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Five Survive
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2023)Eight hours.
Six friends.
One sniper . . .
Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.
A game of cat-and-mouse plays out as the group desperately tries to get help and to work out which member of the group is the target. Buried secrets are forced to light in the cramped, claustrophobic setting of the RV, and tensions within the group will reach deadly levels. Not everyone will survive the night.
Six friends.
One sniper . . .
Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There’s no mobile phone reception and nobody around to help. And as the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. There’s a sniper out there in the dark watching them and he knows exactly who they are. One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for.
A game of cat-and-mouse plays out as the group desperately tries to get help and to work out which member of the group is the target. Buried secrets are forced to light in the cramped, claustrophobic setting of the RV, and tensions within the group will reach deadly levels. Not everyone will survive the night.
391 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2022
About the author
Holly Jackson
14 books44.7k followersHolly Jackson was born in 1992. She grew up in Buckinghamshire and started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a book aged fifteen.
'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.
'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 24,804 reviews
November 26, 2022
i have conflicting feelings about this one.
on one hand, the story is super fast-paced. the entire plot takes place over the span of 8 hours, so i guess it would have to be. the vast majority of the narrative (~80%) is dialogue, so that also contributes to the fast pacing. and these things are conducive for a good thriller, as nothing feels like its dragging. it definitely has a “keep you on the edge of your seat” kind of feel.
that being said, i still managed to get somewhat bored with this. none of the characters are likeable and i didnt care if any of them died, the one setting itself (RV on the side of the road) isnt exciting, and the “secret” is very predictable.
readers who enjoy a locked-in/cornered kind of scenario might enjoy this more than i did, but i personally dont think this is HJs best work.
thank you for the ARC, random house/delacorte press!
↠ 3 stars
on one hand, the story is super fast-paced. the entire plot takes place over the span of 8 hours, so i guess it would have to be. the vast majority of the narrative (~80%) is dialogue, so that also contributes to the fast pacing. and these things are conducive for a good thriller, as nothing feels like its dragging. it definitely has a “keep you on the edge of your seat” kind of feel.
that being said, i still managed to get somewhat bored with this. none of the characters are likeable and i didnt care if any of them died, the one setting itself (RV on the side of the road) isnt exciting, and the “secret” is very predictable.
readers who enjoy a locked-in/cornered kind of scenario might enjoy this more than i did, but i personally dont think this is HJs best work.
thank you for the ARC, random house/delacorte press!
↠ 3 stars
February 6, 2023
(4.5 stars) Um. Wow. The ending has me kind of speechless. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I will admit that it took me a littleeee bit to get into the book but once I did, it moved so. fast. The book is super fast paced and the ending is full of so many twists that I did not see coming.
We also follow six very different characters. It was so interesting to read about their dynamic with one another, their secrets, and how they all react under the pressure of a life-or-death situation. PLUS, the whole story takes place in less than 24 hours inside an RV which is such a unique concept, setting, and timeline.
I wasn't sure I could love a YA mystery as much as A Good Girls Guide to Murder, but Holly Jackson does it again 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I will admit that it took me a littleeee bit to get into the book but once I did, it moved so. fast. The book is super fast paced and the ending is full of so many twists that I did not see coming.
We also follow six very different characters. It was so interesting to read about their dynamic with one another, their secrets, and how they all react under the pressure of a life-or-death situation. PLUS, the whole story takes place in less than 24 hours inside an RV which is such a unique concept, setting, and timeline.
I wasn't sure I could love a YA mystery as much as A Good Girls Guide to Murder, but Holly Jackson does it again 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
May 3, 2024
i'm just glad Oliver died
sorry to everyone who got it spoiled i had a spoiler warning on it but it removed itself idk what happed but u put it back up sorry
sorry to everyone who got it spoiled i had a spoiler warning on it but it removed itself idk what happed but u put it back up sorry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2022
3.5
when he kills for u 🙏
when he kills for u 🙏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2022
I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting from this YA thriller, but having tears stream down my face towards the end was NOT on my agenda. Could I be the victim of a sudden paper allergy? Was someone cutting onions nearby?? Either way, ‘Five Survive’ had me hooked to the page and more invested than I ever consciously realized. Leave it to Holly Jackson I guess!!
There must be some kind of magic in this book, because how in the world can you write 400 pages in the same setting, over just 8 hours, and somehow make it a page turner? A risk was taken, and the payoff was amazing! I think the secret and at least one of the reveals was a bit obvious, but I was shocked by the other plot twists and the balance between the two was incredibly enjoyable. I love solving something correctly to boost my ego a bit, while also having to scrape my jaw off the floor at times; it’s the perfect combination!
Jackson is quickly becoming a favorite YA author of mine; it’s so hard to find adults who can write realistic teenage minds and interactions, and she hits the nail on the head every time! This novel was such a fantastic exploration on trauma, guilt, and how people transform once they're in a life threatening situation. Loved every page!
SPOILERS
As far as characters go, I thought Red and Oliver in particular were very compelling and well developed; the latter especially was increasingly terrifying as the book went on, and I loved the juxtaposition between the him and the sniper as different kinds of antagonists. I do wish we got to see more of Arthur and Maddy’s personalities, but I understand that it was important for them to not be explored in depth until the end for the sake of the plot, and the reveals definitely made that worth it!
In the end, I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about Arthur; Arthur and Red together to be specific. If I were her, I’m not sure I’d ever be able to trust him again, but they were pretty cute together, I cannot lie!! One of my favorite aspects of the book was how the very end mirrored the finale of the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series, it was such a heartfelt nod to Pip and Ravi but still distinctly Arthur and Red, I absolutely adored it.
Overall, my expectations for ‘Five Survive’ were well exceeded; that scene with Red and her mother at the end?? I was crying like a baby, it was so beautifully done. Everything was tied up perfectly, while still leaving an open end for us to decide what happens, possibly my favorite way for a book to end.
P.S. Maybe I just missed it, but did we ever find out the significance of the curtain pattern?
I need to know, ok bye
There must be some kind of magic in this book, because how in the world can you write 400 pages in the same setting, over just 8 hours, and somehow make it a page turner? A risk was taken, and the payoff was amazing! I think the secret and at least one of the reveals was a bit obvious, but I was shocked by the other plot twists and the balance between the two was incredibly enjoyable. I love solving something correctly to boost my ego a bit, while also having to scrape my jaw off the floor at times; it’s the perfect combination!
Jackson is quickly becoming a favorite YA author of mine; it’s so hard to find adults who can write realistic teenage minds and interactions, and she hits the nail on the head every time! This novel was such a fantastic exploration on trauma, guilt, and how people transform once they're in a life threatening situation. Loved every page!
SPOILERS
As far as characters go, I thought Red and Oliver in particular were very compelling and well developed; the latter especially was increasingly terrifying as the book went on, and I loved the juxtaposition between the him and the sniper as different kinds of antagonists. I do wish we got to see more of Arthur and Maddy’s personalities, but I understand that it was important for them to not be explored in depth until the end for the sake of the plot, and the reveals definitely made that worth it!
In the end, I’m still not exactly sure how I feel about Arthur; Arthur and Red together to be specific. If I were her, I’m not sure I’d ever be able to trust him again, but they were pretty cute together, I cannot lie!! One of my favorite aspects of the book was how the very end mirrored the finale of the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series, it was such a heartfelt nod to Pip and Ravi but still distinctly Arthur and Red, I absolutely adored it.
Overall, my expectations for ‘Five Survive’ were well exceeded; that scene with Red and her mother at the end?? I was crying like a baby, it was so beautifully done. Everything was tied up perfectly, while still leaving an open end for us to decide what happens, possibly my favorite way for a book to end.
P.S. Maybe I just missed it, but did we ever find out the significance of the curtain pattern?
I need to know, ok bye
Want to read
July 27, 2022I WOULD READ ANYTHING HOLLY JACKSON WRITES AND THAT IS A FACT
January 22, 2023
five people survived this book but i sure as hell am not one of them. this was such an intense, emotional ride with lots of depth and nuance, and let me tell you: it broke me. holly jackson really said "never let them guess your next move" and all i can tell y'all is to BE. PREPARED.
(note: if you need a book with loveable characters you can get invested in (like in holly jackson's previous books), you will probably not like five survive. personally, i loved it, though!)
(note: if you need a book with loveable characters you can get invested in (like in holly jackson's previous books), you will probably not like five survive. personally, i loved it, though!)
December 12, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded up
The beginning of this book was fairly exciting and really captured my interest. A group of six young adults are in a motor home heading for a spring break trip. They take a series of wrong turns and end up stranded in the woods in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. Then someone shoots out all of their tires and their gas tank. They are given a walkie talkie and are given a short amount of time to come up with the answer to a secret or they will be killed. Who is holding the secret? Is there a mole in their midst?
This is told from the point of view of Red, a girl whose police officer mom was killed in the line of duty. Red drove me nuts--she can't remember anything, basically acts like a bumbling weirdo, and I never warmed to her at all even though I was supposed to like her. I also hated Oliver, the oldest and most annoying character.
There's a part through the middle that just drags and drags and finally when things start to happen they wrap up quickly. Obviously from the title someone dies, so I knew that most of them would make it through.
For a YA mystery, this one is just okay. Don't expect Good Girls Guide to Murder and you won't be too disappointed. I listened to the audiobook and I think Red was even more annoying having to listen to her weirdness.
The beginning of this book was fairly exciting and really captured my interest. A group of six young adults are in a motor home heading for a spring break trip. They take a series of wrong turns and end up stranded in the woods in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. Then someone shoots out all of their tires and their gas tank. They are given a walkie talkie and are given a short amount of time to come up with the answer to a secret or they will be killed. Who is holding the secret? Is there a mole in their midst?
