Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Five Survive

This was so tense, I was holding my breath in the last few chapters! At first, I had a hard time likikg the characters, they were all kind of annoying. I did see some of the twists coming but it was so good, I really enjoyed all the reveals!

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xxlynxx's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Book was alright but I’m personally not a fan of leaving the

ending up to the imagination

T>T

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mythxcally's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. Holly Jackson never fails to write the most incredible books, and Five Survive so no exception. Let's dive into my thoughts on the characters:

For Red, our main character, she seemed super sweet. I definetely loved her and reading from her perspective felt easy and informative. Her trauma was written very well, espically all her nervous ticks.

Arthur was one of my favourites too.

Despite what he did, I don't believe he's a bad person. The letter at the end proved that. He explained what he did and why, and I can sympathise with his situation, so he gets a pass.

Our comedy relief from this book mainly came from Simon. He was lighthearted, easy going but could be serious and a good friend when you needed him. I wish we had more content of him!

Throughout the book, Reyna was the one we didn't hear as much from. However she was quite quiet and only voiced up in important situations so that was the reason why.

I did feel very sorry for her throughout the book. She was clearly very unhappy with Oliver, and kept dropping hints throughout which was interesting as it left us wondering why. And im very glad she got that guilt off her chest about what her and Oliver did.

Maddy did fustrate me a bit.

She did a lot of the time blindly follow her brother, which is part of her character, but like get a backbone girl!!

Oliver had one of the best character developments out of them all. I hate him, I truly do. But

the slow spiral od his character from slightly overbearing, good brother into a psychotic madman who would do anything to save himself and the ones he deemed 'worthy' was incredible. Holly Jackson did so well in writing his character. He honestly gave me chills at times.

Overall the book was phenomenal, the ending incredible. Plot twist after plot twist?! I couldn't keep up! I'd you like tense mysteries, this one is for you! I would definetely read again and I wish there was a second one to read!

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abbys's review against another edition

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2.5

It pains me to rate this so low but a book about six people been pinned down by a sniper in a broken down RV shouldn't have been so boring

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andy2_27's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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camiandkitread's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Five Survive” starts off slowly, introducing its protagonist, Red, who echoes Holly Jackson's other heroines—highly intelligent, somewhat quirky, and grappling with social dynamics within a close-knit friend group. This setup might seem like a retread of Jackson’s other works, but it sets the stage for the tension that ramps up as the story unfolds.

As the narrative picks up pace, Jackson demonstrates her skill in creating a gripping and suspenseful plot within the confines of a small space—just 31 feet. The interactions among a diverse cast of characters is handled adeptly, with Jackson balancing the dynamics and delivering a mix of predictable and surprising twists. The high stakes keeps the reader engaged, making it a nail-biting experience despite its slow start.

Although “Five Survive” may not reach the same intensity as “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” or the same cleverness of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” it remains an engaging listen, particularly effective as an audiobook enjoyed on a dark, stormy night.

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