I couldn’t put this book down once I started. Labeled as a YA thriller, it’s really about toxic masculinity and what happens when we don’t trust our instincts.

The end was a bit formulaic and predictable, the writing was great and the characters, especially Mercy, were believable and interesting. I’ll definitely read it again when it’s released 7/29/2025.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the eARC!

Tense, twisty, and emotionally charged, We Won’t All Survive is a thrilling read. After surviving a mall shooting, Mercy Gray joins a reality show for the chance to finally move forward, but once the cameras stop rolling and contestants start dying, survival becomes all too real.

Kate Alice Marshall crafts a suspenseful mystery with a strong, relatable heroine at its center. The isolated setting, rising body count, and shifting alliances create nonstop tension, while Mercy’s backstory adds emotional depth. This is a smart, fast-paced read that will hook teen readers from the start and keep them guessing until the very end.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Let me just say- this book took a turn. In the beginning I was nervous I was not going to get interested because I felt like it was moving a little slow. However, once we got into the characters and started to realize their similarities then it started to build up the momentum to keep reading. Once I got past the “first day” I felt like i knew the characters and the dialogue between them made it easy for me to be able to picture this. By the time I was in the middle of the book trying to figure it all out my mind kept going back and forth on who was doing what. Satisfying ending for a book that keeps you guessing who will survive ?!!! Look out for this — this summer !

I really enjoyed this!! There was a few things I was left wondering but overall a fast paced read and Kate Alice Marshall thrillers just do not miss. Would def recommend

Mercy was the hero in a mass mall shooting and now she feels like she owes her sister an immense debt. When an opportunity arrives to participate in a survival show, Mercy jumps at the chance to pay back her sister. She arrives at a remote off-grid location with seven strangers to try to survive and win life-changing money. When the gates lock them in and a contestant ends up dead, Mercy wants to get out as soon as possible. But the game creator is not going to let them go that easily.

I devoured this book. I couldn't put it down. I loved the fast pace and unexpected twists and turns. If you're in the mood for a quick thrilling read, this is the one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC of We Won't All Survive.

I finished this in a day. What a fun book, full of twists, and interesting characters. Kate Alice Marshall does not disappoint.

Honestly sometimes I think YA thrillers are more enjoyable than adult ones because there’s a certain amount of buy-in you have to give the book to even consider a bunch of barely legal teenagers would end up in such a fucked up situation. For me, this ultimately leads to a “sure, why the hell not” reading experience which feels more entertaining and made this a page turner.
The characters and writing are the prize in this weird-as-hell plot with some weird-as-hell turns. Mercy’s character development felt slightly slower in some ways than her comrades - Trust yourself, girl! Men are freaks! - but I still loved that this book really made an effort to celebrate each of its characters’ inherent strengths in the midst of very reasonable human weaknesses.

Highly recommend this for a summer read when you have the time to consume a book in massive chunks because you can’t put it down. ☀️

⭐️: 3.75
📕: Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for allowing me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review 🌸

I absolutely loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I didn't see the twists coming. I really enjoyed the premise of this book, participating in an old ghost town with challenges, sign me up! This is my first book by Kate Alice Marshall and it won't be my last. My only criticism was the format in which to read the book. I wish I could have read it on my Kindle. I was only able to read it on my computer at work. The download on my phone was not reader friendly for me and didn't bookmark my spot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.

Pre-read, so excited for this one! Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!
This one is next on my list and I can't wait!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

We Won't All Survive was a lot of fun. Marshall combined all sorts of fun elements and brought them together beautifully: a deserted ghost town, a de-railed reality game show that gets too realistic, trauma bonding, found family, crazy self-help tech-bro billionaire, and a super cute little romance thread.

I think my favorite thing about this book, aside from the mystery that kept me guessing until the 3rd act, was the way Marshall handled trauma. Each of the characters have been through hell before arriving on the set of the show. Mercy, the female lead, is the survivor of a mass shooting, made more traumatic because she knew the shooter. PTS was depicted well--without sensationalizing it, which I appreciated. The story as a whole did a great job exploring how trauma changes people in different ways, and how resilience doesn't look the same for everyone.

****MILD SPOILERS BELOW****







What I appreciated most, though, was the direction Marshall took when it came to the true villain behind everything. She could have taken the predictable, traditional, stereotypical way out and built a new story around a villainous archetype we've all seen before.

Instead? We got the kind of villain that (as a woman) disturbs me in a way few other antagonists can. Because it's ridiculously real to life. I think every woman can say she's encountered a male like the one revealed in We Won't All Survive, and that created a skin-crawling fear more than any other part of the book.

It opens the door for important discussions, and in my opinion did a wonderful job of illustrating this scenario. And how quickly it can turn dangerous.






****END SPOILERS****

I really enjoyed this read. The story was engaging, the writing drew me in, and all the characters were well-rounded. It has adventure, survival, murder, and disturbing twists. Marshall crafted a rollercoaster of a thriller and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future. (I also plan to immediately seek out her backlist)

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Trigger warnings include death and violence. Be sure to read all of the warnings prior to reading this book.

