"We Won't All Survive" written by Kate Alice Marshall is a great book. This book keeps the tension high from start to finish with non-stop action that kept me on the edge of my seat. If you’re a fan of suspense and thrillers, this one is definitely for you! The fast-paced plot is packed with twists and turns that make it an intriguing read. I highly recommend it.

what started as a typical YA mystery book quickly morphed into a survival-competition murderous suspense novel that was batshit crazy!!

mercy, a small town cop still suffering from PTSD from a mall shooting, joins a reality tv show all about survival - which you couldn’t pay me to go on, especially with trauma… that being said, she wasn’t always the brightest, even for a small town hero…

when her fellow contestants start to die, paranoia ensues among mercy and her fellow citizens. while it was clearly based on the aspects of survivor, it gave more squid games and five survive vibes than anything else!

an interesting story, but not enough to hold my attention for very long!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: california sauvignon blanc

A deadly survivalist reality show? I practically sprinted into this book with popcorn in one hand and wildly unrealistic expectations in the other. I’ve loved some of Kate Alice Marshall’s other twisty tales, so I figured this one would have me biting my nails and questioning my life choices. Sadly, instead of “edge of my seat,” I was more “gently reclined in mild interest.”

We meet Mercy Gray (yes, that’s her real name, not her stage name in a YA soap opera), a mall shooting survivor with enough medical debt to fund a small country. She signs up for a survival reality show run by a billionaire who apparently woke up and said, “You know what would be fun? Watching traumatized teens fend for their lives on camera.” Because… billionaires.

Things go sideways faster than a raccoon in a grocery store. One contestant drops dead, and the “fun” survival retreat turns into a game of “Guess Who: Murder Edition.” Mercy and the others are suddenly trapped, paranoid, and confused—which, to be fair, is also how I felt during high school.

There is a solid sense of tension and the classic “who’s the killer?” suspense, but some of the magic just didn’t show up to set. The characters are a bit uneven—some felt like real people with trauma and depth, and others felt like background NPCs from a mystery video game. I wanted to care more... but mostly I just wanted a few of them to stop talking.

That said, if you’re a YA reader who enjoys The Hunger Games with a dash of Clue and a sprinkle of “Trust No One,” you’ll probably have a decent time. For me, it was fine—like, library-loan fine. Not terrible, not amazing, just a solid “meh.” But don’t worry, Kate—this isn’t a breakup. It’s just a “see you in the adult fiction aisle.”

Arriving at an abandoned town, with a bunch of other people competing in a survival reality show, Mercy isn't sure what to expect. What she doesn't expect is that no one else will be there. No camera crew, no producers, and most importantly, no Damien Dare, the man behind this whole thing.

That is the first clue that something is up, but since the gates have closed and they've locked up their keys and phones, there's nothing left to do but play the game and work together to win that money.

When one of them turns up dead, and the truth starts to become clear, they have to figure out how they are going to get out of this alive.

I loved the characters; they have all gone through so much. They were all people you wanted to see make it out alive, even though with the title of the book, you know that's not going to be the case.
There was the perfect amount of buildup, and twists around every corner that had me on the edge of my seat.

Kate Alice Marshall is back with a YA thriller - We Won't All Survive.

"Two years ago, Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero after saving lives at a mall shooting. She still carries trauma from that day. She is recruited to take part in a billionaires off-grid survivalists reality show. If she wins, she can pay for her sister's college education. When she and the other contestants arrive at the location, something is off. The set is empty. There's no crew. There's a fence covered with razor-wire that traps them inside. When a couple of contestants die, Mercy is not sure who she can trust."

