Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 7/29
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Thank you to PRHA, Kate Alice Marshall, NetGalley and Pengruin Random Young Readers / Viking Books for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Kate Alice Marshall has a way with creating such addicting books that I couldn't help but love this one as well. Think survivor on steroids; think naked and afraid; think all of the slasher films all together... Now add them together and you have this book. The concept of this story was awesome. The fact the characters walked into a deathtrap while thinking they were entering a reality show was superb. Don't even get me started on how the games go - *chefs kiss*. 
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The pacing is steady to fast, and you will be up way past your bedtime to find out exactly how this one ends. I fell in love with the characters; you will easily find a deep connection to all of them. The ending is great, while mildly predictable (I did manage to figure out he major twist, but it did not take away any enjoyment for me), but there are plenty of twists leading up to the ending that will have you flipping the pages!
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I listened to this while reading my eARC. The narration was performed by Jess Nahikian. I loved it. I think this was my first audiobook narrated by her and I felt like it was the perfect fit. I highly recommend the audio if you are thinking of picking this one up!!
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Would you agree to be on a reality competition show? If yes, which one? If no, why not? What are you starting the week reading?
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Pub week review • four star review • advanced listeners copy • advanced readers copy • audiobooks are books too • 2025 releases • thriller • murder • death trap • book review • books books books • 2025 must read books • horror • reality competition • suspenseful read • mystery

Short and Sweet Review

Two years ago, Mercy was able to save some lives in a mall shooting and since then she’s been hailed as a hero. But for Mercy she lives with a fragment of a bullet in her back and some guilt for not listening to her sister when she said the boy next door was anything but sweet. When Damien Dare a billionaire TV host comes up with a new reality survivalist show with a large grand prize, Mercy knows she can’t pass by the opportunity to win the money and send her sister to college. When Mercy arrives to the off the gird location for the show she knows something is off but her intuition becomes correct when her fellow contestants start dying off. Mercy needs to figure out who to trust before she becomes the next target.

I’ll start off by saying this was such a good book, and if you like thrillers and books with suspense this book is for you. Our main character is Mercy and she survived a shooting two years ago but it’s not something she can forget about especially because she knew the shooter and gave him the benefit of the doubt, but that obviously didn’t end well. I did like Mercy as a character, she was looked at as the leader but she also knew she had weaknesses. We do get to see her thoughts on the incident that happened two years ago and why she would have guilt. Mercy’s main motivation for getting through life is her sister, we don’t see her sister but she is mentioned often. When Mercy gets to the location of the site where the show is being shot everything just feels off, it’s very desolate and almost like a ghost town. There’s seven other contestants there and they all have their different personalities but we have. When the automatic gates lock the contestants in they know something isn’t right, they try to find supplies and a way out but it becomes evident they’re stuck there. When one of the contestants is found dead and it looks like a murder we find out that we don’t know who to trust. The remaining contestants try to work together to figure out what’s going on and how to get out of this nightmare. I just loved the idea that this was supposed to be a tv show about being a survivalist and I’m sure it would have made a great show without the murder, but this book definitely read like it could be something we see on tv. I like the relationships between all of the contestants because they really don’t know each other but have to work together and see if the person they’re working with is even trust worthy. The further we get into the book some things are unraveled and I think those revelations are the best part because, why were this kids brought to this place and what went wrong or right?

Overall, this book was well written and will have you rooted in place trying to finish it in one sitting. I liked the dynamic between the characters and seeing them work together to get out but also at the same time contestants are still dying. If you’re looking for your next young adult thriller look no further.

This was generally fine. I liked the premise of a survival reality show at the hands of an eccentric billionaire going wrong, but I didn't connect so much wtih the characters in the story. There was a lot of potential that wasn't quite met, but I did find it fairly suspenseful at times and again, LOVE the idea of it. Solidly okay!

I am obsessed with the ‘strangers having to survive in a terrible situation’ trope, and this one did not disappoint. I read this in two sittings, and I HATE reading on my iPad, but I just couldn’t stop.

I liked that we got the pieces of Mercy’s past sprinkled in along the whole book, instead of a huge info dump at the beginning. And the same with the other stories of the other contestants.

There were a few good twists along the way, some I saw coming and some that I didn’t. Will definitely check out more from this author.

