Five Survive review:

To be completely honest, it took me multiple attempts to start this book. I read it via audiobook and to begin with I found the narration a little jarring and the American accents gaudy and over the top, and it made it difficult to concentrate on the story. However, once I powered through and found myself enticed by the plot, I found it impossible to hit pause and would listen to it every chance I could, even if it was just 30 seconds. This book had you on the edge of your seat for the entire duration. The characters, the twists, the reveals were expertly crafted.

To set an entire book over the course of 8
hours is no measly feat, and Holly Jackson did it with ease. It did not feel like it was dragging at all. In particular I thought the conclusion was perfect and fitting to the overall arc of the story, and whilst I have been left with questions, I’m glad it had ended this way. To delve any further would be a disservice.
Red was the perfect protagonist, centre to the story but not unreliable enough to affect the other character’s stories. This book would not have been as brilliant as it was if Red was not at the helm of it.

That being said, I found Red slightly too chaotic at times. Her memory issues and fixations on irrelevant factors were brought up so often that I was constantly looking out for clues that pertained to this, or trying to predict any twist that included them, and then they would amount to nothing. I can understand it was added to build up Red’s character, but in my experience I found it extremely distracting and frustrating.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK!! THIS BOOK!! THIS BOOK!!

okay so Holly Jackson has been that author on my TBR, who I was saving for a good binge. And now for for sure that the time for that binge is here.

This book is so atmospheric and the basal atmosphere being creepy and tensed. The story is told in the POV of Red. She and 'friends' are on road trip in an RV travelling towards their spring break extravaganza, when they are attacked by a sniper and left stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, and nothing but a walkie talkie tuned to communicate with the sniper. They all know things that they shouldn't, have done things they shouldn't have! So now it is the game of Mafia, except here the killer would really kill you. The race is on to figure out whose secret is big enough for a sniper to tag down a bunch of teenagers and young adults and shoot at them. As revelations come rolling out and one of them going bizarrely out of control, the clock is ticking for them to find the way to survive the night!

The stress this book gave me!! like I listened to the book in 2 days and when I was not listening to the book, I was thinking about it. All the characters were flawed, yet I don't know what it makes me seem that I am happy about the one's that got to survive! I honestly cannot say anything more without spoiling anything.

The narrator was brilliant, the tension and panic in their voice was real.

I have only one complaint!! I need to know who was the second 'yes'. I still can't figure that out!, If you know please tell me.

TW: Grief, Claustrophobia, Death, Murder, Betrayal, Shooting, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, mental health issues, Gaslighting.

📚 r e v i e w 📚

Five Survive - holly jackson

As a huge fan of holly jackson’s good girl’s guide to murder series (why can’t i have a ravi my own?!) her newest, five survive, was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Thank you to the lovely folk at @netgalley for making a Christmas wish come true by sending me a copy of the audio book, if I didnt have a 9-5, i’d have binged this in one day. If youre looking for a fast paced, high stakes ya thriller then you need to get this one on your radar. It didnt have the same impact as gggtm for me but it still kept me on edge - i was super stressed the whole time - but like in the best way.
If you want to start off your 2023 reading year with a bang grab a copy of five survive, its out now.

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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Eighteen year old Red and her friends are on a road trip in an RV, heading to the beach for Spring Break. Then, the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. As the wheels are shot out, one by one, the friends realise that this is no accident. They are being held hostage by w maniac with a rifle.

We’re all familiar with tiktok sensation A Good Guide’s Girl to Murder, and that’s going to alter your perceptions of this book. Personally, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of tiktok, so I was hesitant to get swept in the hype again but I listened to this via NetGalley. In fact, on my own road trip from university to home in a nine hour coach journey.

Jackson artistically recreates the tension of the claustrophobia of the RV. The atmosphere created by such a crisis situation where a group of scared and despairing teenagers are involved.
I loved being in the head of Red. Her spiralling thoughts and strange fixations captivated me. It was so similar to the reality of what we would be feeling and thinking. There was good representation of anxiety, overthinking and paranoia. I’m not sure if Red is neurodivergent, but the way her mind worked was intriguing to be in.

She was always fine, when people asked.

Finally, I have to applaud the narrator. I loved the personality she conveyed through the dialogue.

Overall, I really enjoyed the first 50%. The building tension, the characters relations and interactions… it was excellent. However, I felt the story started feeling meandering and drawn out after this. And then the last 20% was just a pure rush of revelations and shock. The pacing just felt slightly off.
Overall, this was a good listen, it took my mind off my numb backside on my coach journey and I was in awe of the claustrophobic thriller spotlighting the teenagers, all taking place in a RV.

I consumed this book simultaneously as an eBook and an audiobook.

Please see my review of the eBook edition for more detailed thoughts on my overall experience with this book. I will briefly give an overview of my thoughts in this review as well as reviewing my experience with the audiobook edition of this book.