This is told from the point of view of Red, a girl whose police officer mom was killed in the line of duty. Red drove me nuts--she can't remember anything, basically acts like a bumbling weirdo, and I never warmed to her at all even though I was supposed to like her. I also hated Oliver, the oldest and most annoying character.
There's a part through the middle that just drags and drags and finally when things start to happen they wrap up quickly. Obviously from the title someone dies, so I knew that most of them would make it through.
For a YA mystery, this one is just okay. Don't expect Good Girls Guide to Murder and you won't be too disappointed. I listened to the audiobook and I think Red was even more annoying having to listen to her weirdness.
September 10, 2023
wtf was that
June 19, 2023
(this is a such lame review, SORRY)
so let’s get to it.
this book reads like a movie. i honestly should’ve made time to read this in one sitting because the story takes place over the span of 8 hours and reading it in one go would have been so much more immersive. if you have the time to binge this, do it!!
you guys… that ending 🥲🤍 finally a thriller with an ending that didn’t feel too rushed or impractical
my unlucky spell of below average thrillers is broken, hallelujah!!
so let’s get to it.
this book reads like a movie. i honestly should’ve made time to read this in one sitting because the story takes place over the span of 8 hours and reading it in one go would have been so much more immersive. if you have the time to binge this, do it!!
you guys… that ending 🥲🤍 finally a thriller with an ending that didn’t feel too rushed or impractical
my unlucky spell of below average thrillers is broken, hallelujah!!
October 10, 2023
✩ 4 stars
~
“What if I said you wwerethe right people in the right place at exactly the right time.”
~
holly jackson knows how to make me stress out & sob 😭
~
(especially during the ending, i was heaving with sobs & hiccups)
~
btw fuck oliver <3
~
2023 reread:
~
so i thought about giving this 3 stars instead bc some of the characters annoyed me.
~
so here they are:
1. oliver - iykiyk ;).
2. red - she annoyed me but i also felt so bad for her can my emotions not be a mess for once 😭 i just want to hug her.
3. maddie - she just rubs me the wrong way but i did love her standing up for red in the end.
4. reina - just bc she didn’t break up with oliver sooner other then that she’s the best. <3
5. arthur - i love him & red and i just wish… 🥺🥺🥺
6. smion - my buddy is perfect. 💗
~
but the reason i gave it 4 stars is bc the story goes so fast and it’s incredibly enjoyable even with some of the characters driving me crazy and i actually quite enjoyed it.
~
getting to reread this was a totally different experience and i kinda liked it.
~
anyways i picked this up again bc i wanted a quick read and i enjoyed it again immensely except that i got emotional at the ending AGAIN! ❤️
~
“What if I said you wwerethe right people in the right place at exactly the right time.”
~
holly jackson knows how to make me stress out & sob 😭
~
(especially during the ending, i was heaving with sobs & hiccups)
~
btw fuck oliver <3
~
2023 reread:
~
so i thought about giving this 3 stars instead bc some of the characters annoyed me.
~
so here they are:
1. oliver - iykiyk ;).
2. red - she annoyed me but i also felt so bad for her can my emotions not be a mess for once 😭 i just want to hug her.
3. maddie - she just rubs me the wrong way but i did love her standing up for red in the end.
4. reina - just bc she didn’t break up with oliver sooner other then that she’s the best. <3
5. arthur - i love him & red and i just wish… 🥺🥺🥺
6. smion - my buddy is perfect. 💗
~
but the reason i gave it 4 stars is bc the story goes so fast and it’s incredibly enjoyable even with some of the characters driving me crazy and i actually quite enjoyed it.
~
getting to reread this was a totally different experience and i kinda liked it.
~
anyways i picked this up again bc i wanted a quick read and i enjoyed it again immensely except that i got emotional at the ending AGAIN! ❤️
December 17, 2023
★ 2.75 stars
never thought i would be giving a low rating to a book written by Holly Jackson but here we are... sighs.
i absolutely loved the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder trilogy (i gave 5 stars to all the three books) so i was sure i would love this one too — and well, as you can see, i didn’t. it wasn’t as captivating as i thought it would be and i am so disappointed to say this. even though this book is fast paced and filled with twists and turns, i was incapable of finding it exciting. i tried, but i couldn’t enjoy the setting and the concept of the story. not for me i guess.
the blurb really sounded intriguing and after seeing seeing so many people talking about how good this book was i decided to give it a try. i thought that this thriller would keep me hooked from beginning to the end, but that’s not what happened. in general, the story is sadly so bland and uninteresting. which is ironic because i was enjoying it at the beginning and i believed it had potential to be a five star read, but then i quickly changed my mind after reading a few pages. i simply lost all my interest.
i have to mention that, surprisingly, the story managed to make me interested again at 60% or so, i finally felt like it was going somewhere when a few things that i definitely didn’t see coming started happening and suddenly i was invested. but guess what? my interest didn’t last long. when i was close to reach the 85% mark it became boring again and i realized i wasn’t invested in the story anymore. i just wanted it to be over.
however, for somestupid reason, i still had some hopes for the big reveal and the ending — and now i regret that because i was left unsatisfied with both. was the reveal surprising? yes (i’d be lying if i said it wasn’t) but it was not that surprising given the fact that i guessed part of it. as for the ending; i don’t know exactly what i was expecting, but it was definitely not that. all i can say is that it left much to be desired. it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t good either. a mediocre ending to say the least.
as for the characters, i don’t have a lot to say about them since i didn’t like any of them so i’ll be quick.
starting with the main character, Red; i found her dull for the majority of the book, and at times she was irritating. i didn’t enjoy reading her inner monologues at all, they were too monotonous and long for no reason. also, she was constantly mentioning her mother and i don’t know if i’m too insensitive (perhaps i am) but i actually didn’t care about that. look, i’m sorry her mom died, i really am, but she was always bringing it up at every chapter and it was too repetitive. i think that’s why it was hard to sympathize with her. i can see why the author thought that showing her trauma was important — however, it was not necessary to mention it all. the. time. like, girl, we get it, your mom is dead! dear lord. i was tired of reading about that.
Arthur, Simon, Reyna and Maddy were just... there? they weren’t awful, they were unremarkable. to me, none of them had interesting personalities that stood out. insignificant characters.
now Oliver... hated him with all my heart. he won the award for the most annoying character in this book. i wanted to throw my kindle away every time he appeared (which was a bunch of times). i’m still trying to understand why the other characters just accepted him as the leader and followed his stupid orders without even thinking twice. that was so pathetic. i got mad at them for not standing up for themselves and i got mad at him too for being so bossy and infuriating. the positive thing is that at least he made me feel something — hatred? yeah. but hey! it’s still something! — and the rest of the characters failed at it since they were all a bunch of tedious people.
all in all, Five Survive was a big letdown. to state the obvious: Holly Jackson is a wonderful and talented writer, but this was definitely not her best work. i’m still very excited to read her next book coming out next year, though. hopefully it will be better than this one.
and huge thanks to Roro for buddy reading with me. 🥹 sadly, we didn’t love the book, but sharing theories and thoughts was super fun! excited to do another buddy read with you in the near future bestie. 🫶🏼
───────────
pre-review:
starting this one because i haven’t read a thriller book in awhile and i feel like reading something different will help me with my slump 🤧
buddy read with my sweet Roro 🤍
never thought i would be giving a low rating to a book written by Holly Jackson but here we are... sighs.
i absolutely loved the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder trilogy (i gave 5 stars to all the three books) so i was sure i would love this one too — and well, as you can see, i didn’t. it wasn’t as captivating as i thought it would be and i am so disappointed to say this. even though this book is fast paced and filled with twists and turns, i was incapable of finding it exciting. i tried, but i couldn’t enjoy the setting and the concept of the story. not for me i guess.
the blurb really sounded intriguing and after seeing seeing so many people talking about how good this book was i decided to give it a try. i thought that this thriller would keep me hooked from beginning to the end, but that’s not what happened. in general, the story is sadly so bland and uninteresting. which is ironic because i was enjoying it at the beginning and i believed it had potential to be a five star read, but then i quickly changed my mind after reading a few pages. i simply lost all my interest.
i have to mention that, surprisingly, the story managed to make me interested again at 60% or so, i finally felt like it was going somewhere when a few things that i definitely didn’t see coming started happening and suddenly i was invested. but guess what? my interest didn’t last long. when i was close to reach the 85% mark it became boring again and i realized i wasn’t invested in the story anymore. i just wanted it to be over.
however, for some
as for the characters, i don’t have a lot to say about them since i didn’t like any of them so i’ll be quick.
starting with the main character, Red; i found her dull for the majority of the book, and at times she was irritating. i didn’t enjoy reading her inner monologues at all, they were too monotonous and long for no reason. also, she was constantly mentioning her mother and i don’t know if i’m too insensitive (perhaps i am) but i actually didn’t care about that. look, i’m sorry her mom died, i really am, but she was always bringing it up at every chapter and it was too repetitive. i think that’s why it was hard to sympathize with her. i can see why the author thought that showing her trauma was important — however, it was not necessary to mention it all. the. time. like, girl, we get it, your mom is dead! dear lord. i was tired of reading about that.
