I unfortunately didn’t like any of the characters which in turn made it so I didn’t like the plot. The author definitely made it an intriguing concept, it just didn’t hit where it was supposed to.

A group of teens are lured to a remote location with the hopes of competing in a television competition show. Everything soon turns deadly and they must try to survive.

For fans of YA novels and mysteries. This was just an okay read for me. I liked the story and premise but I am not the target audience for this as I like my mystery and suspense novels a little grittier.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC for this book!

I went into this title only having read some of Kate Alice Marshall's adult works and was excited to read one of her young adult titles, and this was a great title to start with - fast paced, gripping and hard to put down. At the heart of the story is Mercy, a mall shooting survivor and hero, who struggles with the survivor's guilt and trauma that surrounds her following that fateful day. With money tight after her hospital bills, Mercy joins the cast of a new reality show for the opportunity to win enough money to send her sister to college. Soon after meeting the fellow cast members of the show, the group find out not everything is what it seems and survival in this game is not guaranteed. I can't share too much more without spoiling things, but one thing I really enjoyed in this book was how important topics for society today such as toxic masculinity and victim blaming are deftly handled.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kate Alice Marshall, Penguin Young Readers Group and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

**Disclaimer: Thank you to publishers and NetGalley for the free eARC of  We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall.  

We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall is a young adult mystery thriller book.  It revolves around a girl named Mercy who survived a shooting at a mall.  In order to try and make back the money spent on her hospital fees, she decides to enrol in a survival reality television show, but, unfortunately, things go horribly wrong.  It is set to be published on July 29th, 2025.  I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

From the bestselling author of I Am Still Alive comes a new nail-biter that's part survival story, part murder mystery, and all thriller—perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson!
Two years ago Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a mall shooting. She still carries souvenirs from that incident: the fragment of a bullet lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and guilt for ignoring her sister’s warnings that the sweet boy next door was anything but.
When billionaire-turned-TV-host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show, she can’t turn down a chance at the whopping cash prize that could send her sister to college—but when she and the other contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. The set is empty. The gates close without warning, trapping them inside. Then one of them turns up dead. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident quickly transforms as more contestants start dying. With time and resources running low, surviving this show takes on a new meaning.

Kate Alice Marshall (KAM) is fully on my auto buy author's list.  I think I would read anything she writes in the YA and Adult genres, so when I saw this one on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it, and then I crossed my fingers and toes in hopes of the approval.  So when I got it, I was so excited and new I needed to read it ASAP.  I am so glad I did, because it genuinely was an excellent book.

A lot of KAM's young adult novels seem to have an element of the supernatural to them, so I wondered if this one would be the same, but it turns out it is more in the vein of the first book I read by her: I Am Still Alive.  I Am Still Alive is not my favourite by KAM, but I still had a really good time reading it, and I loved this one even more.  We Won't All Survive does a good job at balancing between the murder mystery genre and the action/adventure genre.  It has good crossover appeal between the two in my opinion.  I also liked how it played with elements of reality television and what people will do for money.

Mercy is a really interesting character.  I liked being in her head and watching through her perspective as things initially just seemed to be a little bit weird and then turned out to be incredibly wrong and not what it should be.  Her thought process and reasonings all made sense to me, especially for a character in her position and who has gone through the things that she has gone through.  She was beautifully written, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of her character arc.  She felt incredibly realistic.  The side characters are also compelling.  Effort and dedication went into developing them, and I was equally compelled by their character arcs. 

The writing style really worked for me, though I won't say it's the most impressive thing I've read by KAM (that would probably be Rules for Vanishing).  However, it was really engaging and kept me at the edge of my seat.  She fed out details slowly and surely, and in such a way that I had an incredibly hard time putting it down and ended up reading the whole book in one sitting and staying up far too late.  I had theories that were wrong, and I didn't even mind because I just ended up so pleased with the way the story played out.  There were certain parallels that happened that had me kicking myself later for not picking up on them, because I should have read between the lines a bit more.  

There were lots of wonderful layers to this book, and so many great elements to it.  I had a great time reading this book, and I highly suggest that you check it out when it's published on July 29th.

