A private plane full of party-goers crashes in the jungles of Thailand and the passengers struggle to survive with nothing more than they brought for a nightclub. Well, what could go wrong? So, you already know this will be a catastrophe even though the survivors include two celebrities who have made their fame via wilderness/survivalist shows. The plane belongs to Lila Wilde, a young socialite with an infamous musician father and more money than she knows what to do with. She gets so wrapped up in enjoying her new engagement that she invites a bunch of people she barely knows or doesn’t know at all to come party at her family’s property just a plane ride away. And that’s when disaster strikes.

The number of survivors quickly dwindles and that’s not a surprise because the story is told partially in the present time and partially in the past as we read about their time in the jungle. In the present, Lila’s at an airport, watching an old interview she gave a few years back when she was fresh out of the jungle, so we know she survives. It’s jarring to see her current state of mind compared to how she was before and as the disaster occurred. To say it changed her is a gross understatement. I found the descriptions of the jungle and its dangers pretty accurate based on my zero knowledge of the Thai wilderness. But it seems on point – animals, treacherous terrain, killer bacteria, poisonous plants, weather exposure, etc.

The celebrities act as you’d expect, treating the ‘normals’ like dirt, even though the non-famous have a much better grasp on reality. Alliances form and break instead of everyone working together and you wonder how anyone will possibly get out of there safely. Like all this author’s works, it was fast-paced and entertaining, and I found myself quickly immersed in the book and reading most of it in one sitting. You may find yourself disgusted with Lila at first but as the story builds, your opinion might well change. And you’ll never be as thankful to be safe and sound reading about characters constantly on the brink of death!

The Private Jet is a highly engaging novel that explores themes of survival and the transformative power of adversity. The story follows Lila, the privileged daughter of a rock star musician, who lives a life of luxury and excess. After a night out in Thailand, she decides to continue the party at her family's secluded mansion in the jungle, just a short flight away on her father’s private jet.

However, disaster strikes when the plane crashes during a storm, thrusting Lila and the other survivors into a desperate fight for survival. The author does an excellent job of crafting well-drawn, dynamic characters whose development keeps readers captivated as the plot unfolds. The tension steadily builds as their desperation grows, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

With its vivid descriptions and intense narrative, the novel evokes echoes of Lord of the Flies and The Beach, delivering a gripping and thought-provoking read. The Private Jet is a must-read for fans of survival stories and character-driven drama.

I devoured this book it had suspense, twists and deceit! I loved the setting in Thailand. I couldn't put it down! I flew through it in a day and loved every second!

This was a five star read it was unputdownable and I was racing to finish it as I was dying to see how it would play out!

A must read for 2025!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

The plot of The Private Jet is absolutely insane! What a rollercoaster this was -I couldn't put it down.

Rating: 4.2/5

Sarah Goodwin is both developing and maturing as a writer. This is the fifth of her books that I have read and it is comfortably the most accomplished. In each of the first three I read, I was entertained and found elements of the writing to be genuinely impressive. However, similar traits were evident in all of the books that meant that they stopped short of realising their full potential. In her novel prior to this one, "The Island", there were clear signs of the author beginning to address some of the shortcomings and, with this latest offering, she has taken another significant stride forwards.

Although there are echoes of "Lord of the Flies" and Alex Garland's "The Beach",which are essentially down to the setting, "The Private Jet" is very much its own novel rather than simply a facsimile. In what essentially becomes a "survival against the odds" story, the author makes valid observations of human nature and how social status and codes relating to moral behaviour can alter and/or break down under a given set of circumstances.

I have been critical of Sarah Goodwin previously for failing to maintain a solid narrative standard throught the novel. In my first three experiences of her work, the opening half of the story was gripping and made for compelling reading, before losing its way in the latter half. There is no such issue here. The author still manages to grab the audience's attention in the earlier stages, but, if anything, draws the reader in still further as the story develops. She achieves this through admirable description of the setting and the challenges facing the protagonists, but also through sound characterisation, which really involves you in the struggles and challenges facing the group. The depiction of the first person narrator, Lila, is particularly worthy of praise. Lila is unlikely to endear herself to many readers in the early chapters - she is little more than a dislikeable, spoiled brat. However, gradually, the author allows her to metamorphosize into a character that the audience can sympathise with and warm to. So, rather than thinking, "She derves everything she gets", the reader is more likely to be siding with her in her battle for survival.

Another sign of the growing maturity of the writer is that, rather just being an enthralling adventure thriller, this novel also manages to deliver moments of genuine poignancy. "The Private Jet" is Sarah Goodwin's most accomplished, most rounded and filmic novel to date and I am looking forward to coming back for more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

"The Private Jet" by Sarah Goodwin is an intense story of survival played out against a vast, unforgiving jungle. Having read one of Sarah Goodwin's books before, I knew I was in for one hell of a ride. And boy, a wild ride it was! I’ll never look at a flight the same way after reading this book.

Told in the first-person point of view and alternating between timelines, the story follows Lila Wilde, a lifestyle influencer and daughter of a famous rock star. Spoiled and accustomed to luxury, Lila travels to Thailand with her wannabe DJ boyfriend, Bryce, for a vacation. When he proposes in a nightclub - far from the romantic setting she imagined - Lila impulsively invites a mix of celebrities and strangers to her father’s villa, only a short flight away.