Arthur, Simon, Reyna and Maddy were just... there? they weren’t awful, they were unremarkable. to me, none of them had interesting personalities that stood out. insignificant characters.
now Oliver... hated him with all my heart. he won the award for the most annoying character in this book. i wanted to throw my kindle away every time he appeared (which was a bunch of times). i’m still trying to understand why the other characters just accepted him as the leader and followed his stupid orders without even thinking twice. that was so pathetic. i got mad at them for not standing up for themselves and i got mad at him too for being so bossy and infuriating. the positive thing is that at least he made me feel something — hatred? yeah. but hey! it’s still something! — and the rest of the characters failed at it since they were all a bunch of tedious people.
all in all, Five Survive was a big letdown. to state the obvious: Holly Jackson is a wonderful and talented writer, but this was definitely not her best work. i’m still very excited to read her next book coming out next year, though. hopefully it will be better than this one.
and huge thanks to Roro for buddy reading with me. 🥹 sadly, we didn’t love the book, but sharing theories and thoughts was super fun! excited to do another buddy read with you in the near future bestie. 🫶🏼
───────────
pre-review:
starting this one because i haven’t read a thriller book in awhile and i feel like reading something different will help me with my slump 🤧
buddy read with my sweet Roro 🤍
May 8, 2023
I’m convinced Holly Jackson is incapable of writing a bad book. This was INCREDIBLE— speechless right now 😭
March 16, 2024
•••´º´•» 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 «•´º´•••
{ 3⭐️}
{page count: 388}
{age rating: 14+}
ೃ⁀➷ 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔! *ೃ༄
~🚐 personally emailing Holly Jackson to get the answers i deserve 🧍♀️
~the writing~ 🚐
╰┈➤ while this was entertaining at times, it also dragged at certain points. i feel like they weren’t as scared out of their minds as someone should be 😭 they would be so chill sometimes and then get scared but it never lasted long. it didn’t make me have goosebumps or anything like that. the setting was in the RV the whole time. this is probably another reason why I found this somewhat boring. i wanted to binge this in at least 24 hours but that unfortunately didn’t happen 😭 i think i had such high hopes for this bc I was comparing it to AGGGTM and it just didn’t live up ☹️ also the pov was kinda confusing 😭 will be reading more Holly Jackson tho!
~Red~ 🚐
╰┈➤ not my favorite character ever but I had sympathy for her! i lowkey thought she was an unreliable narrator at first bc what she was saying made zero sense 😭 RED TELL US ABOUT THE CURTAINS 🧍♀️ HMM GIRLIE 🤨 TELL. ME. ‼️‼️
~Maddy & Reyna~ 🚐
╰┈➤ i liked them but they really weren’t that significant to the plot. Reyna definitely deserves better than Oliver. poor girl 😔 Maddy deserves a better brother than Oliver. you see the pattern here 🤸♀️
~Simon~ 🚐
╰┈➤ he was drunk for the most part 😭 but somehow was the most level headed?? that’s not saying much though 🧍♀️
~Oliver~ 🚐
╰┈➤ when i say i despise men i mean this man. literally scum of the earth. hatred is not even a strong enough word to describe how i feel about him.
~Arthur~ 🚐
╰┈➤ hmm, i have mixed feelings about him. his letter was really heartfelt though! but that leads us to another thing that didn’t get resolved 😭
~quotes~ 🚐 ⚠️ (some of these quotes might spoil something! read at your own risk if u haven’t read this book yet!!) ⚠️
↣ “you know, early on, Maddy pulled me aside and told me to never ask you about your mom,” he said. “Or to even mention moms in general in front of you. And if that’s what you want, then that’s fine, but if you can’t talk to your best friend about her, I was wondering, maybe, whether you wanted someone else to talk to about her. And I could do that sometime. If you want.”
-tbh he was sweet for saying that
↣ “what if I said you were the right people, in the right place at exactly the right time.”
-this is the only thing that made me feel concerned 🧍♀️
~ 🚐 so to wrap it all up i did not get my answer to the curtains. or the letter. the curtains are going to haunt me at 2:00am 🤸♀️ I still love Holly Jackson and will be running to the store when “the reappearance of Rachel Price” comes out! sorry there weren’t more quotes 😭
↠ 𝐫𝐭𝐜! ✧.* 3 very conflicted stars 🤸♀️
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: well i definitely took a dark turn from my last book 🤸♀️ day in the life as a mood reader 😭 this has to be good bc it’s by Holly Jackson 😌
{ 3⭐️}
{page count: 388}
{age rating: 14+}
ೃ⁀➷ 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔! *ೃ༄
~🚐 personally emailing Holly Jackson to get the answers i deserve 🧍♀️
~the writing~ 🚐
╰┈➤ while this was entertaining at times, it also dragged at certain points. i feel like they weren’t as scared out of their minds as someone should be 😭 they would be so chill sometimes and then get scared but it never lasted long. it didn’t make me have goosebumps or anything like that. the setting was in the RV the whole time. this is probably another reason why I found this somewhat boring. i wanted to binge this in at least 24 hours but that unfortunately didn’t happen 😭 i think i had such high hopes for this bc I was comparing it to AGGGTM and it just didn’t live up ☹️ also the pov was kinda confusing 😭 will be reading more Holly Jackson tho!
~Red~ 🚐
╰┈➤ not my favorite character ever but I had sympathy for her! i lowkey thought she was an unreliable narrator at first bc what she was saying made zero sense 😭 RED TELL US ABOUT THE CURTAINS 🧍♀️ HMM GIRLIE 🤨 TELL. ME. ‼️‼️
~Maddy & Reyna~ 🚐
╰┈➤ i liked them but they really weren’t that significant to the plot. Reyna definitely deserves better than Oliver. poor girl 😔 Maddy deserves a better brother than Oliver. you see the pattern here 🤸♀️
~Simon~ 🚐
╰┈➤ he was drunk for the most part 😭 but somehow was the most level headed?? that’s not saying much though 🧍♀️
~Oliver~ 🚐
╰┈➤ when i say i despise men i mean this man. literally scum of the earth. hatred is not even a strong enough word to describe how i feel about him.
~Arthur~ 🚐
╰┈➤ hmm, i have mixed feelings about him. his letter was really heartfelt though! but that leads us to another thing that didn’t get resolved 😭
~quotes~ 🚐 ⚠️ (some of these quotes might spoil something! read at your own risk if u haven’t read this book yet!!) ⚠️
↣ “you know, early on, Maddy pulled me aside and told me to never ask you about your mom,” he said. “Or to even mention moms in general in front of you. And if that’s what you want, then that’s fine, but if you can’t talk to your best friend about her, I was wondering, maybe, whether you wanted someone else to talk to about her. And I could do that sometime. If you want.”
-tbh he was sweet for saying that
↣ “what if I said you were the right people, in the right place at exactly the right time.”
-this is the only thing that made me feel concerned 🧍♀️
~ 🚐 so to wrap it all up i did not get my answer to the curtains. or the letter. the curtains are going to haunt me at 2:00am 🤸♀️ I still love Holly Jackson and will be running to the store when “the reappearance of Rachel Price” comes out! sorry there weren’t more quotes 😭
↠ 𝐫𝐭𝐜! ✧.* 3 very conflicted stars 🤸♀️
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: well i definitely took a dark turn from my last book 🤸♀️ day in the life as a mood reader 😭 this has to be good bc it’s by Holly Jackson 😌
January 8, 2023
Yo-yo.
2.5⭐
I enjoyed "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" but this one was mostly meh. I almost DNF after 1 hour but the story got very interesting.
The group's RV heading south for Spring Break broke down in nowhere S. Carolina. Red and her friends realized it was no mishap but the tires were shot by a sniper. The gas tank. No cell service!
There wasn't much progress but a lot of talking, arguing, and drama. [Annoying!] I'm not sure if this is due to the audiobook and my playback speed. Despite that, I felt so bored in the second half. I almost DNF the second time 😄. A YA thriller. Please check other reviews, many reviewers loved this one.
2.5⭐
I enjoyed "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" but this one was mostly meh. I almost DNF after 1 hour but the story got very interesting.
The group's RV heading south for Spring Break broke down in nowhere S. Carolina. Red and her friends realized it was no mishap but the tires were shot by a sniper. The gas tank. No cell service!
There wasn't much progress but a lot of talking, arguing, and drama. [Annoying!] I'm not sure if this is due to the audiobook and my playback speed. Despite that, I felt so bored in the second half. I almost DNF the second time 😄. A YA thriller. Please check other reviews, many reviewers loved this one.
February 23, 2024
➵ 1 ✰ 🚐
- will contain major spoilers! 💌
couldn't care less if none of them survived
i think Holly Jackson was being ambitious with this book because i can imagine that writing a thriller that's set in the same place in just a few hours is very challenging. the setting of this book was enough for me to pick it up because the entire premise of being stuck in an RV with a sniper outside was interesting but the execution... i found it to be very boring and underwhelming.
there are some redeeming qualities to this book so i can understand why it was so well-loved. however, it was just not it for me and here are a lot a few reasons why;
1. the curtain. i think i need to start with this damn curtain because TELL ME WHY this curtain was repeatedly talked about throughout the novel and it was not even significant to the big reveal? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THISDUMBASS CURTAIN? this stupid curtain was like half of this book and it made my eye twitch. i think this curtain actually had more screentime (page-time?) than half of the characters inside the stupid rv. this curtain was enough for me to want to rip every single curtain in my apartment because of the amount of times that it was mentioned.
2. the setting. as previously mentioned, the setting was interesting and creative but on paper... it was very boring. being stuck in a 31-foot rv (which red made sure that WE ALL KNEW) + having the entire thing take place in just a couple of hours makes it impossible for the characters to develop. i feel like this whole concept would've worked better as a movie than a book.
3. did i mention that it was boring? but yes this was very boring. i had the expectation that thrillers would be more of a page-turner experience but with this book trying to flip a page made me miserable because i just didn't care. it was just the same cycle repeatedly and it doesn't help that all the characters had no depth and were just downright unlikeable.
- this was honestly a shame because it started out so good but everything went downhill when they got stuck in the RV, which was the entire plot btw 😭, and it only started picking back up at around the 60% mark but by that time i just didn't care and wanted for it to end.
- i think the only parts that i liked was the beginning (before they got stuck), the oliver + reyna drama (admittedly made me giggle because i am oliver's no. 1 hater), and the ending (although a little bit surprising, i was underwhelmed because the middle was painfully boring).
4. the characters. when i said that i couldn't care less if none of them survived i 100% stand by that. if not dull then they are not likeable AT ALL. this is coming from someone who doesn't mind annoying + unlikeable characters BUT OLIVER? i wanted to throw that man outside the RV.
