickly-I almost feel as if Jackson did that to us on purpose. But the why and how it would end up left me reeling! I’m a sucker for books on secrets and scandals so this book was right up my alley and did not disappoint!

The Spring break trip from hell. Six friends road tripping in an RV, but when they break down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, the next 8 hours will show them who they truly are. Because their flat tire isn't really a flat tire, it's actually a sniper, and he wants something.

Wow. I just.... wow. When I started reading, I instantly was concerned because the narrator seems very scattered. I was thinking to myself, is this Holly Jackson's first flop? The answer to that is a resounding NO. The scatteredness makes you feel crazy, until you don't. This book gave me severe anxiety. I felt like I was in the RV (all 31 feet of it). My face got hot. I was convinced there might be someone who would ambush me from around the corner as I read. It was a reading experience like none other. You feel the emotions of the characters. You bond with some, while detesting others.

Holly Jackson makes you uncomfortable. She puts you in a state of mind where you don't trust your surroundings. If anything, I'd say this is her best work yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was ecstatic to receive this e-arc as I am a huge fan of Holly Jackson's A Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Thats not saying it was a bad book. She did a great job at pacing an entire novel into just a few short hours. I felt most of the characters had a decent amount of backstory for the time frame as well. I also was not able to guess the twists, nor the ending, until the end. I feel like this type of book does much better as a movie than it does a novel, though.

The biggest issue I had was it started out so slow. So boring. I had a really hard time picking it up because it just took forever to get to the good parts. Also, the main character, Red, seemed to have memory issues or something sometimes and not others. It was never clear why. She also was trying to figure out the pattern in the curtains the entire novel and kept repeating the size of the RV and I don't even think we ever found out what that pattern was. It felt really irrelevant and might've made sense if we actually got to find out what it was and if it tied to the story in some way. Near the ending it finally picked up and got interesting, but before then, I had a really tough time getting invested.

That being said, I still very much absolutely love Holly Jackson's work and will absolutely read whatever she releases next. I feel she does much, much better with a series than a standalone and I hope that's what she chooses next time! I do recommend checking this book out as it seems to be a hit or miss with people! I definitely recommend her other work as well!

Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was surprisingly my first Holly J read! While this wasn’t my favorite book in this genre, I did really did enjoy how everything tied together in the end.

This book started very slow for me. I didn’t like being privy to the MC’s mind when she wasn’t under pressure. Her thoughts were so… bland. Chaotic but bland.

As the story progressed, however, things really started to pick up about a quarter of the way through.

I hate Oliver. The story needed that care but my gosh, he is THE WORST.

This book just wasn’t for me, Red and her friends are traveling in an RV on spring break, they break down along a deserted road. Outside the RV is a sniper threatening to shoot if he isn’t given the secret he’s wanting. I struggled to get through this book, I was waiting for some twists or big reveal but it was very predictable. Also I couldn’t figure out why Red had memory issues for some of the book but seemed fine in other parts. That didn’t add to the story at all, it was more distracting to me. Thanks NetGalley for this eARC.