Five Survive by Holly Jackson is a standalone young adult mystery thriller novel about six friends on a road trip who get stranded and targeted by a sniper in the middle of nowhere, revealing that one of them h
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Five Survive by Holly Jackson is a standalone young adult mystery thriller novel about six friends on a road trip who get stranded and targeted by a sniper in the middle of nowhere, revealing that one of them holds a deadly secret. The entire story takes place over a tense eight-hour period during one night.
Plot Summary
The story follows eighteen-year-old Red Kenny and her five friends who are on a spring break road trip in a borrowed RV. Their journey goes wrong when they take a shortcut down a dirt road, lose all cell service and GPS signal, and the RV's tires and gas tank are shot out. They quickly realize this is no accident.
Trapped in the cramped, isolated RV, the group receives a message over a walkie-talkie: an unseen sniper is watching them and demands a specific secret from one of them. If the secret isn't revealed by dawn, everyone dies. Tensions escalate as the friends turn on each other, and buried secrets and past traumas are forced into the light. The narrative is told from Red's perspective, a character still dealing with the trauma of her police officer mother's murder years prior, which is a central element to the mystery. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues, and the friends must determine the liar and the target to survive the night.
Reviews and Reception
Five Survive was an instant #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and won the CrimeFest award in 2022 for Best Crime Fiction Novel for Young Adults.
- Suspense and Pacing: The novel is widely praised for its gripping, fast-paced, and tense atmosphere. The structure, which unfolds in real-time over eight hours within the confined setting of the RV, contributes to the feeling of claustrophobia and urgency. While some reviewers found the beginning slow, most agreed that the pace picks up, making it a page-turner.
- Plot Twists: The book is noted for its many surprising and unexpected plot twists and a well-conceived, shocking ending that keeps readers guessing until the very end.
- Character Development: Opinions on characters are mixed. The main character, Red, is generally seen as well-developed and nuanced. However, some reviewers found certain supporting characters underdeveloped or unlikable (particularly Oliver). The story effectively explores themes of trust, loyalty, and how people change under extreme pressure.
Overall, experts and readers recommend the book as an exciting and engaging thriller, especially for fans of Holly Jackson's previous work, the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series.
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