➶ red. dull and mildly irritating from how passive she is? kind of made me want to throw her outside the RV as well because what do you mean you have a really big secret that no one can know but it's not you that the sniper wants? girl you are almost an adult not a pre-teen 😭 this might sound insensitive because i know she has a lot of trauma but girl please stop with the inner monologues. WE GET IT YOU FEEL BAD AWW ☹️ BUT LETS ALL MOVE ON PLEASE. her inner monologues were also very irritating to read and i just hate the broken-girl-get-saved-by-the-supposed-bad guy trope.to be honest i was a little bit sad when she survived.
➶ reyna & maddie. had no backbone. barely contributed anything but they were oliver-adjacent so i disliked them for that. again, i was a little bit sad when they both survived because they were just annoying. well i am quite happy that reyna survived because she cheated on oliver 🤭 but as for maddie... yeah it was her fault for following herdumbass brother like girl get a grip please.
➶ arthur & simon. the curtain had more screentime than the both of them combined 🤷♀️ i can't even consider simon as comedic relief because he has pre-teen fortnight player type humour. as for arthur... don't really care about him or the fact that he's the mole because by that time i just wanted for the whole thing to be over.
➶ oliver. if oliver has 0 haters then i'm dead. honestly would have given this book 1 star but the fact that oliver died was enough for it to be 2 stars.
5. the reveal. now i would be lying if i said that i wasn't slightly shocked. some parts of it i definitely didn't expect but again, i was so bored that i did not care and i'm just glad that it was over. some parts i already guessed which made it slightly unenjoyable to read (i mean red was not very subtle) but it was overall underwhelming and wasn't enough for me to fully appreciate this book.
⤿ overall. was very disappointing and underwhelming so i'm hoping that a good girl's guide to murder is better.
# all reviews are opinions of my own and you should experience a book before giving your own. happy reading! 💌
- will contain major spoilers! 💌
🧷 ₊⊹ # “what if I said you were the right people, in the right place at exactly the right time.”
couldn't care less if none of them survived
i think Holly Jackson was being ambitious with this book because i can imagine that writing a thriller that's set in the same place in just a few hours is very challenging. the setting of this book was enough for me to pick it up because the entire premise of being stuck in an RV with a sniper outside was interesting but the execution... i found it to be very boring and underwhelming.
there are some redeeming qualities to this book so i can understand why it was so well-loved. however, it was just not it for me and here are
1. the curtain. i think i need to start with this damn curtain because TELL ME WHY this curtain was repeatedly talked about throughout the novel and it was not even significant to the big reveal? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS
2. the setting. as previously mentioned, the setting was interesting and creative but on paper... it was very boring. being stuck in a 31-foot rv (which red made sure that WE ALL KNEW) + having the entire thing take place in just a couple of hours makes it impossible for the characters to develop. i feel like this whole concept would've worked better as a movie than a book.
3. did i mention that it was boring? but yes this was very boring. i had the expectation that thrillers would be more of a page-turner experience but with this book trying to flip a page made me miserable because i just didn't care. it was just the same cycle repeatedly and it doesn't help that all the characters had no depth and were just downright unlikeable.
- this was honestly a shame because it started out so good but everything went downhill when they got stuck in the RV, which was the entire plot btw 😭, and it only started picking back up at around the 60% mark but by that time i just didn't care and wanted for it to end.
- i think the only parts that i liked was the beginning (before they got stuck), the oliver + reyna drama (admittedly made me giggle because i am oliver's no. 1 hater), and the ending (although a little bit surprising, i was underwhelmed because the middle was painfully boring).
4. the characters. when i said that i couldn't care less if none of them survived i 100% stand by that. if not dull then they are not likeable AT ALL. this is coming from someone who doesn't mind annoying + unlikeable characters BUT OLIVER? i wanted to throw that man outside the RV.
➶ red. dull and mildly irritating from how passive she is? kind of made me want to throw her outside the RV as well because what do you mean you have a really big secret that no one can know but it's not you that the sniper wants? girl you are almost an adult not a pre-teen 😭 this might sound insensitive because i know she has a lot of trauma but girl please stop with the inner monologues. WE GET IT YOU FEEL BAD AWW ☹️ BUT LETS ALL MOVE ON PLEASE. her inner monologues were also very irritating to read and i just hate the broken-girl-get-saved-by-the-supposed-bad guy trope.
➶ reyna & maddie. had no backbone. barely contributed anything but they were oliver-adjacent so i disliked them for that. again, i was a little bit sad when they both survived because they were just annoying. well i am quite happy that reyna survived because she cheated on oliver 🤭 but as for maddie... yeah it was her fault for following her
➶ arthur & simon. the curtain had more screentime than the both of them combined 🤷♀️ i can't even consider simon as comedic relief because he has pre-teen fortnight player type humour. as for arthur... don't really care about him or the fact that he's the mole because by that time i just wanted for the whole thing to be over.
➶ oliver. if oliver has 0 haters then i'm dead. honestly would have given this book 1 star but the fact that oliver died was enough for it to be 2 stars.
5. the reveal. now i would be lying if i said that i wasn't slightly shocked. some parts of it i definitely didn't expect but again, i was so bored that i did not care and i'm just glad that it was over. some parts i already guessed which made it slightly unenjoyable to read (i mean red was not very subtle) but it was overall underwhelming and wasn't enough for me to fully appreciate this book.
⤿ overall. was very disappointing and underwhelming so i'm hoping that a good girl's guide to murder is better.
# all reviews are opinions of my own and you should experience a book before giving your own. happy reading! 💌
February 13, 2023
What a ride. I was fully invested, if I had more time on my hands it would've been the perfect book to binge read in a day. Once one gets into it, there's no putting it down. You would want to theorize, to find out what really unfolded, the motives and who is the betrayer.
I saw a lot of reviews stating that the start is slow, that wasn't the case for me. From the first page to the last page, it was of a consistent pace. I did not struggle at all getting into the story. The plot twists were absolutely amazing, and unpredictable. I loved how it continued to surprise me right up till the end.
The complexities came with the characters-
1. Red- Such a complex character, there's depth to her. I liked how consistent she was with herself, but I would have liked her more had she been a bit more outspoken instead of a pushover.
2. Simon- Honestly, he was the best of them. The humor he brought to the story was so easy to like. He was balanced, never overdoing anything and keeps the reader sane.
3. Arthur- I went from like to dislike then to feeling bad for him. His morally grey character is a bit disturbing but his chemistry with Red is worth exploring.
4. Reyna- Yeah no. Wasn't a fan. She's forgettable. Her sob story had no effect on me, I don't like cheaters.
5. Maddy- She was there too. Pretty dumb tbh and she annoyed me at times.
6. Oliver- Oof, he's the most complex characters of all in my opinion. I hated him. But at the same time I appreciated how the author wrote him. Let me explain, you think you know someone all your life but things happen, life threatening ones, and the person you knew is no longer there and instead an absolute stranger and a selfish guy is in front of you. I liked how real and truly disturbing Oliver was. He is the typical Mr Know It All guy who can't do shit. Anyway, what am saying is that it's his crap that made other characters interesting and brought more life to the book as a whole. Tho, I hope I never meet someone like him in reality 👀😅
I wish the sniper could've been a little more attention but it's all good, the story was quite entertaining and the twists and turns make up for it.
This was my first Holly Jackson book and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait to check out A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, just have to pick it up from my shelf... someday 😂 So glad my cycle of bad reads is broken. See what I did with Bad Reads? 🤭 Y'all please just laugh.
I saw a lot of reviews stating that the start is slow, that wasn't the case for me. From the first page to the last page, it was of a consistent pace. I did not struggle at all getting into the story. The plot twists were absolutely amazing, and unpredictable. I loved how it continued to surprise me right up till the end.
The complexities came with the characters-
1. Red- Such a complex character, there's depth to her. I liked how consistent she was with herself, but I would have liked her more had she been a bit more outspoken instead of a pushover.
2. Simon- Honestly, he was the best of them. The humor he brought to the story was so easy to like. He was balanced, never overdoing anything and keeps the reader sane.
3. Arthur- I went from like to dislike then to feeling bad for him. His morally grey character is a bit disturbing but his chemistry with Red is worth exploring.
4. Reyna- Yeah no. Wasn't a fan. She's forgettable. Her sob story had no effect on me, I don't like cheaters.
5. Maddy- She was there too. Pretty dumb tbh and she annoyed me at times.
6. Oliver- Oof, he's the most complex characters of all in my opinion. I hated him. But at the same time I appreciated how the author wrote him. Let me explain, you think you know someone all your life but things happen, life threatening ones, and the person you knew is no longer there and instead an absolute stranger and a selfish guy is in front of you. I liked how real and truly disturbing Oliver was. He is the typical Mr Know It All guy who can't do shit. Anyway, what am saying is that it's his crap that made other characters interesting and brought more life to the book as a whole. Tho, I hope I never meet someone like him in reality 👀😅
I wish the sniper could've been a little more attention but it's all good, the story was quite entertaining and the twists and turns make up for it.
This was my first Holly Jackson book and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait to check out A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, just have to pick it up from my shelf... someday 😂 So glad my cycle of bad reads is broken. See what I did with Bad Reads? 🤭 Y'all please just laugh.
April 7, 2024
— 3.5 stars ★
THE ENDING!?!?!??! I DID NOT EXPECTED THAT......
Well this books was such an intense, emotional ride with lots of twists and turns. While reading this book I thought I figured out the mystery but Holly just proved in the end how stupid I am. The thrill and suspense was good. It is fast paced and very intriguing but I just felt something was missing for me or may be it was just getting bored in the middle. But totally worth it for a quick mystery thriller read!
The entire plot takes place over the span of just 8 hours. Are you kidding me? Who writes a murder thriller mystery of just 8 hours with a lots of twists and turns.