KAM keeps the tension high in this one. The teens thrown together are a little different than the normal stereotypes you often see in YA books. There are more layers to these characters - both good and bad. Mercy has a traumatic back story and is reeling from trust issues. KAM throws in several red herrings about who the bad guys really are. You probably won't guess. There's also themes of "No means No" and the potential consequences of ignoring that (and calling a stalker a stalker no matter how nice they are)
Lots of action and a wild ending - one you won't see coming. A great new story from Kate Alice Marshall.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Any thriller with the premise of a reality show turned deadly is good for me! Loved this one, the writing is very good and I loved getting to know the characters. I was surprised at the end!

Mercy Gray became the media hero of the moment after saving several lives with her quick-thinking during a mall shooting two years ago, but there’s only one person she was really worried about: her sister, Jamie. Her sister, who rejected the advances of a boy who made her uncomfortable and has been dragged through the mud for “causing” his shooting rampage ever since. His sister, whose entire college fund was depleted to pay Mercy’s medical bills after she was shot during the incident.

But now, Mercy has a way to pay Jamie back: Eccentric billionaire Damien Dare invited her to participate in his new reality adventure show featuring young trauma survivors. The winner will earn a sizable prize, large enough to send Jamie to any college of her choosing for a fresh start. Damien Dare himself is a controversial figure— a comm-tech oligarch who’s recently turned his focus to influencing others via his podcast, often preaching that society has become too soft and young adults must face true adversity to be maximized to their fullest potential. Mercy doesn’t like Dare, but if she needs to team up with him and embarrass herself on national television to turn Jamie’s life around, she’s willing.

When she arrives at the abandoned Old West-style town with the other contestants, there’s no host or crew to greet them. Still, the gates lock behind them, a series of videos from Damien Dare start off their reality show challenges, and things seem to be following some sort of plan. Until someone turns up dead, that is. It quickly becomes clear that all is not as it seems and whether it be an outside force or one of the group members, someone is working against them with deadly consequences.

We Won’t All Survive is my first Kate Alice Marshall novel (I know, I know!) I grabbed it because I love a good thriller. And while I do think this is good, I don’t suspect it’s the author’s best, from what I’ve heard of her other work. Still, this was an enticing thriller with something to say and some nice twists along the way!

Mercy herself didn’t have the strongest personality outside of being chillingly haunted by the past, but I liked her grit and determination. The supporting cast of characters was a little more interesting overall– I especially liked Althea, the heiress influencer who may also have killed her boyfriend while stranded at sea, Harrison, the true crime podcaster with a past, and Eli, who steadfastly brought a lot of personality and humor. Marshall did an excellent job creating strong first impressions, then subverting them to show more depth in each character. There are some romantic angles in the novel, but I appreciate that it focuses more on mystery and survival than the love interests, all while providing some very interesting commentary on relationships and perception. It’s hard to talk about all the various commentary in the novel within the novel without giving too much away, but it wasn’t preachy and it blended into the story really well.

My one criticism is that the action didn’t feel super evenly paced. There are certainly bursts of action, but for what is supposed to be a survivalist reality show, the characters spend most of their time exploring the area or hunkering down in their cabin. I’ve no problem with a story that focuses more on suspense than action, but I feel like there needs to be a little more movement within the suspense at certain points. It was like the other knew her action points, knew her character development points, but struggled to blend them cohesively.

Overall, I do think this was a fun read for fans of suspense and thrillers, and I’m interested in going back to read some of Kate Alice Marshall’s earlier novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC.

I love Kate Alice Marshall. Her first go into YA proved to be fast paced, enjoyable, twisty and fun. I expected nothing less. I will read anything she writes.