First off, whilst I understand the mechanics of audiobook production so I can appreciate why this is the case, it amuses me endlessly that this book which has been very heavily marketed as both taking place over 8 hours and intended to be read over 8 hours is, in fact, an audiobook which is 10hours and 36 minutes long. I generally listen to my audiobooks on around 2x speed however in order to get the most authentic experience of this book, I adjusted the listening speed to between 1.25x and 1.5x speed which got me relatively close to the 8 hour mark. At this speed, in my opinion, the dialogue was approximately at the speed of normal speech so if you can tolerate listening at that speed, I would recommend.

Whilst the narrator was relatively good at what she was doing, I don't feel as though the voices were as excellent as I have experienced in some books and I feel as though there was a bit of performing at a single volume when a little bit of a variety could have been added to lines that were shouted or whispered. I think her narration style contributed a fair bit to my experience of struggling to connect with this group of characters.

With regards to what I thought of the book itself, I enjoyed the final hour (as in from 5am onwards) and found the overall plotline to be very interesting and compelling. I enjoyed that the secrets of the group built upon one another and created a butterfly effect. Unfortunately I also had issues with the pacing of the story and picked-up on a couple of moments where Jackson seemingly went into too much detail about very mundane things. I also found portions of the story that took place whilst there was an active shooter to be surprisingly slow.

Overall, there were definitely aspects of this book that I enjoyed but there were also significant issues that I had with it. I do think that the problems I had with this book are more of a reflection of the reader that I am and the tastes that I have in books as I initially wasn't too excited by the synopsis of the book but I was a big fan of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and I also was really drawn in by the marketing. I will definitely be looking forward to seeing what Jackson creates next.

I struggled to get into the story and I think it was a mixture of really not getting on with the narrator and there being so many characters straight away I really struggled to keep up with who was who. Maybe if I’d read it physically this wouldn’t have been so much of an issue but I actually took a couple of weeks break after the first 20% because I really wasn’t enjoying it.

I decided to give the book a second chance and picked up where I’d left off and ended up getting into the story and by the half way mark I was finding it pretty gripping.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was a book I really enjoyed so I was expecting a similar experience with Five Survive. But where as in her debut novel Holly Jackson created likeable and relatable characters, I really didn’t like any of the characters in this book and found them a bit unbelievable. The ‘locked room’ trope made the claustrophobic nature of the story very oppressive which worked well for the plot, but I didn’t really enjoy the setting.

The twists were clever and kept me guessing but I didn’t really like the final ending.

If you’re looking for a high-stakes teen thriller this might be for you, but don’t expect the charm of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. I realise that I’m over twice the age of the target audience but I don’t think this really affected my levels of enjoyment as I love a lot of teen books.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC for review.

Travelling for Spring Break, Red and 5 other friends borrow an RV but when they take a wrong turn and are held hostage by a sniper, the only way out is to reveal the secret. But whose secret will set them free and at what cost?

I have heard so many great things about this author and this book did not disappoint.
I loved every character and disliked the character Jackson wanted us to dislike, I did not see a single twist coming and gasped as each one was revealed.

This novel was a little slow to get started but well worth the build and once I got going I didn't want to stop. This is one I would recommend to any thriller lover.

I loved A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER, and I maintain that AS GOOD AS DEAD is one of the best reading experiences I’ve ever had. So as soon as FIVE SURVIVE was announced, I knew I was going to read it ASAP. I already had the physical copy preordered, but as soon as I got the audio review copy for it via Netgalley, I read it in a single sitting.

This is a claustrophobic thriller with a locked-room kind of edge to it. It would make a fantastic movie, honestly, and I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job and listening to the story built up a huge amount of tension. I was seriously on edge by the end of the story and though I usually multitask while I’m reading, I finished FIVE SURVIVE staring at my bedroom ceiling and focusing entirely on the story.

I thought the pacing and writing was as excellent as I ever expect from Holly Jackson and I recommend this to any thriller lover. With all of the characters trapped in a small space - and RV - and slowly unravelling under the pressure of unknown snipers, the story built in intensity fast. They all know that one of them has a secret worth killing over but, as they all have secrets they’re hiding they become intensely mistrustful of each other very quickly.

It’s hard to talk too much about the details because this is a book best experienced unspoiled, but I found the whole thing unpredictable and enjoyed all of the twists and turns taking me by surprise.

Well to start with I wasnt sure, it took me a while to get used to the narration and the story. But then it started getting real and I started enjoying it. It played a bit young (for me) but that was because of the protagonists. I am going to look for more by this author and I really enjoyed it. As I said once it got real it got addictive and then I had to keep listening.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Another great book by Holly Jackson
Lots of twists and connections that I didn’t guess
5 out of 5 stars

“Five Survive” is a brilliant suspense story full of atmosphere, mystery and intrigue that will force you to keep the pages turning.