This book is indeed a page turner and it has cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. So, it was really hard to put it down.
The book is written in third pov and there were less narrations and more dialogues which made it a very easy read. It's about a bunch of teenage kids and one of them has a secret that could be the reason for why the snipers are there to kill them. But I didn't expected this book to be this emotional in the end because I thought it will be just another thriller mystery. But I was crying in the end because seriously Holly Jackson WHAT WAS THAT THE ENDING. It was AMAZING. The story, the plot, the ending, the secrets, the characters in this book, the mystery and the ending. Although the ending was amazing but it was an open ending. So...... But I think I know what would Red do now? May be?
Redford Kenny or Red. Her story had me bawling my eyes out. She deserves so so much better. She deserves everything. That scene with Red and her mother was so beautifully written and I was just crying and crying while reading that part.
I liked Simon too. He was kinda funny. I really wanted more of Arthur but I guess we can't. His character intrigued me a lot. But still I don't like him for what he did.
I really wanted to kill Oliver. He was so annoying. But atleast he got the ending he deserved.
All the characters were written well in this book which I thought wouldn't be possible given the 8 hours of the plot.
I can't write more without spoiling this book. So let's not do that.
It's perfect for those who are in a mood for a quick thriller and mystery read. It's so good. I really thought I wouldn't like this book this much. But it really proved me wrong. I Can't wait to read more of Holly Jackson's book.
THE ENDING!?!?!??! I DID NOT EXPECTED THAT......
Well this books was such an intense, emotional ride with lots of twists and turns. While reading this book I thought I figured out the mystery but Holly just proved in the end how stupid I am. The thrill and suspense was good. It is fast paced and very intriguing but I just felt something was missing for me or may be it was just getting bored in the middle. But totally worth it for a quick mystery thriller read!
The entire plot takes place over the span of just 8 hours. Are you kidding me? Who writes a murder thriller mystery of just 8 hours with a lots of twists and turns.
This book is indeed a page turner and it has cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. So, it was really hard to put it down.
The book is written in third pov and there were less narrations and more dialogues which made it a very easy read. It's about a bunch of teenage kids and one of them has a secret that could be the reason for why the snipers are there to kill them. But I didn't expected this book to be this emotional in the end because I thought it will be just another thriller mystery. But I was crying in the end because seriously Holly Jackson WHAT WAS THAT THE ENDING. It was AMAZING. The story, the plot, the ending, the secrets, the characters in this book, the mystery and the ending. Although the ending was amazing but it was an open ending. So...... But I think I know what would Red do now? May be?
Redford Kenny or Red. Her story had me bawling my eyes out. She deserves so so much better. She deserves everything. That scene with Red and her mother was so beautifully written and I was just crying and crying while reading that part.
I liked Simon too. He was kinda funny. I really wanted more of Arthur but I guess we can't. His character intrigued me a lot. But still I don't like him for what he did.
I really wanted to kill Oliver. He was so annoying. But atleast he got the ending he deserved.
All the characters were written well in this book which I thought wouldn't be possible given the 8 hours of the plot.
I can't write more without spoiling this book. So let's not do that.
It's perfect for those who are in a mood for a quick thriller and mystery read. It's so good. I really thought I wouldn't like this book this much. But it really proved me wrong. I Can't wait to read more of Holly Jackson's book.
April 24, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Five Survive is the latest release from beloved author, Holly Jackson, well known for her hugely-successful A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series.
While Five Survive has a completely different feel than AGGG, it still showcases Jackson's fluid and engaging writing style. This story is a YA-Action Thriller that takes place over the course of a single night.
It's Spring Break and 18-year old, Red, and her five friends, Maddy, Oliver, Reyna, Arthur and Simon, are traveling from Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coast of Florida in an RV.
You can tell from the start that Red is recovering from a trauma that has happened in her life. Since she can't afford to fly anywhere for break, her best friend, Maddy, actually suggests the RV trip. Good-naturedly, everyone else agrees.
It will be fun. It'll be a real adventure.
And you know, it does start out that way. People are in good spirits. They're excited for the trip to get underway, but then they get lost.
It sucks getting lost in a 31-foot vehicle. It's not always easy to navigate smaller roads, let alone turn around. When your tires are shot out, it gets especially challenging.
That's right. There's a sniper out there lurking in the dark and they have their sights set on our six friends, who are now trapped in their disabled vehicle. There's no cell service. They're far from help. What can they do?
Once they begin communicating with the individual holding them hostage, it becomes clear, this person knows them. How did they end up here? Was this entire thing planned? This can't be a coincidence.
Things become chaotic. The mood is panic, as you would expect. The sniper claims one of them has a secret that can save them all, but who!?
As the tension climbs, the people inside the RV begin turning on each other. Will they all be able to make it out of this alive, or will only five survive?
I liked this one. I really had no expectations going in, Action stories can be hit or miss for me. I personally felt this was a compelling, though very-OTT, Action Thriller.
I seem to be stumbling across quite a few of these lately and this one was pretty fun in comparison to some others. At times I was rolling my eyes, but at other times I was absolutely glued to the pages.
The audiobook was super solid. It kept me going, wanting to know the answers. There were a lot of reveals I wasn't expecting and some super unlikable characters, which are always fun for me.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how long this one will reside in my brain, but it was a good time. A solid weekend read. Super quick, highly improbable circumstances, but engaging nonetheless.
I definitely recommend this to YA Readers who enjoy tense, claustrophobic Action Thrillers. I will certainly continue to pick up anything Holly Jackson writes!
Five Survive is the latest release from beloved author, Holly Jackson, well known for her hugely-successful A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series.
While Five Survive has a completely different feel than AGGG, it still showcases Jackson's fluid and engaging writing style. This story is a YA-Action Thriller that takes place over the course of a single night.
It's Spring Break and 18-year old, Red, and her five friends, Maddy, Oliver, Reyna, Arthur and Simon, are traveling from Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coast of Florida in an RV.
You can tell from the start that Red is recovering from a trauma that has happened in her life. Since she can't afford to fly anywhere for break, her best friend, Maddy, actually suggests the RV trip. Good-naturedly, everyone else agrees.
It will be fun. It'll be a real adventure.
And you know, it does start out that way. People are in good spirits. They're excited for the trip to get underway, but then they get lost.
It sucks getting lost in a 31-foot vehicle. It's not always easy to navigate smaller roads, let alone turn around. When your tires are shot out, it gets especially challenging.
That's right. There's a sniper out there lurking in the dark and they have their sights set on our six friends, who are now trapped in their disabled vehicle. There's no cell service. They're far from help. What can they do?
Once they begin communicating with the individual holding them hostage, it becomes clear, this person knows them. How did they end up here? Was this entire thing planned? This can't be a coincidence.
Things become chaotic. The mood is panic, as you would expect. The sniper claims one of them has a secret that can save them all, but who!?
As the tension climbs, the people inside the RV begin turning on each other. Will they all be able to make it out of this alive, or will only five survive?
I liked this one. I really had no expectations going in, Action stories can be hit or miss for me. I personally felt this was a compelling, though very-OTT, Action Thriller.
I seem to be stumbling across quite a few of these lately and this one was pretty fun in comparison to some others. At times I was rolling my eyes, but at other times I was absolutely glued to the pages.
The audiobook was super solid. It kept me going, wanting to know the answers. There were a lot of reveals I wasn't expecting and some super unlikable characters, which are always fun for me.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know how long this one will reside in my brain, but it was a good time. A solid weekend read. Super quick, highly improbable circumstances, but engaging nonetheless.
I definitely recommend this to YA Readers who enjoy tense, claustrophobic Action Thrillers. I will certainly continue to pick up anything Holly Jackson writes!
March 10, 2024
reread
It happened again. I started this book, took like a day and didn't read it, then read like over 300 pages in the span of a couple of hours because it's so addicting.
I read it at night again and thankfully I remembered most of what was going to happen or else I would've been so scared again.
<><><><><><><>
“What if I said you were the right people, in the right place at exactly the right time.”
Geez, this book was a whole whirlwind. I hadn't expected to like it as much as I did because it started off rough: I hated Red because she was annoying me to no end and the plot was so confusing, but once they actually got stranded, things definitely began to take off.
I'm an extreme scaredy-cat when it comes to anything crime or anything that could possibly happen in real life, but I ended up reading this late into the night and I was honestly scared to go to sleep because I have extremely irrational fears.
But, this book is the definition of insane.
The Plot
As I said above, I have extremely irrational fears, so I was freaking out throughout the entire book, because I was so paranoid both for myself and the characters. I honestly got so freaked out one time that my eyes teared up, which never happens to me, no matter how scared I am while reading.
The plot twists were actually good- I heard people say that they found the book predictable, but I only guessed one thing right, though it was something really big:
I also am unsure how I feel about that ending, with the letter and all, considering how I feel about those characters. But the ending before that- oh my god, I almost started to cry in public, it was crazy.
I also loved how fast paced this is, because I really wanted a book that was fast and quick, which this was, though it was a little confusing at times, like with some of the plot twists I had to really think about what was happening.
The Characters
I didn't particularly care about the characters that much, which was a little disappointing.
Red annoyed me from the start, she came off as a little crazy, but I do feel bad for her, because she seems to have gone through so much, and I honestly feel bad for disliking her but I can't help it. She made extremely dumb decisions that had me staring at my book in shock, but at least she was an interesting character with depth, which is better than a cardboard cutout character.
Maddy and Simon were probably my favorites, I just liked them both a lot. Simon more so than Maddy, because I feel he had more personality and he made me laugh multiple times. Reyna used to be one of my favorites because she seemed nice and fun but then some things were revealed and let's just say, she isn't one of my favorites anymore.
Oliver is a complete psychopath, and I'm sure that he was acting out of fear, but still, that was crazy, and so is he.
