Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review..

Kate Alice Marshall delivers another pulse-pounding thriller in We Won’t All Survive, a chilling blend of psychological suspense, survival horror, and a dash of social commentary. At its core is Mercy Gray—a protagonist as gritty as she is haunted. Two years after surviving a mall shooting, she's still carrying both literal and emotional shrapnel. Marshall handles Mercy’s trauma with raw honesty, making her an instantly compelling lead. Her motivations feel painfully real: a desperate attempt to claw her way out of debt, provide for her sister, and maybe—just maybe—find some peace.

But peace is the last thing Mercy finds when she signs up for a high-stakes survivalist reality show hosted by enigmatic billionaire Damien Dare. What starts as a potentially life-changing opportunity quickly spirals into a nightmare. The show’s remote location becomes a closed-off death trap, where contestants begin to die under suspicious circumstances—and trust is as scarce as supplies. Marshall thrives in these claustrophobic settings, turning the isolated compound into a crucible for paranoia and betrayal. The pacing is razor-sharp, ratcheting up the tension chapter by chapter, as Mercy must decide who she can rely on—and who’s using the game as a cover for murder.

Fans of The Hunger Games, Saw, or Yellowjackets will find a lot to love here, but Marshall keeps it grounded with a strong emotional core and insightful themes: the commodification of trauma, the exploitation baked into “reality” TV, and how past wounds never stay buried for long. Dark, riveting, and packed with twists, We Won’t All Survive is a survival thriller with both brains and bite. Just don’t start it late at night—you’ll be up until you finish.

I have loved all of Kate Alice Marshall's adult writing, so I was so excited to give her YA material a try, and it did not disappoint. Even as an adult, I had so much fun reading this one.

I loved Mercy's character, and all of the side characters. The plot of being on a survival show was a lot of fun. I did not see a lot of the plot twists coming which is always a bonus.

Overall, I recommend it, even for adult readers.

Mercy Gray became well known after saving a group of people during a mass shooting at a mall. However, the shooting caused Mercy to drain her sister’s college fund, leading her to accept an invitation to a survival reality show located in the ghost town of Landry’s Gap with a $100,000 grand prize. Shortly after arrival, Mercy and 7 other contestants realize that they have all survived a different tragedy. Things take a dark turn when the gates to Landry’s Gap close and one contestant ends up murdered after a failed challenge. With no one coming to their rescue, the remaining survivors must work together to escape what’s become their worst nightmare.

I enjoyed how each of the characters had certain strengths that helped the group during challenges throughout the book. The way the story unfolded kept me thoroughly entertained and continuously guessing who the mole was. This book really reminded me of And Then There Were None during the first half, which I really loved! I read this in 24 hours and stayed up WAY past my bedtime, but I couldn't put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was skeptical at first as young adult books, especially mystery/thrillers, can be a hit or miss, but I devoured this one so quickly! Definitely love the main character and storyline, Mercy will easily draw you in and the survival show theme with light elements of horror were unique and captivating.

Formatting was an issue for me at first but I was able to get it working on my laptop and read it that way. Not my preference but in this case I am glad I did!

I read this so quickly I counldnt put it down!!!
So many twist and turns it will have your head spinning. Part survival story part thriller perfect to keep you on the edge of your seat! Kinda reminded me of squid games if your into that!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy, fast-paced read. I love reading suspense novels and this book held my attention well. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to continue reading to find out what would happen next. The story was quick to get into and I was invested in the characters. The characters were likable and easily connected to. There was a little backstory I felt like was missing from the beginning, hence the lack of one star, but if it was there, this book would have been a five star for me. I had not read books by this author before, but after reading this book, I will read more by her. I would definitely recommend this book to young adults/teens.