As expected by Holly Jackson, the story is really well written with a unique plot full of riveting twists and turns. The narrative follows a tense game of cat-and-mouse as the group desperately try to get help and to work out which member of the group is the target. Buried secrets are forced to the surface and friendships are tested to the full.

I guarantee a thrilling ride with this one.

I wanted to read Five Survive because I enjoyed Holly Jackson's debut, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Five Survive is about six friends who are on their way to the beach during Spring Break. After taking a wrong turn they suddenly find themselves stranded as someone shoots out the wheels of their RV. The only way out? One of them must reveal the secret they've been hiding.

For a story that takes place over eight hours this should have been fast paced and exciting. Unfortunately, I found it boring and would have struggled to get through it if I had been reading the physical book. However, I listened to it on audiobook while doing other things and this helped me get through it. Although it was well narrated, I found that when I paused it the only reason I felt compelled to continue was so I could finish it, which is never a good sign.

As for the characters, although none of them stood out to me, I think they were pretty well developed considering the story takes place over a short period. Even though it was far fetched, the best part of the book and what saved it was the plot twist and ending. It leaves room for a potential sequel and I will admit that I am curious about the direction Jackson will take the story if she does decide to continue it.

Tense and twisty road-trip thriller, a future film?

This grew on me, I wasn't sure if I'd like this at the beginning, but partway through realised how I felt about the characters actually DID make me want to know what was going on.

There's a Christie-like sense that occurs partway through, after the introduction to a group of young adults off for Spring Break, after all four tyres mysteriously puncture simultaneously, after a voice tells them that one of them has a secret that he will kill them over. All six are trapped together in an RV, with no way of contacting the outside world and an unknown shooter wanting confessions.

Our storyteller is Red, still grieving her police officer-mother killed on duty. With her are her best friend and friend's brother, older friends/partners - a collection of six different personalities though only two or three really get a key role and voice in proceedings.

Conversation, debate, arguments start... and of course, doesn't everyone have a secret? Just whose is the one that someone is willing to kill over?

I enjoyed that this wasn't easily guessable, and that strong characters displayed themselves in the crisis in different ways. I especially enjoyed this on audiobook, hearing Red's voice narrate it all in almost real-life as the events take place over just a few hours.

It would make a good stage play or claustrophic-set film, with some excellent dramatic moments, red herrings and crime/mystery expected moments that payoff.

Teens and adults alike will enjoy this one, it's got the hallmarks of a crossover.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

Five Survive - Holly Jackson

Being is big Holly Jackson fan I was so excited to read this new addition to her collection. The story is really well paced and had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way through. This was a perfect YA thriller, with a good reveal at the end. My only dislike was the narrator, but I think I am in the minority on this as all other reviews really liked the choice for narrator, Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio & Electric Monkey for the e-arc in return for my honest opinions

This is a thriller for older teenagers and adults. Teenager friends, whose secrets are more connected than they know, are trapped in an RV in isolated countryside by a gunman. Twists, turns, tension and grief follow as they try to survive until the morning. I listened to the audio version, but on this occasion I think I would have enjoyed the book more reading it for myself and expect it I would have given an extra star. Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I am a huge Holly Jackson fan, and one of my current must recommend titles, and I look forward to being able to recommend this as well.  This was a very different read to her earlier books, but great fun none the less.  It was full of twists and turns, fast paced and intense.  I also think the narrator did a stellar job with the story and voicing for all the characters.

I really enjoyed Holly Jackson's previous books so I was excited to see she had a brand new book out, that was going to be separate from her series.
However, this book really just disappointed me. I just couldn't get into it.
I really disliked the narrator, and found the american accent to be incredibly whingey and whiney. I wonder if I would have enjoyed the book better if I had just read it and not listened to it. Not sure how much was my dislike of the narrator, or how much was the dislike of the plot.

I hope I enjoy her next book a lot better than this one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Electric Monkey for the advance reader copy.

I absolutely adored the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series and didn't think that Holly Jackson could top it, but here it is. I loved this book even more than the series. This book was so suspenseful and had a completely different setting to her previous series which really distinguished it from being too similar.

I thought that the RV setting was fun and it was a really smart way to tell a story. I can't wait to see what Holly Jackson puts out next.

The narrator of this book was absolutely fantastic, the perfect fit to narrate these characters, I couldn't have asked for anything more.

I read this book as an audiobook and I enjoyed the experience. This was a no stakes bonkers thriller. It was an enjoyable read. I was surprised by some of the twists. If you can suspend disbelief about the premise this story is entertaining.

Binged this in one sitting. It didn’t wow me as much as AGGGTM trilogy did. It was gripping in parts but the story was a little bit flat and it felt very YA.