Arthur was eh. I didn't really see much personality in him, but he was kind to Red, which was nice to see.
The Friendships/Romance
I liked how complex the relationships in this were, between all of the characters. Reyna and Oliver's relationship sure was interesting, I liked Maddy and Oliver's sibling relationship, though that got a little screwed up, and I also liked Red and Maddy's friendship.
There wasn't really a romance much in this, but thankfully, I didn't hate it when it was presented, I just felt indifferent towards it. Pip and Ravi are still, and always will be, my favorite couple in a murder mystery/thriller book because as I've said before, I HATE romance in mystery books, but I'm just glad that this wasn't the main focus in this, though that ending letter sure was....interesting.
But anyways, I'm glad I read this!! It was a fun read that gave me multiple thrills and freaked me out way too many times, and I loved it!!
4.5 stars
<><><><><><><>
oh my god. this was so good, actually. i was terrified the entire time and i guessed like one thing but the other stuff i was so shocked by
rtc
It happened again. I started this book, took like a day and didn't read it, then read like over 300 pages in the span of a couple of hours because it's so addicting.
I read it at night again and thankfully I remembered most of what was going to happen or else I would've been so scared again.
<><><><><><><>
“What if I said you were the right people, in the right place at exactly the right time.”
Geez, this book was a whole whirlwind. I hadn't expected to like it as much as I did because it started off rough: I hated Red because she was annoying me to no end and the plot was so confusing, but once they actually got stranded, things definitely began to take off.
I'm an extreme scaredy-cat when it comes to anything crime or anything that could possibly happen in real life, but I ended up reading this late into the night and I was honestly scared to go to sleep because I have extremely irrational fears.
But, this book is the definition of insane.
The Plot
As I said above, I have extremely irrational fears, so I was freaking out throughout the entire book, because I was so paranoid both for myself and the characters. I honestly got so freaked out one time that my eyes teared up, which never happens to me, no matter how scared I am while reading.
The plot twists were actually good- I heard people say that they found the book predictable, but I only guessed one thing right, though it was something really big:
I also am unsure how I feel about that ending, with the letter and all, considering how I feel about those characters. But the ending before that- oh my god, I almost started to cry in public, it was crazy.
I also loved how fast paced this is, because I really wanted a book that was fast and quick, which this was, though it was a little confusing at times, like with some of the plot twists I had to really think about what was happening.
The Characters
I didn't particularly care about the characters that much, which was a little disappointing.
Red annoyed me from the start, she came off as a little crazy, but I do feel bad for her, because she seems to have gone through so much, and I honestly feel bad for disliking her but I can't help it. She made extremely dumb decisions that had me staring at my book in shock, but at least she was an interesting character with depth, which is better than a cardboard cutout character.
Maddy and Simon were probably my favorites, I just liked them both a lot. Simon more so than Maddy, because I feel he had more personality and he made me laugh multiple times. Reyna used to be one of my favorites because she seemed nice and fun but then some things were revealed and let's just say, she isn't one of my favorites anymore.
Oliver is a complete psychopath, and I'm sure that he was acting out of fear, but still, that was crazy, and so is he.
Arthur was eh. I didn't really see much personality in him, but he was kind to Red, which was nice to see.
The Friendships/Romance
I liked how complex the relationships in this were, between all of the characters. Reyna and Oliver's relationship sure was interesting, I liked Maddy and Oliver's sibling relationship, though that got a little screwed up, and I also liked Red and Maddy's friendship.
There wasn't really a romance much in this, but thankfully, I didn't hate it when it was presented, I just felt indifferent towards it. Pip and Ravi are still, and always will be, my favorite couple in a murder mystery/thriller book because as I've said before, I HATE romance in mystery books, but I'm just glad that this wasn't the main focus in this, though that ending letter sure was....interesting.
But anyways, I'm glad I read this!! It was a fun read that gave me multiple thrills and freaked me out way too many times, and I loved it!!
4.5 stars
<><><><><><><>
oh my god. this was so good, actually. i was terrified the entire time and i guessed like one thing but the other stuff i was so shocked by
rtc
November 27, 2023
oliver had it coming.
thats it, thats my review
----------
i gasped so loudly while reading the ending my entire family looked so concerned 💀💀😭
Rtci think
------~~~~-----
its been so long since ive read a proper mystery/thriller, lesgoooo
thats it, thats my review
----------
i gasped so loudly while reading the ending my entire family looked so concerned 💀💀😭
Rtc
------~~~~-----
its been so long since ive read a proper mystery/thriller, lesgoooo
April 4, 2024
wow. jaw dropped. mind blown. speechless. damn.
January 13, 2023
Welp.
This one will be tough to review without spoilers due to the nature of the story, so I’ll keep it brief and vague. As someone who, overall, loved the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, I must say I’m shocked that this one didn’t work in my favor as well. There’s definitely a lack of character development in Five Survive compared to the author’s previous trilogy, which could be due to the fact that this is a standalone novel, but I had trouble keeping each person separated as they all sounded exactly the same.
The resolution of the entire mystery is over the top and wild, which isn’t a deal breaker for me, but here it felt as if the author was attempting to reach a more adult audience while writing a YA novel, and it just clashed. Everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in, and I just kept asking myself why all of this happened this way and what the point was, because it didn’t click. Perhaps it’s just me, and if so I hope this is a more enjoyable read for everyone else. In the future, I may just stick to series from Jackson rather than standalones.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
This one will be tough to review without spoilers due to the nature of the story, so I’ll keep it brief and vague. As someone who, overall, loved the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, I must say I’m shocked that this one didn’t work in my favor as well. There’s definitely a lack of character development in Five Survive compared to the author’s previous trilogy, which could be due to the fact that this is a standalone novel, but I had trouble keeping each person separated as they all sounded exactly the same.
The resolution of the entire mystery is over the top and wild, which isn’t a deal breaker for me, but here it felt as if the author was attempting to reach a more adult audience while writing a YA novel, and it just clashed. Everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in, and I just kept asking myself why all of this happened this way and what the point was, because it didn’t click. Perhaps it’s just me, and if so I hope this is a more enjoyable read for everyone else. In the future, I may just stick to series from Jackson rather than standalones.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
April 17, 2024
4.8/5 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5. In my opinion, the flaws were so minor I didn't notice them at all. I could not put this book down at all. Every page I wanted to know what happened next. I was glued to it for 4 hours I think? It did not leave my hand.
I thought oh man I guessed the plot twist - and I mean I *sort of* did - but it was so much bigger than I expected, so much more jaw dropping. For my first Holly Jackson book - I have such high praises for her and will most certainly be reading everything else she has to offer.
I don't know if it's naive of me that I can't find a fault in this book. The pacing, the characters, the plot - all amazing. My own personal enjoyment, 5/5. My heart was thudding in my chest.
If you read my reading log, you'll see I looked a tad silly (I've marked the spoilers.)
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Plot
Okay so hear me out. My heart was thudding, this wasn't like every other thriller I've read. It was fast paced, easy to read so if you need out of a slump, this would be great. It gave of very Lord of the Flies vibes and I did shed a tear at the end. Something new happened every chapter, full of drama. Every character had drama. Everything felt like it was relevant, had a point, and tied together in the end in a neat little bow.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Characters
Red, wasn't as unlikeable as I thought she was going to be. Usually I dislike a YA FMC, but she wasn't 'perfect'. She makes mistakes. She felt like a genuine person, and I could feel her emotions. I liked her gut instincts. A problem solving brain, muddled with a sliver of trauma. Sounds relatable to me. Her weird thing with the curtains - I don't know man. If that bothers you, it bothers you.
Oliver - I didn't like him from the beginning - because he was a written to be unlikeable. He's the 'alpha' in this group, and he gave off very - the eyebrows guy from The Maze Runner.
Maddy - We love a girl's girl. That's all I can say on her. I doubted her because she comes across very shy and sheepish.
Arthur - Youuuuu little minx. Lots of girls will love him. His whole personality is his moral compass, and you will either love that or hate it.
Simon - Our comedic relief. He genuinely made me chuckle, I highlighted quotes that I would hear come out of my friends mouth.
Reyna - I liked her the most. Weirdly, she's the cool, calm and collected one. Pre-med, I think she'll make a great doctor some day. Let's just
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ World/Setting:
I mean the RV was described in great detail. I feel like I could imagine the bullet shots and them making a make shift sort of fort. I just didn't love the world so much, it was a little ordinary for me, it wasn't as creepy as other thrillers but I think that's made up for in the plot/pacing.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Pacing
I was glued to this book. I could not put it down. The pacing was action from the start, continuously - I was genuinely amazed at how well this was nailed because usually I am never satisfied with pacing.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Enjoyment
I loved how everything came together so well. I think I've praised this book enough to understand how much I enjoyed this. 3 hours? That's the fastest I've ever finished a book in my life.
Would I recommend this? YES.
More in depth RTC - I just need a minute to process.
╔═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╗
score card:
plot: 5/5
characters: 4.5/5
world/setting: 4.5/5
pacing: 5/5
enjoyment: 5/5
total: 4.8/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
╚═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╝
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
hours of reading: 3.3
avg. minutes per session: 33
avg. pages per minute: 6
17/04 11:37am
oh biscuits
whoever has read my last update and also read the book you must be secretly laughing to yourself
17/04 10:31am
I CALLED it I was right (I literally physically celebrated) - I have not been able to put this book down, I'm on pg 268 I am literally addicted what is in these pages
17/04 8:51am
i can tell i’m going to eat this up in one setting i’m genuinely scared like my heart is thumping. it’s called 5 survive right so i’m assuming and i'd also like to predict that . i'm going to leave this here, and if i'm right i want infinite bragging rights.