This book drew me in right away with Mercy's background and then where was everyone? It definitely was not your typical survival type story like you might see on tv. It was interesting seeing all the different past traumas each of the characters had experienced. I enjoyed seeing all the special friendships develop, I especially liked the relationship of Mercy and Alethea. Who is this Dare and why is this all happening but not happening as it was supposed to. I liked the idea of a survival show set in an old deserted ghost town, I would watch that show! We Won't All Survive has a Y/A rating and it's perfect for younger readers. No extreme gore or anything you wouldn't want a young person to read. I was disappointed I could not read it on my Kindle so I had to read it on my tablet, the phone is too small. Every time I closed it I had to remember what page I was on, thank goodness it had page numbers, as when I reopened the Net Galley app it would reset the book to the front cover. It was a good book.

I enjoyed the book it was certainly different from the genres i usually read however i loved it and even rated it four stars, the plot and story was good which is a plus because sometimes a plot can be boring but no no no not this book it was amazing and im so glad i got the chance to read it !!

Read if you like:
Suspense
Elements of horror
Survival shows
Relatable characters

My thoughts:

We Won't All Survive is my first experience with Kate Alice Marshall's books but it won't be last. I fear that this is just the start of a new obsession. This is suspense done right. I cannot wait to dig into her backlist titles.

It's been a while since a book has truly had me hooked from page one but this one did. The characters, the plot, the writing, the twists; every single thing about this book had me turning pages as fast as I could. I kept coming up with theories as I read and I was dying to see if I was right. I wasn't, just so you know, but I honestly think that made it so much better. I never knew what was coming next.

The plot isn't exactly new but it was done well and had some refreshing twists. It's a gripping story that will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering who, if anyone, is going to make it out alive. It was suspenseful with some fun horror elements thrown in. Think end-of-the-world survival meets slasher movie.

While the plot was solid, it was the characters that took this story to another level. All were so well-developed, with unique personalities, and gripping histories. By the end of the book I was devastated by each death. These characters didn't feel expendable like they so often do in novels like these. I was fully invested in each one and every injury or death felt like a hit. Mercy may have been the main character (and a badass one, at that) but the side characters did their best to steal the show.

Overall, We Won't All Survive needs to be on every thriller readers TBR. I can't recommend it enough.

TL;DR

A gripping, page-turner of a novel that perfectly blends end-of-the-world survival with the suspense and danger of a slasher movie. Full of relatable characters, solid writing, and plot twists that you will never see coming, We Won't All Survive is a must-read for thriller fans.

The book had me hooked from the start! I could not put it down I needed to know what was going to happen! I loved the twist!

very fun and well-written thriller with intense and ominous vibes. definitely a book a lot of YA readers will love. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I was a little upset I couldn’t read this on my kindle like I usually do with NetGalley ARCs. It took away from the experience a bit.
I loved the premise of this book, A reality survival show. The main character goes on this show because she survived something very traumatic and needs the money. After arriving at the show, she soon realizes something isn’t right. I liked how developed the characters were written. The main character is very likable and you really feel for her.

Good story line. Fasted paced easy to read chapters and reliable characters that made it a enjoyable read by Kate Alice Marshall.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early arc for a honest review.

When Mercy signed up for a reality survival show she thought she was just going to win it all and be able to help her sister with the money she would win. However, it got really complicated fast when the show was nothing it was supposed to be. When 2 murders end up happening they realize something sinister is going on. Who survives and what is the story behind the mastermind of the show?
This book was fantastic for me. I was hooked immediately and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want to put it down because I couldn’t wait to see what was next. I thought the details were very good in it as well. It felt like I could capture exactly what the scene of the show looked like. There was a great amount of twists in it and I highly recommend.

This was a wild ride. one chapter was crazier than the next. I did like ending and I felt compelled to keep going because I needed to see how they'd get out of this hell.

I have absolutely loved Marshall's adult thrillers these past few years, and I was excited to see her go back to her YA roots for this fun locked room (locked town?) thriller!

Eight teens with traumatic histories are brought together to survive in a ghost town for a new reality show from a wild content creator. The only problem? When they show up, it truly is a ghost town- no production crew, no staff, and no guidance for what to do next. When one contestant is found dead on the first morning, things quickly start to spiral for the group.