A survival reality show run by a larger-than-life tech billionaire/survivalist becomes a little bit too real when contestants discover they really might not survive. Each contestant is a survivor of real-world disasters, traumas that are used as part of the game to see who is worthy of being deemed a survivor by Damien Dare.
I was hooked by this from the start because from the very first page, Marshall makes it clear that something is off about the show and that something bad is coming soon. Each character introduced adds to this ominous feeling, and as more is revealed about them, their backgrounds and the setting, the more intriguing it all becomes.
One thing that stood out to me about We Won't All Survive is the main character, Mercy Gray. Mercy is haunted by her past, and this contributes to a general sense of distrust that runs through the entire book. Should she trust the environment? The show? Her castmates? Is Mercy just paranoid because of her past or are things really as dangerous as they seem? Her internal monologue drives the atmospheric effect of this book in a way that roped me in as a reader and made me feel like I was part of the game.
Mercy's ability to connect with her castmates and bring out the best in them, even while doubting herself and their intentions, made each character feel important to the overall story and the eventual deaths that much harder. No character felt disposable in this book because of Mercy and the character development she drove, which makes this stand out among other slashers and survival books.
We Won't All Survive was fast-paced, intense and enthralling, with subtle references to real-world figures that made the stakes feel even higher. The conclusion wasn't as shocking as I'd hoped and left a little something to be desired, but that doesn't take away from this being a gripping book full of characters you want to root for, especially Mercy.

A fast-paced and gripping read that’s hard to put down. The twists—especially with the characters—kept me on edge and turning pages late into the night. Mercy is a strong, likable main character who grounds the story and pulls you in from the start. It’s the kind of thriller that hooks you early and doesn’t let go. Quick, engaging, and packed with surprises. Highly recommend for fans of suspense with a punch.

Would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow. Wow. Wowww.
I loved this.

Psychological thriller + deadly reality game show + survival chaos = a wild ride packed with more twists than you can possibly see coming. From the very first pages, We Won’t All Survive pulled me into its high-stakes world and didn’t let go. I read the first half in one sitting.

At first, I worried the dialogue might get clunky, but I quickly adjusted to Kate Alice Marshall’s style. I loved the game aspect and how Mercy’s backstory was layered in throughout—it gave the whole book a deeper emotional pull. Heads up: every character has some form of trauma, which may be triggering for some readers.

Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on, the story jerks you in another direction. And then again. And again. Honestly, I already want to reread it just to catch all the things I know I missed the first time around. That, to me, is the sign of a truly great mystery.

This one’s perfect for both YA and adult thrill seekers. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a great fast thriller and would make a great tv show like for Netflix or something. I think it appeals to more than just a YA audience

I am a huge fan of Kate Alice Marshall's adult thrillers, so I was very excited to read this YA novel, and it did not disappoint. "We Won't All Survive" is an action-packed nail-biter. I loved the combination of locked-room mystery, survival thriller, and reality TV show competition. With its fast pace, unique plot, and surprising twists, this book was unputdownable. It did slow down a bit in the middle, but there was still plenty of excitement for me to keep reading, and I ended up binging it in just a few sittings. Overall, a fun YA thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️. Thanks to netgalley and the author for an Arc in return for an honest review. I did enjoy this, just wasn’t my favorite thriller. The main character is invited to an isolated town which she believes is going to be the site of a survival reality tv show. What the contestants didn’t know is that it was canceled and now it’s a real like survival scenario. It was a very quick read and it did keep me entertained so I would recommend to thriller readers.

I was nervous at first about this being "YA" but it was so good, it didn't feel YA at all. I absolutely flew through this book and Kate Alice Marshall is an auto read author for sure.

We Won't All Survive is a fast paced thriller. As I understand it, We Won't All Survive is a change of direction for Kate Alice Marshall, whose most recent novel is classified as a young adult novel. I would not have classified it as such. The plot revolves around a game, in which survivors of terror and death are recruited to play a game that is violent and frightening. There is a risk of dying for these survivors of violence. There are also a lot of tense moments, which made me think this novel is 1) not for teenagers, and 2) not a good choice for survivors of violence. I would fear that We Won't All Survive might incite the very violence so many of us fear happening.

There are several interesting characters, whose back stories are certainly captivating. I also appreciated the commentary about survivor's guilt, which is far more common than most people understand. With far too many school shootings happening, survivor's guilt has become has become a more visible part of our lives. I thought the author's exploration of how violent trauma can create a lifetime of pain that defines the victims' lives was especially important. What I did not understand about this plot was why anyone would create a game designed to torture young people who had survived such an awful experience.

We Won't All Survive is my first time with this author. I suspect this is not my kind of novel. I try to weed out any books that are violent toward children or animals. However, I also know that many people thrive on this kind of violent thriller, and they will likely enjoy this novel. Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I had significant trouble downloading this book. It was not provided as a Kindle download, and I could not get it to download on my iPad, even after asking for help from NetGalley. Nor was I able to download it to the NetGalley app. I was finally able to read it on my iPhone. The above is my honest response to having read We Won't All Survive.