16/04 3:00pm
the YA vibes are strong with this one - I mean the main characters name is Red, what’s more YA then a FMC with an edgy name
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
as dictated by my spinner wheel to help me get through my owned tbr - up next is another thriller! my first holly jackson book so it'll be interesting to read this before eventually reading the hyped up 'The Reappearance of Rachel Price'. I also haven't read GGGTM or anything like that so I'm going in completely blind
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5. In my opinion, the flaws were so minor I didn't notice them at all. I could not put this book down at all. Every page I wanted to know what happened next. I was glued to it for 4 hours I think? It did not leave my hand.
I thought oh man I guessed the plot twist - and I mean I *sort of* did - but it was so much bigger than I expected, so much more jaw dropping. For my first Holly Jackson book - I have such high praises for her and will most certainly be reading everything else she has to offer.
I don't know if it's naive of me that I can't find a fault in this book. The pacing, the characters, the plot - all amazing. My own personal enjoyment, 5/5. My heart was thudding in my chest.
If you read my reading log, you'll see I looked a tad silly (I've marked the spoilers.)
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Plot
Okay so hear me out. My heart was thudding, this wasn't like every other thriller I've read. It was fast paced, easy to read so if you need out of a slump, this would be great. It gave of very Lord of the Flies vibes and I did shed a tear at the end. Something new happened every chapter, full of drama. Every character had drama. Everything felt like it was relevant, had a point, and tied together in the end in a neat little bow.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Characters
Red, wasn't as unlikeable as I thought she was going to be. Usually I dislike a YA FMC, but she wasn't 'perfect'. She makes mistakes. She felt like a genuine person, and I could feel her emotions. I liked her gut instincts. A problem solving brain, muddled with a sliver of trauma. Sounds relatable to me. Her weird thing with the curtains - I don't know man. If that bothers you, it bothers you.
Oliver - I didn't like him from the beginning - because he was a written to be unlikeable. He's the 'alpha' in this group, and he gave off very - the eyebrows guy from The Maze Runner.
Maddy - We love a girl's girl. That's all I can say on her. I doubted her because she comes across very shy and sheepish.
Arthur - Youuuuu little minx. Lots of girls will love him. His whole personality is his moral compass, and you will either love that or hate it.
Simon - Our comedic relief. He genuinely made me chuckle, I highlighted quotes that I would hear come out of my friends mouth.
Reyna - I liked her the most. Weirdly, she's the cool, calm and collected one. Pre-med, I think she'll make a great doctor some day. Let's just
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ World/Setting:
I mean the RV was described in great detail. I feel like I could imagine the bullet shots and them making a make shift sort of fort. I just didn't love the world so much, it was a little ordinary for me, it wasn't as creepy as other thrillers but I think that's made up for in the plot/pacing.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Pacing
I was glued to this book. I could not put it down. The pacing was action from the start, continuously - I was genuinely amazed at how well this was nailed because usually I am never satisfied with pacing.
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Enjoyment
I loved how everything came together so well. I think I've praised this book enough to understand how much I enjoyed this. 3 hours? That's the fastest I've ever finished a book in my life.
Would I recommend this? YES.
More in depth RTC - I just need a minute to process.
╔═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╗
score card:
plot: 5/5
characters: 4.5/5
world/setting: 4.5/5
pacing: 5/5
enjoyment: 5/5
total: 4.8/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
╚═════ ❀•°❀°•❀ ═════╝
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
hours of reading: 3.3
avg. minutes per session: 33
avg. pages per minute: 6
17/04 11:37am
oh biscuits
whoever has read my last update and also read the book you must be secretly laughing to yourself
17/04 10:31am
I CALLED it I was right (I literally physically celebrated) - I have not been able to put this book down, I'm on pg 268 I am literally addicted what is in these pages
17/04 8:51am
i can tell i’m going to eat this up in one setting i’m genuinely scared like my heart is thumping. it’s called 5 survive right so i’m assuming and i'd also like to predict that . i'm going to leave this here, and if i'm right i want infinite bragging rights.
16/04 3:00pm
the YA vibes are strong with this one - I mean the main characters name is Red, what’s more YA then a FMC with an edgy name
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
as dictated by my spinner wheel to help me get through my owned tbr - up next is another thriller! my first holly jackson book so it'll be interesting to read this before eventually reading the hyped up 'The Reappearance of Rachel Price'. I also haven't read GGGTM or anything like that so I'm going in completely blind
January 3, 2023
oh god. i need to um. process this.
January 5, 2023
ANOTHER HOLLY JACKSON BOOK?? NOW WITH A COVER ???
Review~~
mind you i wrote a whole review already, it just got deleted but let's try this again, shall we!
FIRST REVIEW OF 2023 BABBYYYYYY
I liked this book. I liked Red's character development, and I liked how fast paced this book was. Regardless of how fast paced it was, it did however feel a little slow in some parts, leaving me to skim read over the descriptions of items like a mirror. I liked how it developed, I liked the ending and plot twists. I guessed 2 of them, which I was proud of myself for, however I did not see all the others coming!!
just be prepared to hate oliver. no spoilers in the sense of whether he is involved with being the actual perp in this book, he's just a terrible, terrible person from the first time he opens his big fat mouth.
anyways, SPOILER SECTIONNNN
okay i HATEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD OLIVER WITH SUCH A PASSION. it's been a hot second since I hated a character as much as him. I swear i clapped when that sorry excuse of a man died. he was the worst. He was he main villain when he thought he was the main character. I liked Arthur wayyyy more and we know what he did.
Speaking of Arthur, I am confused on how to feel about him. He did some messed up stuff, but when dealing with the mafia, he seems like he didn't have much of a choice. Not justifying what he did, but i still kind of liked him. he was sweet to ren and he helped her learn the truth. he seemed to care about her beyond the mafia stuff- he didn't have to do some of the things he did to "gain her trust". or it could be i HATE oliver so much everyone else looks amazing. what happened in that RV was awful. it shouldn't of happened. but of it didn't- it leaves you wondering whether the truth would've REALLY come out. i hope ren meets him at the pier. i hope she SLAPS him, and then i hope she kisses him. maybe i have been reading too many mafia wattpads... idk
reyna slayed, i felt bad for her the whole book. maddy i was unsure how to feel about- but in the end i guesss she was a good friend?? she was awful when oliver was around though. i think oliver brought out the worst in people. simon felt like he was in the book JUST enough to be considered a "main character"... i think homeboy deserved better tbh.
anywayyyssssss, i hope you enjoyed reading this book like i did!! thank you for reading this long jumbled review hahhah
Review~~
mind you i wrote a whole review already, it just got deleted but let's try this again, shall we!
FIRST REVIEW OF 2023 BABBYYYYYY
I liked this book. I liked Red's character development, and I liked how fast paced this book was. Regardless of how fast paced it was, it did however feel a little slow in some parts, leaving me to skim read over the descriptions of items like a mirror. I liked how it developed, I liked the ending and plot twists. I guessed 2 of them, which I was proud of myself for, however I did not see all the others coming!!
just be prepared to hate oliver. no spoilers in the sense of whether he is involved with being the actual perp in this book, he's just a terrible, terrible person from the first time he opens his big fat mouth.
anyways, SPOILER SECTIONNNN
okay i HATEDDDDDDDDDDDDDD OLIVER WITH SUCH A PASSION. it's been a hot second since I hated a character as much as him. I swear i clapped when that sorry excuse of a man died. he was the worst. He was he main villain when he thought he was the main character. I liked Arthur wayyyy more and we know what he did.
Speaking of Arthur, I am confused on how to feel about him. He did some messed up stuff, but when dealing with the mafia, he seems like he didn't have much of a choice. Not justifying what he did, but i still kind of liked him. he was sweet to ren and he helped her learn the truth. he seemed to care about her beyond the mafia stuff- he didn't have to do some of the things he did to "gain her trust". or it could be i HATE oliver so much everyone else looks amazing. what happened in that RV was awful. it shouldn't of happened. but of it didn't- it leaves you wondering whether the truth would've REALLY come out. i hope ren meets him at the pier. i hope she SLAPS him, and then i hope she kisses him. maybe i have been reading too many mafia wattpads... idk
reyna slayed, i felt bad for her the whole book. maddy i was unsure how to feel about- but in the end i guesss she was a good friend?? she was awful when oliver was around though. i think oliver brought out the worst in people. simon felt like he was in the book JUST enough to be considered a "main character"... i think homeboy deserved better tbh.
anywayyyssssss, i hope you enjoyed reading this book like i did!! thank you for reading this long jumbled review hahhah
October 2, 2022
I loved the first two books in Holly Jackson's "A Good Gir's Guide to Murder" series, did not love the third book, but was still excited to read this one. Unfortunately, the only word I can think of to describe this book is...bad. Like really bad. The book makes almost no sense. Six teenagers take off for a week in Florida for high school spring break (do high school students do that??), make a wrong turn and find themselves trapped overnight on an old road as a sniper holds them hostage to try to get one of them to tell an important secret. That's the plot.
The characters are almost entirely without personality including the protagonist. The secondary characters are interchangeable with the exception of one being so awful that I kept hoping the rest of the characters would toss him out of the RV just so we didn't have to hear from him again.
Now let's talk about the completely nonsensical parts of the book
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
The characters are almost entirely without personality including the protagonist. The secondary characters are interchangeable with the exception of one being so awful that I kept hoping the rest of the characters would toss him out of the RV just so we didn't have to hear from him again.