Having been a huge fan of Marshall's previous works (both adult and YA) I was excited to see her going back to her YA roots here, and while it was an enjoyable read it certainly wasn't my favorite book of hers, although it was a solid 4 stars. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it, and I did really enjoy our main character, it just fell slightly short for me. I think in the end the killer was just a little too obvious for me in the end (I had them pegged more or less right away), although some of the twists along the way did surprise me a bit, so points for that. It also did fall victim to the horror cliche of teens making stupid decisions (for one reason or another), but I suppose that's not exclusive to teens in horror novels, so I can't be too upset there. Like I said above, I did really like our main character; she was competent, but felt real, and her baggage made her more interesting. I also appreciated the ideas of masculine privilege that ran throughout the book. So while this wasn't my favorite of her YA books I still enjoyed it well enough, and I'll probably see if I can order a copy in for my store and will happily suggest it to anyone looking for a good survival horror/thriller novel. I will also be eagerly awaiting whatever Marshall comes out with next, be it YA or adult.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I DEVOURED this book in less than 24 hours. I was a little meh at the beginning because it was a little slow but it wasn't long until I was drawn in. The FMC, Mercy, is a force to be reckoned with. A lot of thriller, some mystery, A bit of romance. Everything you want in a book and more. I'll definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you, Net Galley, for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I saw that Kate Alice Marshall was releasing her first YA novel, I was immediately sold based on her other books. I ate this book up in less than 24 hours; it was really that good! It could have been five stars, but I guessed the culprit from the beginning. I had the motive wrong, though, so there was still an element of surprise at the end. Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! It had me in a chokehold until the very last page. I also liked how the premise (the competition) was unique for a thriller. You still have the mystery facets, but the setting adds more suspense.

We Won't All Survive is a twisty YA thriller that features a cast of young survivors (of various traumatic events) in the game of a lifetime...survival. Tech billionaire Damon Dare has created the ultimate survival game that he is sure to draw millions of viewers from around the world. When mall-shooting survivor Mercy is given the opportunity to appear on the reality show where she stands to win an enormous prize she doesn't hesitate. She feels she owes it to her sister after they emptied out her trust to pay for Mercy's medical bills. But from the beginning, something is off. Set in a ghost town Dare bought just for the show, the challenges the cast faces are more dangerous than realized and food and water are scarce. When a cast members start dying, the remaining group is in a locked-room (locked town) style thriller trying to become the survivors. Who is after them and what connections tie them together? Will any survive? Pick up Kate Alice Marshall's newest release to find out!

I first read Marshall's adult debut and subsequent releases and enjoyed this YA style novel; the genre doesn't take away from the story and while some twists were slightly identifiable readers will find themselves rooting for Mercy and her grit and bravery. The book reminded me of some well-known horror flicks and readers who love these types of movies will also enjoy this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A tense YA thriller blending survival-competition suspense with murder- mystery intrigue. Mercy Gray, scarred by a past mall shooting, joins a reality-TV survival show hosted by billionaire Damien Dare. Offered $100,000 to win, Mercy and seven other traumatized young adults become trapped in an abandoned desert ghost town. When contestants begin to die, paranoia and distrust spiral. Mercy- with a bullet still lodged in her back and mounting medical debt- must face physical and emotional hazards alike.

This can compare to the experience of Squid Game meets Survivor. Tension grows steadily until a final, surprising twist that keeps YA thriller fans turning pages late into the night.

Trauma, Diversity and Grounded Character Detail. 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 7/29/25.

Mercy Gray was considered a hometown hero when she jumped into action to save lives, while disregarding her own, during a mall shooting. Two years later, she still deals with reminders of that incident daily.
As a result of this heroic event, she has been offered a chance to compete on a new survivalist/reality show! She can't afford NOT to try and win the huge cash prize, so she agrees and heads out.
When she and the other contestants arrive at the remote location however, something seems … off … it just doesn't feel "right."
The set is completely bare and they end up getting trapped inside when the gates shut without warning! To top it all off, one of the contestants winds up dead and the longer they go on, more follow. Is this the ACTUAL purpose of this reality show?! Mercy has to keep her wits about her and figure out who she can really trust … and more importantly, who she can't … before she ends up the next victim.
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Definitely worth a read if you like to be kept on your toes throughout the entire story.

Thank you net galley for the early copy of this book. This is my first novel by this author so I had no pre-conceived notions going in. I found it very riveting and was glued to the page the entire time. I don't like to get into spoilers in reviews, but I absolutely recommend this book to all who love a good thriller.