2.5 = 3 stars

I wasn't really sure what I was in for with this one. I saw that it was by Kate Alice Marshall and knew I had to read it! I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed this! It kept me on the edge of my seat! This had a good pace to it with good twist! Will be recommending this one!

Kate Alice Marshall is the Queen of Thrillers and her newest book does not disappoint! I loved the clashing personalities of all the contestants and slowly discovering their backstories and what brought them on the show. The book was a little slow to start, but once it took off it kept me hooked until the very last page!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Mercy Gray is one of the survivors that has been asked to participate in a new reality survival TV show. Mercy survived a mall shooting years ago. Other members of the group are also survivors of various tragic events. Mercy really doesn’t want to be on the show, but she agrees to do it in order to make enough money so she can pay for her sister Jaime’s college education. The show is set in a ghost town that was bought by a billionaire named Damien Dare. The eight contestants in the reality show arrive, but something seems off right from the beginning and pretty soon, one of the contestants is found dead. The contestants are all trapped within this gated ghost town. Can they work together to survive or is someone trying to kill them all? Damien Dare’s face and voice appear on screens and speakers - is he behind this whole bizarre scheme? The story moved along quickly and I found many of the characters to be quite interesting. I thought the book was good - just not great. I give the book 3 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 29, 2025.

One note - this had to be read on the NetGalley reader, it’s not available to read on Kindle. It was much more difficult to read this way.

If you could take the main characters in a bunch of I Shouldn’t Have Survived episodes and put them all in a survival-type reality show, you’d get this book. I don’t usually go for YA books, but I have to say that Kate Alice Marshall does a great job of making this book bingeably readable. There is, of course, some suspension of belief necessary to enjoy WE WON’T ALL SURVIVE’s plot, but if you do, it’s an intriguing read.

My favorite part of the book isn’t so much the reality TV aspect, but each characters’ backstory was perfectly executed and I enjoyed them a lot.

I would definitely recommend this to YA readers who want a fast paced thriller.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the chance to read an early digital copy of this one in exchange for my honest feedback!

With We Wont All Survive, we get a nonstop story. Kate Alice Marshall didn’t take her foot off the gas giving us a claustrophobic hunger games-esque environment. You’ll love this if you love your YA thrillers with a then there were none trope, found family, characters navigating their trauma, finding themselves, and making fun of podcast bros then this one’s for you! Kate Alice Marshall hasn’t missed yet for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a fan of this author and was thrilled to receive this ARC!!! Its really good!

Mercedes Gray survived a mall shooting and saved Jamie, her sister, and many others. But, she was shot in the process, leaving her with chronic pain and medical bills that wiped out her sister’s college savings. Desperate to help Jamie, she reluctantly applies to a reality survival show with a massive cash prize, created by tech billionaire and TV host, Damien Dare. Mercedes quickly figures out that all is not as it seems as murder and mayhem erupts!

This is a fast paced, thrilling read that will pull you into the story very quickly. I loved the characters, both bad and good, as they are well developed and very realistic, which is important. Overall, a great story!! Highly recommend.

This was such a fun YA thriller! The concept of this one was really cool and I think it would make a great movie. I enjoyed the characters and the suspense, I was able to guess part of the twist but not the whole thing. If you're wanting a light thriller with a fun plot, this is for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We Won’t All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall is a pulse-pounding, high-stakes survival thriller that hooks you early and doesn’t let go. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for young readers for the eBook ARC!

The story centers on Mercedes, a teen still reeling from the trauma of surviving a mall shooting,an event where she heroically saved her younger sister and several others, but not without immense cost. Struggling to move forward and support her family, she enters a reality competition show with a massive cash prize. But what begins as a seemingly harmless challenge quickly takes a deadly turn. One contestant is already dead, and it becomes horrifyingly clear that the stakes aren’t just high,they’re fatal.

The book explores themes of trauma, guilt, and the psychological aftermath of survival, all wrapped in a tense and twisty plot. Mercedes is a strong, layered protagonist you root for, even as she navigates lies, alliances, and near-impossible decisions. While I did correctly guess the killer before the reveal, the tension and pacing still kept me fully engaged. Every chapter delivered that “just one more” feeling.

I’ve loved several of Kate Alice Marshall’s books, and while this one wasn’t my favorite of hers, it’s still a solid read for fans of thrillers, survival stories, and morally gray characters pushed to their limits. Fast-paced, addictive, and cinematic.This one’s definitely worth your TBR.