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.

This book took me on a very wild adventure! It was shocking, disturbing, mysterious and terrifying! This book is in the young adult mystery and thriller genre. Even though I felt it did start off slow, it quickly speeds up and becomes unputdownable! It comes with a lot of suspense, my heart was racing while reading it! This is a very fast paced read with lovable characters! It is an easy read that I felt to be very thought provoking! Some of the themes and tropes in this book include a trapped location, a survivalist reality show, trauma, morality and psychology. This book literally reminded me of Squid Games! It was so intense, I had to keep reading until the very end!

“We Won’t All Survive” is a book that revolves around a girl named Marcy Gray, who saved lives during a mall shooting two years ago. She continues living her life with survivors guilt, after the mall massacre occurred. She then gets recruited on a survival show, where there is a large amount of money she could win. She ends up at this weird location where she was sent to be on this show, only to find out that there is no set and then the gates quickly close in on her and the other characters. Things start to get really crazy, really fast! You will not want to miss out on reading this book, especially if you love suspenseful thrillers! I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!

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

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kate Alice Marshall and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Kate Alice Marshall delivers a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled YA thriller in We Won’t All Survive—a novel that begins at a dead sprint and ends as a swift walk. With the eerie intensity of Hunger Games and the psychological tension of Survivor at its most twisted, this story plunges readers into a high-stakes reality show where past traumas are the entry ticket—and survival is anything but guaranteed.

The premise is as gripping as it is unsettling: a group of teens and young adults, each between the ages of 18 and 20, are chosen to participate in a mysterious televised competition. Locked in a remote ghost town, they're instructed to "play," but it quickly becomes clear that the game is far more dangerous—and far less controlled—than anyone anticipated. The question isn’t just who will survive, but why they’ve been chosen, and who is really pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The story's structure alternates between present-day perils and emotionally charged backstories, creating characters that are compelling not because of elaborate development, but because of the very real scars they carry. Each participant has endured significant trauma—mass shootings, near-death experiences, stalking—and their survival stories aren’t merely background details; they are the foundation of their identities and the twisted reason for their inclusion in the game.

Among them is Mercy, a young woman haunted by the label of "hero" after saving her sister and others from a violent attack. As the game unfolds and alliances are tested, Mercy is forced to confront her past, redefine her sense of self, and decide whether she truly believes she deserves the title thrust upon her.

.While some characters aren’t explored in great depth, their emotional wounds are deeply felt and lend a chilling realism to the narrative. It’s a book where you never know who to trust, who might turn on whom, or who will ultimately make it out alive.

Fans of psychological thrillers, dystopian survival stories, or just plain good storytelling will find this one hard to resist. My main issue was having to read this on my phone and not being able to on my Kindle and it didn't wow me like I was really hoping for. About 45-50% in, the intensity of plot really slows down. 3.5

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, and Kate Alice Marshall for the advance copy. The thoughts shared here are entirely my own.

If Kate Alice Marshall writes it, I will read it—We Won’t All Survive absolutely delivered. This YA thriller takes the concept of a survival reality show and cranks the danger all the way up. Think Survivor meets murder mystery, with high stakes, intense twists, and a killer locked-room vibe.

The characters are compelling, flawed, and fully developed—no throwaways here. The pacing is spot on, the tension builds beautifully, and the social commentary on power, control, and fragile egos adds real depth. I flew through this book and didn’t want it to end. Marshall proves once again why she’s one of the best in the game.

I have read every YA and adult book by Kate Alice Marshall and I've enjoyed them all so much so I was very excited to dive into this one! We Won't All Survive starts with Mercy, who survived a mall shooting but required expensive medical care. The money used was supposed to be her sister's college fund, which Mercy was heartbroken about, even though her sister was very supportive. When the opportunity comes up to join a survivor-type tv show held by a tech billionaire with odd views for the chance to win $100,000, she jumps at the chance to help her sister's college dreams come true. However the moment she steps onto "set" (a ghost town in the middle of the desert) something feels off, and when someone winds up dead, the group realizes that this is not what they thought it was, and no one is coming to save them.

Unlike Marshall's other books, this one felt a little more... structured, and I felt like I've read others like it before. To be fair, this was done way better. The characters felt well rounded, the dialogue authentic, and I really appreciated how everyone was competent, even though they were flawed. They felt like real people and not characters. The plot kept flowing, and at no point did it become stale. I did see the main twist coming, but the smaller ones weren't as easy to see coming I suppose. Nothing felt groundbreaking or super remarkable.
I really love Kate Alice Marshall's YA paranormal and kind of more odd and unique books, so I was honestly a tad disappointed when I heard this new one was going to be just a YA thriller, but overall it was solid and I enjoyed it. 
I rated it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC!

Wow! This book is amazing! I couldn’t put it down. Mercy, the hero who survived a mall shooting, heads to Landry Gap for a survival type reality show. From the moment she gets to where the bus is supposed to pick up the contestants, nothing seems right. Along with 7 other survivors of other tragic incidents, they find themselves locked in Landry’s Gap with no host or crew for the show. When the first person ends up dead, she has no idea who she can trust or if they will even make it out alive.

This book had my heart racing from the beginning. I loved the characters and how they all fit together. I couldn’t stop reading! I have really enjoyed all of Kate Alice Marshall’s books and this one was no exception! I loved it!

One thing about me is that if I see Kate Alice Marshall's name on a book, I'm going to have to read it. We Won't All Survive was no exception, and because I have no self-control, I binge-read the whole damn book today. ((Arguably the best way I could have spent the day.))

This upcoming release is an absolutely enthralling YA thriller with a great twist on the concept of reality survival shows- because our girl Mercy and her fellow contestants are in danger of being killed off, and it doesn"t get much more real than that. In an isolated setting ((my beloved)) where anyone around you could be a killer, who do you trust... and how do you make it out alive??

Marshall nailed it once again when it comes to compelling, flawed, realistic characters, which is something she delivers consistently across the board from YA to middle grade to adult. Our cast here is well-developed, leaving the reader more invested. ((Throw-away characters bother me, and I love that we don't get that with Marshall's writing.)) The pacing is ideal for readers who don't love a slow burn but also don't want their books to feel rushed. And the locked-door feel of the plot makes this a wholely entertaining popcorn thriller.

We Won't All Survive is so easy to recommend because it's keeps the reader entertained. Between backstories and present-day perils, the characters keep you engaged up to the very end. The downside? Now I have to wait for Kate Alice Marshall's next release all over again.

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, and Kate Alice Marshall for this complimentary copy.))

This book was excellent! I enjoyed all of the characters and their development. The story twisted and turned and kept me guessing. I certainly wasn’t sure who was the bad guy until it was too late!