Two years ago, Mercy Gray survived a mall shooting, and was lauded as a hero even though she doesn’t feel like one. Ever since, she has been trying to pick up the pieces both mentally and physically. She is offered the a spot on a new survival reality show, and while she really hates attention, she also really needs the money that comes with winning the show.
Almost as soon as she and the other contestants arrive, things start going horribly wrong and contestants start turning up dead.
Mercy soon realizes she can’t trust anyone but herself to get her out of what is now a very real survival situation instead of the game it was supposed to be.

I really liked this one! When I first picked it I didn’t realize it was classified as young adult, so I was skeptical but ended up highly enjoying it. The characters are all 18+, have traumatic backgrounds and therefore are all intriguing. The story was an interesting and quick read that kept me guessing who I could trust the whole time. I empathized with each of their backgrounds and it made me want to root for all of them.
I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast paced, intriguing thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books and the author for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

ARC Review

Thanks so much @netgalley and xoxo for this arc copy of We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall. I was intrigued by the concept of the story - our FMC is Mercy, a young woman who survived a horrific event and was dubbed a hero. She is recruited for a new survival type reality tv show where things quickly don't seem quite right.

This book grabbed my attention quickly and had me anxiously flipping pages to figure out what was happening to the members of the show and who is behind it all. It kept me guessing and had a few surprising twists!

I adored this for a relatively easy read that kept me hanging on to every word. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy a good mystery.

#WeWontAllSurvive #netgalley

Earlier this year I read What lies in the wood. It was a good thriller, so when I saw this one on netgalley I was happy to see that it was on "read now". I tried, I really tried to read it but I just can't. Due to the format of the book, I can only read it on my phone, and I hate that so not a good reading experience on that part, and honestly just that, made me stop and pause the read.
Have not been too far in the book so this review will help no one but maybe I will re attempt to read it on my kindle or physically when it will be released because I was hooked by the premises and the beginning of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, and Kate Alice Marshall for the ARC–my opinions are my own.

Synopsis:
Two years after surviving a mall shooting, Mercy Gray is still haunted by guilt, trauma, and mounting debt. When billionaire Damien Dare invites her to join a high-stakes survival reality show, she sees a chance to win the prize money and secure her sister’s future. But once on set, Mercy and the other contestants find themselves trapped with no crew, no contact—and soon, one of them is dead. As more contestants start dying, the game turns deadly real, and survival becomes the only goal. Mercy must uncover the truth and choose her allies wisely… before she becomes the next target.

Review:
4 stars

I am familiar with Kate Alice Marshall and her adult novels, but this was my first time reading a YA novel written by her. The overall premise of the book was incredibly interesting and new to me–I’ve never read anything like a survival horror. Despite it being a YA book, I felt the tension and dread the whole time as the story progressed (not sure if I could handle a survival horror adult book, so this was perfect for me). I enjoyed Mercy and the other main characters and was definitely sad about the people who did not survive (not a spoiler cause it’s in the title right?). Damien Dare was a perfect representation of some of the issues with problematic ideologies and he made me furious.

The ending felt a little anticlimactic, especially for the amount of tension and buildup and the “deus ex machina” type of resolution. Overall, it didn’t necessarily deter my positive thoughts for the story–very much how Mercy felt at the end: “and I find that I really don’t care” (maybe intentional?). I definitely will pick up other Kate Alice Marshall’s YA novels!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

Diverse characters, trapped location, survival games, and a cast full of trauma and secrets! The makings of a great thriller. While marketed as a YA thriller it didn’t feel that way and takes nothing from the story.

Kate does an amazing job and grasping you from the first pages and never letting up from that point. I can truly say even with there being multiple characters they all were memorable and has depth to their own story.

While the ending wasn’t the most thrilling, it wasn’t predictable and i wasn’t able to guess who dun it!