Now let's talk about the completely nonsensical parts of the book
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
April 17, 2023
ahhhh idk it was good but felt unnecessarily long?? like all of the same stuff could have happened but just quicker??
the twists were clever but also felt less realistic than agggtm and therefore less satisfying
i don’t believe that they wouldn’t have stood up to oliver sooner, he’s a twat
i’m also not sure they would’ve kept that secret at the end about who shot who..
personally it just dragged a bit but it won’t stop me from trying any more books she writes
the twists were clever but also felt less realistic than agggtm and therefore less satisfying
i don’t believe that they wouldn’t have stood up to oliver sooner, he’s a twat
i’m also not sure they would’ve kept that secret at the end about who shot who..
personally it just dragged a bit but it won’t stop me from trying any more books she writes
June 27, 2023
4.25 ⭐
I really enjoyed this!! 🤩🤩 Such a fast-paced gripping thriller with a great ending 💗💗
Five Survive follows our mc Red who is going on a road trip with five friends. When their their RV breaks down, they originally think it is an accident- but then discover they are being targeted by a sniper. They have one target, one person whose secret is deadly- but who is it? Because everyone there has secrets- it's simply a matter of figuring out whose is scandalous enough to kill for...
I went into this with high expectations bc I LOVED the agggtm series by Holly Jackson and I'd seen great things about this- and it didn't disappoint!!🤩 I ended up thoroughly enjoying this 💗💗
Starting with the characters!! ✨ the characters in here were definitely a mixed bag- some I genuinely liked, others were meh and even some inspired murder (can you guess who that last one is??)
♧ Red- I really liked her!! 🤩🤩 I thought she was a very solid protagonist- her development throughout the book was good and she felt easy to connect to & sympathize with 💜💜 I also really liked learning more about her past!
♧ Maddy- tbh... meh. I didn't have any strong feelings towards her. She wasnt the worst but she wasn't super interesting either?? 🙁🙁
♧ Arthur- I liked how he protected Red a lot and they were pretty cute together 🥰 Other than that, I wish we'd gotten to learn a bit more about him but he was a decent character ✨
♧ Simon- he was kinda the 'comic relief' of the group and I do always like having that kind of character to lighten it up a bit 🤩 but I didn't care for Simon that much- he was just okay.
♧ Oliver- I have this mental "hit list" of book characters who I hate passionately- and guess who just joined the list 😀😀🔪🔪 I hated Oliver SO MUCH- I wanted to strangle him throughout this book so bad 👊 Yeah, i despise him 😘
Next, the writing! I loved Holly Jackson's writing in agggtm and it was also great in here 🤩🤩 there's something about the way she writes that is so compulsively readable and makes the book so enjoyable. I also really liked the tense atmosphere in here- it made the book really gripping 🥰🥰
The plot was sooo good!! 🤩🤩 the whole mystery and sniper storyline was executed SO WELL and I was on my toes the whole book. I was really sucked into the story 💕 also that ending- OH. MY. GOODNESS 🤯🤯 I guessed one part of it quite early on but the rest of it left me REELING. Holly Jackson has done it again 🤭🤭
Overall, such a great read!! 🤩🤩 Would highly recommend if you want:
✔ Great writing!
✔ Decent characters
✔ Amazing thriller
✔ Shocking ending!!
Another amazing Holly Jackson book ❤❤
《 2023 Challenge: Book 80 of 110 》
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was sooo good!! 🤩🤩 Such a gripping read and OMG THE ENDING 😱 Holly Jackson has done it again ❤❤
RTC!
I really enjoyed this!! 🤩🤩 Such a fast-paced gripping thriller with a great ending 💗💗
Five Survive follows our mc Red who is going on a road trip with five friends. When their their RV breaks down, they originally think it is an accident- but then discover they are being targeted by a sniper. They have one target, one person whose secret is deadly- but who is it? Because everyone there has secrets- it's simply a matter of figuring out whose is scandalous enough to kill for...
I went into this with high expectations bc I LOVED the agggtm series by Holly Jackson and I'd seen great things about this- and it didn't disappoint!!🤩 I ended up thoroughly enjoying this 💗💗
Starting with the characters!! ✨ the characters in here were definitely a mixed bag- some I genuinely liked, others were meh and even some inspired murder (can you guess who that last one is??)
♧ Red- I really liked her!! 🤩🤩 I thought she was a very solid protagonist- her development throughout the book was good and she felt easy to connect to & sympathize with 💜💜 I also really liked learning more about her past!
♧ Maddy- tbh... meh. I didn't have any strong feelings towards her. She wasnt the worst but she wasn't super interesting either?? 🙁🙁
♧ Arthur- I liked how he protected Red a lot and they were pretty cute together 🥰 Other than that, I wish we'd gotten to learn a bit more about him but he was a decent character ✨
♧ Simon- he was kinda the 'comic relief' of the group and I do always like having that kind of character to lighten it up a bit 🤩 but I didn't care for Simon that much- he was just okay.
♧ Oliver- I have this mental "hit list" of book characters who I hate passionately- and guess who just joined the list 😀😀🔪🔪 I hated Oliver SO MUCH- I wanted to strangle him throughout this book so bad 👊 Yeah, i despise him 😘
Next, the writing! I loved Holly Jackson's writing in agggtm and it was also great in here 🤩🤩 there's something about the way she writes that is so compulsively readable and makes the book so enjoyable. I also really liked the tense atmosphere in here- it made the book really gripping 🥰🥰
The plot was sooo good!! 🤩🤩 the whole mystery and sniper storyline was executed SO WELL and I was on my toes the whole book. I was really sucked into the story 💕 also that ending- OH. MY. GOODNESS 🤯🤯 I guessed one part of it quite early on but the rest of it left me REELING. Holly Jackson has done it again 🤭🤭
Overall, such a great read!! 🤩🤩 Would highly recommend if you want:
✔ Great writing!
✔ Decent characters
✔ Amazing thriller
✔ Shocking ending!!
Another amazing Holly Jackson book ❤❤
《 2023 Challenge: Book 80 of 110 》
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was sooo good!! 🤩🤩 Such a gripping read and OMG THE ENDING 😱 Holly Jackson has done it again ❤❤
RTC!
September 29, 2023
Me and Ms. Jackson are going to have a complicated relationship. I can already tell. I've read all four of her books at this point and she always gives me the most complex feelings about the decisions she makes with her books. I'm not even sure whether this book is a 3.5 or 4 star read.
Five Survive is the latest book from Holly Jackson and I honestly couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Readers follow 6 friends as they take a trip in an RV to Florida for their spring break trip. The trips starts off fine, but soon the tires of their RV are shot out in an area with no cell service. What ensues is a high stakes novel with secrets, lies, and drama with one of the six not making it out alive.
What Works: Listen, if you love fast paced thrillers this is the book for you. With it taking place over the course of 8 hours, Jackson has no choice but to move the story through dialogue. The secrets that these characters end up sharing with each other were mind blowing. I wasn't expecting it to get as dark as it did, but it definitely made sense for the context of the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find how emotional the story made me towards the end. I wasn't expecting that. I definitely felt a host of emotions while reading her other books, but this one was a little different. I'm not sure if it was the writing or because I'm a mother myself, but I ended up connecting with one of the characters in a way that I didn't expect which, for me, is the sign of a great writer. The ending also came with great surprise. As readers continue through each layer of the story, the way that the characters connect to each other outside of classmates/friends is intriguing. This was a great look at how humans and most importantly relationships fold in high pressures situations.
What Didn't Work: MOTHERFUCKING Oliver! I have never in my life wanted to do damage to a character the way I wanted to fight Oliver. Ya'll he is the most arrogant, pompous character that I have encountered in a long time. If I was trapped on that RV, I would have shot him my damn self and been done with the situation. Oliver, honestly, is enough to ruin the story and I wouldn't be surprised if some individuals have a difficult time making it through the book because of him. His arrogance isn't just something that happens on the side, it's glaringly apparent on almost every page which grated every single nerve in my body. By the end of the book I understood his purpose, but it was hard at some points fighting through to get to that purpose. The ending was also rushed. While it did make me emotional, we get such a complex ending in such a short amount of pages. I honestly wished that this book was just a tad longer to make the story feel more complete.
Overall, this was good. I can't lie about that. It has it's issues, but I definitely feel like Holly Jackson is going to be one of those authors that I'm going to read whenever she releases a book and that alone says quite a lot.
Five Survive is the latest book from Holly Jackson and I honestly couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Readers follow 6 friends as they take a trip in an RV to Florida for their spring break trip. The trips starts off fine, but soon the tires of their RV are shot out in an area with no cell service. What ensues is a high stakes novel with secrets, lies, and drama with one of the six not making it out alive.
What Works: Listen, if you love fast paced thrillers this is the book for you. With it taking place over the course of 8 hours, Jackson has no choice but to move the story through dialogue. The secrets that these characters end up sharing with each other were mind blowing. I wasn't expecting it to get as dark as it did, but it definitely made sense for the context of the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find how emotional the story made me towards the end. I wasn't expecting that. I definitely felt a host of emotions while reading her other books, but this one was a little different. I'm not sure if it was the writing or because I'm a mother myself, but I ended up connecting with one of the characters in a way that I didn't expect which, for me, is the sign of a great writer. The ending also came with great surprise. As readers continue through each layer of the story, the way that the characters connect to each other outside of classmates/friends is intriguing. This was a great look at how humans and most importantly relationships fold in high pressures situations.
What Didn't Work: MOTHERFUCKING Oliver! I have never in my life wanted to do damage to a character the way I wanted to fight Oliver. Ya'll he is the most arrogant, pompous character that I have encountered in a long time. If I was trapped on that RV, I would have shot him my damn self and been done with the situation. Oliver, honestly, is enough to ruin the story and I wouldn't be surprised if some individuals have a difficult time making it through the book because of him. His arrogance isn't just something that happens on the side, it's glaringly apparent on almost every page which grated every single nerve in my body. By the end of the book I understood his purpose, but it was hard at some points fighting through to get to that purpose. The ending was also rushed. While it did make me emotional, we get such a complex ending in such a short amount of pages. I honestly wished that this book was just a tad longer to make the story feel more complete.
Overall, this was good. I can't lie about that. It has it's issues, but I definitely feel like Holly Jackson is going to be one of those authors that I'm going to read whenever she releases a book and that alone says quite a lot.
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