While flying on her father's private plane, it encounters rough conditions and crashes in the Thai jungle, with only a few survivors left. They must face venomous snakes and countless dangers while waiting for a rescue that might never come. Pretty soon, divisions arise between the "haves" (the rich and famous) and the "have-nots" (the common people), forcing Lila to choose a side. Thus begins a gripping tale of survival where every person is for themselves, and only the strongest have a chance of making it out alive.

Though the start is a bit slow, it lays the groundwork for the nail-biting tension that follows. The story has "Lord of the Flies" vibes and was a quick, enjoyable read. The blurb was a bit misleading - I thought it would be about a vacation gone wrong aboard a plane - but it turned out to be more of a survival game, and just as compelling. I found the novel addictive, largely because the characters are so human, with believable strengths and flaws. I was so emotionally invested I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out who would survive.

The true nature of people is revealed in times of danger, as was the case here. As resources dwindled, the characters' real personalities came to light, not a pretty sight. Lila transformed from a spoiled and spineless heiress into a capable woman, and I grew to like her. In contrast, Bryce's true colors emerge during the crisis, rendering him utterly despicable. While it’s tempting to judge Lila for some of her actions - or inaction - we can’t truly know how we’d react in similar situations.

One aspect I didn’t love was the overuse of drugs and drinking, which led to several reckless decisions. The portrayal of all wealthy characters as drug users felt a bit stereotypical, and Lila’s casual attitude toward certain substances might send the wrong message. I was especially irritated by the scene where a character gave his girlfriend a spiked drink without her knowledge; instead of confronting him, she chose to avoid a fuss, which felt disappointing.

The author expertly builds tension and atmosphere throughout the book. The vivid descriptions make the setting come alive, making the story feel frighteningly real. I felt like I was right there with the characters, foraging for food and struggling to survive against the elements.

On the surface, this is a thrilling survival story, but at its core, it explores how far people will go to survive and how quickly they can lose their humanity. Another takeaway is the reminder not to take anything for granted. I loved the book and highly recommend it to fans of suspense and survival tales. The pages couldn’t turn fast enough to keep up with the engrossing plot!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

When the party stops, survival begins. Rich kid Lila Wilde is the daughter of a rock star. She wants for nothing and has her dad’s credit cards and private jet to use as she wishes. She heads to Thailand with her fame hungry and wannabe DJ boyfriend and after partying in a nightclub invites a random group of ‘friends’ to continue the party back at her luxurious villa. It’s only a short flight away but as the flight progresses, excitement turns to tension as things start to go wrong. This is billed as an addictive psychological thriller with twists and turns and whilst it lived up to this in some ways, in other parts I found it to be a bit slow going. Overall I would rate it 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

Takimg a private plane and her friends to her her fathers luxury home Lila Wilde finds herself struggling to survive in a Thai jungle.


The Plane has crashed and spoiled little rich girl has a massive test to see just how strong she is and what she is willing to do..

This is a glitzy read and really not that serious of a book. it is a book to enjoy for a few hours and that is exactly what I did. it did get a little hairy at times and I wondered just how Lila would cope.

an enjoyable read although a little 'scruffy' at times..

I requested an ARC of this book via NegGalley because I really liked Sarah Goodwin's <em>Stranded</em>.

<em>The Private Jet</em> has a similar lost in the wilderness, "Man vs. Nature" vibe

Rich and famous for being famous, Lila Wilde, daughter of a legendary rockstar and lifestyle influencer, travels to Thailand with her boyfriend to film some reels and enjoy a tropical vacation. Her plan goes to hell in a handbasket when her private jet, with a party crowd onboard, crashes in a Thai jungle.

Cue drama, pain, and tears. Once the veneer of civilization is lost, people's true selves emerge. Goodwin does a great job immersing the reader in the jungle setting and making the characters come alive.

Where I struggled was with Lila as a protagonist. Her personality flipped from spoiled princess to brave survivalist too quickly to be believable. Even then, I didn't find her likable and couldn't bring myself to root for her.

On the whole, this is a well-written, fast-paced story that fans of this author will surely enjoy.

Animal Farm with a rich kids twist! This book will have you hooked from the beginning to the end!
Lila has everything at her fingertips; endless cash to spend, luxury condo, multiple houses to party in; all thanks to her very famous dad. After a fun raging night out, Lila finds herself impulsively inviting a number of guests from the bar onto her dad's private jet to one of his houses. Impulsive night out soon turns into a nightmare of a plane crash. Left stranded in an isolated jungle. Some survived the crash, but how many will survive the jungle?

This whole book could be irrelevant if people just didn't do drugs. For some reason, I thought the setting was stuck on a plane itself, so this was an entirely different book than what I got from the blurb. A bunch of people are high and drunk in Thailand and decide to take Lila's dad's jet to their house. It crashes. In the jungle without a flight plan. All these people are just trying to survive. I ended up skimming most of it when they crashed in the jungle. Was not exciting for me, but that doesn't mean it's not a good book.

Oh wow what a read that was!
I wasn't sure to start with but once we got to the trip on the jet i just couldn't read it fast enough.
We certainly find out about the true character of a number of people and the horror of it all, oh my goodness.
Its difficult to write this review without giving to much away but this is the best thing i have read for a while.
Fabulous writing from Sarah Goodwin and what a great movie this would make.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.