Five Survive

Five Survive is a YA thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Red and five of her friends are traveling in an RV for Spring Break. However, disagreements arise when things don't go as planned, and road trips always have hiccups. It's not surprising that they get lost on the way to the beach, and then the RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere. What's surprising is that a sniper is hunting them and their secrets...  

I read this in one day. I couldn't put it down, because I needed to know what was going on. The story was super fast-paced and the claustrophobic setting was cleverly written. My stomach was in knots the whole time I was reading. The characters were interesting, and everyone had secrets that they didn't want to reveal which made everything so much more intriguing. Most of them were unlikable, but even so, it was easy to root for the survival of the majority of them. The tension was high as soon as the RV broke down, and when survival mode hit... It felt like anything could happen. 

Holly Jackson's writing and plot devices usually work for me, so it wasn't surprising that I devoured this book in one sitting and enjoyed it a lot. Jackson did a great job keeping me guessing, and the setting was perfect to keep my anxiety high. Even though there were a twist or two that I figure out early on, there were some that I didn't see coming. However, particularly one of the revelations was over the top. It didn't affect my enjoyment, because I was already expecting a crazy twist, and the puzzle pieces fit. It did bother me that one specific aspect concerning the main character wasn't explained, and was only used to add a level of uncertainty to a couple of events.

Overall, a thrilling, suspenseful, entertaining, action-packed, fast-paced YA story with shocking secrets and claustrophobic, tense moments.

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