We Won’t All Survive by bestselling author Kate Alice Marshall delivers a gripping and atmospheric survival thriller that you won’t want to put down.
The story follows Mercedes Gray, a determined young woman who joins a survival competition set in a remote ghost town by survival enthusiast, Damien Dare. The stakes are high and Mercedes needs the prize money to secure a future for her younger sister. She’s joined by seven other contestants, all of whom have endured personal trauma, and each brings their own secrets to the town square. But from the very beginning, something feels off. What’s meant to be a game of endurance quickly spirals into a fight for survival, as trust erodes and the truth becomes more dangerous than the desert around them.
Marshall expertly blends psychological tension with action, creating a chilling and immersive reading experience. The characters are well-developed, and their individual backstories add emotional depth to the fast-paced plot. Readers will find themselves questioning motives and loyalties at every turn.
A smart, suspenseful novel perfect for fans of Holly Jackson.
Recommended for readers who enjoy survivalist fiction, psychological thrillers, and character-driven suspense.
Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for the advance copy.

3.75 stars

Modern society is wild, and the premise of this book is a great reflection of that: Mercy, the protagonist, saved lives and herself during a mall shooting brought on by some creep incel who was trying to possess her sister and now she is going on a reality show promoted by a wealthy maniac so that she can pay off medical debt, among other things that she and her sister should not have to pay for at all. It sucks here, and I'm not talking about some dystopian situation. I'm talking about this one, modern American society, where every one of those things seems like a regular part of the contemporary landscape.

Things are sketchy from the jump, but they get even more sus when the contestants notice that they are maybe being watched but not helped in catastrophically dangerous and even life ending situations. The bulk of the novel centers on this "game" and includes some gripping flashbacks to each survivor's experience (but primarily Mercy's).

I've read a lot from this author but this is my first YA experience, and while it all hit way too close to home, I enjoyed it. I'll be recommending this one to students as a great example of why we don't need dystopian literature right now (because actual life is scarier).

I am a huge Kate Alice Marshall fan, but this book just didn't live up to the writing level of the other books of hers I've read. This is the first YA book I've read by her (I'm not sure if she has other YA books or not to be totally honest). and maybe that was the difference. I liked the overall concept of the book, but the plot goes off the rails pretty early on, and there were several plot holes. The character development was weak, and I never felt overly invested in what happened to any of them. Maybe with more editing this would have been a stronger book like the rest of Marshall's, but this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

We Won’t All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall is a chilling, twisty survival thriller that wastes no time pulling you into its high-stakes premise. The story follows Mercy, who, along with seven other contestants who’ve all experienced personal trauma, is recruited to participate in a survival reality show in a remote location. But from the moment they arrive, it’s clear something isn’t right.
What unfolds is a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat ride full of secrets, tension, and betrayal. I loved how layered the characters were, each one had such a unique, haunting backstory that added depth to the character and overall mystery. Marshall does an excellent job creating a creepy, isolated atmosphere, and the pacing kept me turning the pages quickly.
While I did guess a couple of the twists before they hit, that didn’t take away from the tension or the satisfaction of the reveals. This is my second read from Marshall and she continues to impress with her ability to craft compelling thrillers. I’m already eyeing which one to pick up next!
Perfect for fans of survival stories with a psychological edge and a cast full of unreliable players.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC!

When TV host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to be on his survivalist, reality TV show she doesn't know what to expect. She does know that if she won the money, she could pay for her sisters college tuition. When she and the other contestants arrive at the location though the set is empty. The gates close trapping them inside without warning. Then one of them turns up dead in what appears to be a tragic accident until more contestants turn up dead. They certainly won't all survive, in fact, none of them will if they don't find out what's going on. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This is my first time reading one of Kate Alice Marshalls Young Adult mystery thrillers and unfortunately I didn't love it as much as I did her Adult books. While it is a quick read with interesting characters I felt the mystery aspect way too predictable and I guess the killer pretty quickly.

“We Won’t All Survive” is what happens when Squid Game and Saw crashes into a YA thriller and throws in reality TV chaos for good measure.
Tropes:
- Survival game
- Whodunnit with a ticking clock
- Trapped location
- Everyone has secrets
- Final girl energy
Mercy Gray is that classic morally gray heroine—haunted, stubborn, and just trying to keep her sister’s dreams alive. Two years post-mall shooting, she joins a reality show with other disaster survivors, thinking she’s here to win money. Spoiler alert: this ain’t Survivor—it’s a death trap. The set’s deserted, no camera crew, and contestants start dropping like flies.
I didn`t guess the killer but I'm really bad detective anyway. Characters aren't just blank canvas for oue MC, they have their flaws, strength and it's great.
Kate Alice Marshall’s writing? Really binge-worthy. Still has that tight pacing and emotional punch. If you’re into intense thrillers with a side of trauma and trust issues, this one’s worth your time.

Big thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers for the ARC in exchange of honest review

This book was such a tense, twisty read with a premise that immediately grabbed me: a survival reality show, eight contestants, all of them survivors of serious trauma, trapped in a ghost town with no camera crew, no production team… and then one of them ends up dead.

