Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

293 reviews

fengxin's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

red's pov felt so very real; the way her train of thoughts kept getting derailed and how she tried to get herself back on track, usually it'd feel really clunky in narration but i thought it was well executed here. oliver was so infuriating
i just kept praying the sniper would get it over with and end him right there and then.
i haven't hated a character as much as i hate him in a very long time. the ending was just insane but god did i cheer loudly when
he finally fucking died!! i am pissed off i'll never know what the curtains' pattern was, it's gonna bother me for a few days i think.
the romance subplot was fine, i guess? underdeveloped for sure but it makes sense considering. overall, a good book but the plot came straight out of a wattpad mafia fic.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bambiisreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rainbow10's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

I have no words. This book was so gripping I literally couldn’t put it down!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

estellec13's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kelsreadsthings's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

oliver was insufferable. 
i did like this a lot! not as much as agggtm but i still love a good mystery/thriller and it was great for the spooky season. i wish there were a couple pages at the end to kind of wrap it up. it felt too open for me. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

eatingwords's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Holly Jackson never disappoints!
I was sucked into the story and it had its grip on me until I listened to the very end.
the writing was phenomenal and I really loved being kept on the edge of my seat for the entire ride (pun somewhat intended).

the characters were difficult to like; Red as the main character seemed to just like go with the flow and not make her wishes and needs known to the others and the rest of them were ranging from just annoying to downright abusive.

making Oliver the bad guy from the start seemed somewhat convenient, so that killing him in the end seemed somehow justified?!
though according to Red he never acted that way prior to the RV situation. either he was a great manipulator or some switch flipped in this situation and his true colors came out.
also: who was the second person to vote Red to get out of the RV?


the ending was 50 % tied in a too nice bow and the other 50 % were just left to the reader's imagination more or less.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

trislima's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

abbys's review against another edition

Go to review page

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 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

andy2_27's review against another edition

Go to review page

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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

camiandkitread's review against another edition

Go to review page

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. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings