this was a thoroughly enjoyable read from Holly Jackson - author of one of my favorite series (A Good Girls Guide to Murder). It was super fast paced (reminded me a little of No Exit) and I read it in one sitting. It fell a little short for me when it came to character development, and since there were 6 people to keep track of, I found that a bit frustrating. But overall, it was a super fun book and definitely reccomend picking it up when it comes out!

While this book definitely had the propulsion that Holly Jackson’s books are known for, I can’t help but feel that it would have been better suited to a short story. I thought the RV setting was perfectly tense and claustrophobic, as was the narration, but around the halfway mark things started to lag. While I can definitely see this story working as a short story or even a short film, I don’t think the format of a novel served the story well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Electric Monkey for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved how fast paced this book went! I felt like I was in the actual RV and the suspense was so good! I hope to read more from Holly Jackson. Her writing style is phenomenal.

Are you ok after reading this book?
[ ] YES [ ] NO

6 friends find themselves stranded in a broken down RV they can’t seem to leave otherwise they will be shot at by a hidden sniper who will only allow them to leave if one of them reveals “the” secret one of them is keeping….

This was an edge of your seat, wild ride. I could not put this book down from beginning to end. There were lots of twists and turns, that just kept getting deeper and deeper into the character’s play into everything. Every time I thought I had it figured out another twist would be thrown at you.

There were some things I didn’t care for in this book which is why I give it 3.75 stars. I felt like it was page after page of the main character just over analyzing and over thinking everything and then wouldn’t even follow through or react in any way so it felt like all the pages of over thinking was for not... We didn’t get much from a couple of the characters which left me feeling like why were they in the book at all? Their roles in the story were very insignificant and I wanted more from them.

Overall it was a very entertaining read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

A group of teenage friends, traveling in an RV for Spring Break, what could happen?

Well, once the RV breaks down, who would have though they would all be fighting for their lives from...a sniper?

Lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing why and who, a fast read that did not disappoint.

Holly Jackson knows how to write a suspense novel for the teenage audience.

5 stars

Holly Jackson is the queen of YA thrillers. 5 Survive is full of so many twists and turns, it was hard for me to put it down. Red is such an interesting character, and I loved reading the story from her POV. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

Wow. Wow. Wow. Gripping. Fantastic. Twisty. Everything you want in a thriller. I was worried it wasn’t going to crack up to Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, but I really really enjoyed it! The friend dynamic. The suspicion of Red and her bad memory. Loved it!

Holy exploding heart rate people! I needed a good thriller that made me shaky & kept me on the edge of my seat. I don’t know about you but I love that feeling when you can feel your heart racing as you’re reading. This one definitely did it for me!

Ok so, in the beginning, I will fully admit, I wasn’t totally sold on it yet. It took me a little bit to warm up to the characters. BUT once we got to the sniper, I blew through the pages like they were on fire. The whole time I was reading I kept thinking how great this would be as a Netflix movie or series. I’m a sucker for an unreliable, untrustworthy character and this one was full of them. At times I felt like it could be a little too YA for some, but I still really enjoyed it. And any book embraces the place where I grew up (and all the jawns, IYKYK), gets extra point from me!

A HUGE thank you to Netgalley, Random House, & Holly Jackson for this e-arc. Check out Five Survive on its pub date 11/29!

It was a book that started off slow, but once the action picked up, I couldn’t put it down! A group was going on spring break in an RV when they were stopped and secrets began to come out. I did not see some of the twists coming until they came out. Overall I enjoyed this book.

I love a high stakes, locked room thriller. But the first half of this book was tedious. The suspense and reveals in the second half of the book made up for it.

Thanks to netgalley + publisher for an arc!!

A definite 5/5! This book hooked me from the start and was just amazing from beginning to end.
I appreciated that it was an actual suspense novel because I held my breath for so many different parts, got butterflies in others and did so many sighs of relief.
I didn't like Red at first but at the end she was my favorite character. I did not see the twist ending and had a jaw drop moment that I really loved and appreciated. Oliver was my least favorite character but he brought a lot of umph to the novel.
I definitely recommend this book and would definitely buy the released copy.
AMAZING BOOK!

This book was a big departure from Jackson’s other works. Much darker vibe and complex characters versus the Good Girl series.

Overall, I liked this book. The plot moved quickly and kept the reader engaged.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! I loved AGGGTM but I had no idea how her new book was going to go after reading the premise. I was pleasantly surprised and pretty shocked by the ending. But the one thing I need to know is what the connection to the curtains was!! Im not sure if I missed it or not but I was concerned the whole time lol!

Yet another wonderful thriller by Holly Jackson! Great for YA and Adults both. Couldn't put this book down!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Click here for a full content review and a condensed version of my thoughts:
https://www.novelnotices.com/five-survive

Okay, what did I just read?