Told through Mercy’s point of view, the story pulls you into her complicated past right away. She’s lived through something unimaginable - a mass shooting- and came out of it a reluctant hero. Her motivations for joining the show felt deeply personal and grounded, and I appreciated how raw and real her guilt and protectiveness over her sister felt. She’s not perfect, but she’s brave in a way that feels very human.

I will say, the mystery side of the plot didn’t totally surprise me. I guessed who the killer was fairly early on, and some of the thriller beats played out a little predictably. But what really carried this book for me was the cast of characters and how the author handled their trauma. Each person is more than just what happened to them - they're trying to move forward, even while being defined by those moments. Even without a ton of in-depth development, I still cared about them. That’s hard to pull off, and Kate Alice Marshall did it well.

The pacing was sharp, the tension was constant, and the atmosphere of the ghost town setting added a lot. The ending was satisfying, twisty enough without being over the top, and it gave Mercy the arc she deserved.

This is a fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller. It didn’t completely blow me away, but I was invested the whole way through and finished it really fast. Definitely recommend if you're into survival thrillers with depth.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Viking Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4⭐️
ARC read
Pub date: 7/29/25

What a page turner! This YA thriller had me hooked early on and with a bunch of cliffhangers at the end of chapters, this was so hard to put down. This story also had some pretty dark themes, which made me constantly forget that the characters are all between 18 and 20.

I love the stress that comes from stories where you really don’t know who to trust, and I think that was so well done here. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a quick, engaging thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy to read and review!

3.75⭐️!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start with the fact that my rating may be lower since the NetGalley version of this book had a lot of grammar issues and weird kinks in the NetGalley reader. BUT, this was a fun YA thriller, survival story meets murder mystery that I really enjoyed! It was fast paced with A LOT of twists and turns. A few I definitely saw coming, but there were a few that had me saying “Ooooooh, ya that makes sense” as well.

My favorite part about this book was the character work and development. A lot of thrillers that I have read glaze over the character backstories and focus on the now so I enjoyed learning their stories and what drove each one of them. It brought the ending and each character arc together nicely.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style, the pacing and the idea behind the story. I will definitely be reading more of her work!

Fast-paced YA thriller.

Eight 19-20 year olds are selected to be on a reality challenge/survival show. They are in a gated compound in the middle of the dessert and have to complete challenges as a team to gain supplies. Very quickly, things start to feel off, and they start questioning who's controlling the game.

The title is facts...they don't all survive.

Suspend reality and enjoy the ride!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Eight teenagers have been invited to participate in a survival/murder mystery show, but right from the get-go, things aren’t as they seem. The book kept my interest piqued throughout, but it didn’t quite land as strong as I wanted it to. I am still a huge fan of this author and look forward to anything she comes out with in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley & Viking Books for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I enjoyed this one but it’s definitely not going to land itself at the top of my list for this author.

The set up for this was really fun and intriguing to me. I enjoyed the twists along the way and the way all of the characters were just a little suspicious. I also enjoyed the survival aspect and the characters starting as strangers and coming together with such care in such a short time. Really shows how much trauma can bond people.

I do feel like I still had some unanswered questions by the end and I’m unsure if I just wasn’t paying good enough attention or if somethings just weren’t fully wrapped up.

As a note on the narration, I thought this narrator did a great job with the characters voices, but sometimes just the regular narration for Mercy felt one note and emotionless (which is not how I imagined this character to be at all)

All in all I would recommend this one to people who like survival shows, ‘locked-room’ mysteries, and YA thrillers. To fans of KAM I would warn that this definitely deviates from her usual YA horror or dark adult thrillers.

2.75⭐️
This book had an interesting premise, but I had a really hard time getting into it. It follows Mercy, a girl who survived a mall shooting, and other contestants who also survived challenging situations, as they show up to play a survival show reality game created by a tech billionaire. Once there, they quickly realize things are not as they should be and they are about to face a true test of survival. It just felt a little disjointed/all over the place with details and possible motives from each character and I really wasn’t feeling it. A lot of the characters started to run together, especially the guys, and I had a harder time remembering who was who. Overall, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I expected. This was Kate Alice Marshalls’ young adult book, and even though I didn’t care for this one, I would be willing to try some of her adults books. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

This was a bit of a heart racing book. Think survivor but RL and no one is safe. This not my normal read but it was enjoyable enough.

The beginning dragged a bit but it picked up around halfway through. Interesting concept and story, the writing was decent enough but my copy had a few mistakes I caught. Overall enjoyable though

Review also found on goodreads