The story was thrilling and mysterious. The characters had growth and development in the book and their stories were interesting and intertwined together. I read this at a fast pace with the love of good surprise twists throughout the story.

#NetGalley #PenguinYoungReaders #MyHonestReview #KateAliceMarshall #WeWon’tAllSurvive

disturbing yet enticing, I enjoy a good thriller and this one threw me around a bit!
This author did really well keeping you wanting to turn the page!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Everyone is going to love the twists and turns in Kate Alice Marshall's newest YA thriller, We Won't All Survive. Mercy Gray is a survivor of a mall shooting and helped saved many people's lives, including her sisters. She feels indebted to her sister for paying off her medical debt, and has been invited to a survival game show by a tech billionaire. As soon as Mercy arrives, she starts to feel something is off, and she isn't wrong. I loved the inclusive writing, the messages, and the overall who-dun-it vibes from this book. I highly recommend middle school/high school students read this book.

We Won’t All Survive is a gripping mashup of survival horror and murder mystery, with high-stakes tension and emotional depth. Mercy Gray is a compelling protagonist—tough, haunted, and relatable. Her past trauma from a mall shooting adds a chilling layer to her motivations, especially as she joins a sketchy survival reality show run by a flashy billionaire.

The book kicks into gear fast, and once the contestants are trapped in the isolated setting, the suspense is relentless. Marshall does a great job balancing mystery and action while slowly peeling back character secrets. The body count rises, the paranoia builds, and you’re left questioning everyone’s motives.

While some twists are predictable and the pacing lags slightly in the middle, the final act delivers satisfying reveals and real emotional impact. Fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, or The Hunger Games will find a lot to love here.

First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

This was a solid read.

We follow Mercy Gray, a survivor of a mall shooting and a fiercely protective older sister, as she enters a survival reality TV show. The prize? A hundred thousand dollars. She hopes the money will cover her sister's college tuition. But right from the start, things feel off. No hosts. No crew. Just contestants, a locked gate topped with barbed wire, and no way out.

Then, on the second night, one of them is murdered.

What follows is a tense fight for survival. No one knows if the killer is one of them or someone else hiding within the twisted "game." Trust is hard to come by and everyone's paranoia builds. And all the while, Mercy has to rely on her fractured instincts; not just to survive, but to protect the people she's come to care about.

This book delivered what it promised. There was a solid sense of suspense and a good dose of mystery, though it didn’t break new ground in the genre.

That said, I really appreciated the romance elements. One of the pairings, in particular, strayed away from typical YA expectations, which I found refreshing. I also want to highlight the excellent representation throughout this. Kate Alice Marshall included transgender and POC characters in a thoughtful manner.

Some of the themes really stood out to me as well. Especially the exploration of power, ego, and how dangerous that combination can be. The book also made an important point about survival. It is not necessarily always a cut and dry game but can be something that can be collaborative. Everyone has strengths. It doesn’t always have to come down to one winner, one loser.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fast-paced story with decent substance. It's a great palate cleanser between heavier reads. And honestly, I’d love a spinoff. Even if Mercy takes a backseat...hint hint!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

We Won't All Survive is intense and timely. Eight teens/young adults who have survived traumatic events are thrown together on a survivalist reality show, but of course nothing is as they thought it would be. This has the suspense of a locked-door thriller as all possible suspects are likely within the group, as well as more thought=provoking elements regarding masculinity, out-of-pocket billionaires, and the unfortunate connection between women setting boundaries and men not respecting them. I did guess the main twists but still found the story fast-paced and compelling and I know my high school students will love it! I will definitely be adding a copy to my classroom library.

I was hooked reading this book from the first page. I finished it in 24 hours. I love Mercy and her found family of survivors. Althea may not come off as the most likeable characters to some but I really enjoyed her and her friendship with Mercy the entire book. It was clear from the get go that Damien Dare was iffy but to what extent was to be seen and what was really happening was insane. The plot twist at the end I wasn't expecting. This book was a very enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it.

This one was wild. We Won’t Survive throws you straight into the chaos and doesn’t slow down. It’s intense, emotional, and honestly kind of terrifying in the best way. I was hooked from the start—there’s this constant sense of dread, but also these little moments of heart that make it hit harder. Kate Alice Marshall does suspense so well, and the twists had me flipping pages way too late at night. Definitely a solid pick if you’re into survival stories with high stakes and characters you can’t stop thinking about.

This one had me on edge the whole time. It’s emotional, fast-paced, and genuinely hard to put down. I loved how the story kept the stakes high while still feeling grounded in the characters.
Big thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this early!

3.5 stars. As usual, I do like Kate Alice Marshall's writing. However, this one wasn't as strong for me as What Lies in the Woods. Still, this was a well thought out YA mystery novel that had some twists and surprises that I didn't immediately see coming. I like the concept of this being a survival TV show gone wrong. I feel like Mercy and the other characters were well fleshed out and had good motives for their actions.