No, seriously, what was it? I am almost positive that it wasn't a thriller by THE Holly Jackson, because I was honestly more interested in Red's obsession with the curtain pattern than the actual plot.

I loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, but I didn't read the rest of the series because I heard they weren't as good. I don't know if I was just expecting the wrong thing, but I cannot express how much of a disappointment Five Survive was. The characters had moments of interest, but in the end they all fell flat. Half the time I didn't know whether I wanted to hug Red or throttle her. I understand the style Jackson was going for when she wrote Red's narration as a complete mess of scattered thoughts and random references to Phineas and Ferb, but it really just didn't work.

There were plot points that had me raising my eyebrows, wondering at the reasons and motivations for these characters, and just generally thinking some of the patching on the holes needed a little more working. If there were a few tweaks here and there, and a bit more explanation of some of the plot twists (which were, in fact, extremely underwhelming and underdeveloped), it could have been a solid read. But even if that all happened, I cannot get over the ambiguity of the ending. I'm sorry, but not even the author can be satisfied with how she left the story and the characters.

Overall, this was such a disappointment and underwhelming. I was so excited to have received an ARC, and I really hope Jackson's next work is more captivating.

Actual rating 3.75 stars!
This book was a really fast-paced, enjoyable YA thriller. The strongest points I liked were that it kept me guessing, developed the characters well in a short amount of time, and had high stakes that kept the plot moving and the reader guessing.
However, we're inside the main character, Red's, mind a lot and watching as she figures things out in her head in between moments of action. While this was done well, I admit from the synopsis I was anticipating multiple points of view. But by the end I can see why the author chose this character to be the central character and it ended up working really well.
This book also had a bit of a slow start, but once things start happening they go very quick. I admit I was also a little disappointed by the plot overall--I expected something a bit spookier than what actually ended up happening.
It may sound weird to say, but I also enjoyed the violence in this book. It wasn't over the top but it was gory here and there, but this just added to the high stakes and fast pace of the book.
The ending wrapped up well and was left just open ended enough to suit the plot, in my opinion. I would have liked to see an epilogue of the characters months after the events of the book, but I can see why the author chose not to do that, and the ending was done well with how it was written.
Overall, I recommend this book if you're wanting a quick popcorn read of a YA thriller with high stakes, interesting characters, and a good plot twist.

Holly Jackson does it again! She writes a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s a great bridge between young adult and adult!

Wow. One word. Three letters. It truly fails to express how much I enjoyed this book.

Five Survive has been on my wish list of ARCs to receive because I very much enjoyed Holly Jackson's previous work. That being said, this novel far surpassed my expectations. An action packed thriller + a truly juicy mystery made for a great story all on its own. Although I anticipated both of the surprise twists in this story, I didn't feel that predictability was to the detriment of my reading experience. In fact, it enabled me to fully experience how harrowing the final hours were.

EVERYTHING in this novel was so well done. Action. Mystery. Exploration of grief, fear, and anger. All of it made me feel like I was trapped in the RV right along with them. What really made this a book that I cannot stop thinking about was how Jackson tackled the true insidiousness of our everyday monsters. The ways in which charm, money, and a pretty face can mask a villain just as surely as wooded darkness and a rifle---that really hit home for me. Fear brings out the worst in people, and sometimes the beast that is revealed is just as horrifying.

I would definitely read this again, all mystery revealed, and enjoy it just as much.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of Five Survive by Holly Jackson. I really enjoyed the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series - it changed the game for the YA mystery/thriller genre. Easily could have read this in one-sitting, it's extremely fast-paced and takes place in one night. If I were to describe this book in one word: TENSE.

I absolutely loved the cat-and-mouse game and was frightened the entire time! The "they see you but you can't see them" element was chilling and made for a haunting read. Five Survive is about six teenagers (some more likeable than others) who end up trapped in a RV in the darkness with no cell coverage and limited resources to save them. While in this crisis, it was interesting to see what broke them, learn more about their backstories and friendships, and see how each character reacted in crazy scenarios.

The most terrifying part of the book was the sniper's involvement for sure. The only way they can survive is for one character to reveal their secret (the shooter doesn't specify who) so secrets are revealed throughout the night and readers have to pin point what secret the shooter desires, what's true, and lies!! The ending was very satisfying and loved the many reveals. I don't want to give anything away so please read this when it comes out in December 2022. I highly recommend!

Another wild ride from Holly Jackson!
6 friends in an RV on the way to Spring Break. What can go wrong? When they all have secrets-a lot.
I enjoy this author’s books because they are often unexpected and though slightly predictable, there is always a twist or two in there that take you by surprise. This book was no different. I had it mostly figured out but the ending was completely unexpected.
I did not enjoy Red being the narrator. Her thought process was a little hard to follow and this made the first half of the book a little hard to get through. By the second half, the book had enough action that I could overlook her disorganized thoughts and enjoy.
If you are a fan of Holly Jackson or any suspenseful thriller YA books, you will love this one.