YA thrillers can be incredibly hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit! I loved the set up and the atmospheric descriptions of the old mining town where the show is set to tape. The characters were all interesting and memorable, making it easy to remember who was who while they attempted to survive the town. While I did figure out one part of the ending, other secrets eluded me and made for an entertaining and twisty finish. Overall it was a fast paced and fun read!

Thank you to Viking Books for the ARC.

We Won’t All Survive
By Kate Alice Marshall

Summary:

Two years ago, Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a mall shooting. She still carries souvenirs from that day: the fragment of a bullet lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and guilt for ignoring her sister’s warnings that the sweet boy next door was anything but.

So when billionaire turned TV host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show, she can’t turn down a chance at the whopping cash prize that could send her sister to college. But when she and the other contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. The set is empty. The gates close without warning, trapping them inside. And then one of them turns up dead. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident quickly transforms as more contestants start dropping like flies. With time and resources running low, surviving this show takes on a whole new meaning. Mercy must figure out who to trust. Before she’s next.

Review: 5-Stars
This book took me by surprise. From the summery it felt like it would be just your average tale, but I was wrong. It engages you from the start to where you can’t put it down until you finish it. What a page-turner this book is.
The Characters, the emotions, the setting are all down to perfection. You can picture the story in your mind as you’re reading. And nothing was what I had thought it would be. It shocked me how it ended and I was very pleased that the Author did such an awesome job with all the twists and turns withing the storyline.
Conclusion:
Would I recommend this book to others? YES
Would I read other books written by this Author? YES
Would I buy this book for others? YES

Really enjoyed this story! The FMC was absolutely brilliant, so well written it felt like I actually knew her! Loved the pacing, and atmosphere throughout this story!

I love reality tv competition shows and I love thriller books so imagine my excitement when I found a book that combined the two! Basically, Mercy is a survivor of a mall shooting and is invited to a ghost town to compete with several other young adults on a survival-style show for a cash prize. But, when she gets there, the town is completely deserted and the contestants are fully trapped. The game proceeds automatically, and one contestant ends up dead.

I thought that this book was so fun!! I was a bit skeptical at first because it was hard to keep the characters and their backstories straight, but as time went on, it became easier and easier. The characters were very diverse and each brought different skills, weaknesses, and personalities to the survival tasks, which made it feel more realistic (as opposed to the main character being amazing at everything).

The atmosphere added so much to the story--I loved the ghost town feeling and the way the setting was woven into the survival aspect of the plot. Different tasks took place in different areas and I can still picture what I saw while reading the book, it was well-described and thought-out.

I did not see the plot twists coming, and they made the second half of the book go very quickly. I had a lot of fun reading it and trying to figure out what exactly was going on before Mercy and her friends did.

Overall this was kind of the vibes of Ruth Ware's The Perfect Couple (in the sense of reality show gone awry) and I really enjoyed it. It was firmly YA but would be fun for adult thriller readers too.

Thank you to NetGalley + Penguin Group for the ARC

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 29, 2025

💧 Survivalist Reality Show
💧 Ghost Town Setting
💧 "Who Can I Trust?"

MINI BLURB: Eight young adults agree to compete on a survivalist reality show set in the ghost town of Landry's Gap in the hopes of winning the 100k prize. However, it's clear from the beginning that something is very wrong. Quickly the group begins to dwindle and they must discover if the culprit is a stranger in the desert or a mole in their midst before there's nobody left.

REVIEW: I absolutely devoured We Won't All Survive! I was hooked from the second the gates closed! Our contestants all have one thing in common: trauma. I found it interesting how their trauma is exploited in the challenges. There are so many twists and I loved how there's some humor sprinkled throughout! Alethea is probably my favorite character because she came off as rich and superficial but proved to be intelligent and resourceful, but they're all fleshed out beautifully! I literally couldn't put it down!

If you love a good thriller, We Won't All Survive is a must-read!

Thank you so much, Viking Books and NetGalley, for the digital review copy!

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