Five Survive

4/5

Five Survive was an intense, suspenseful thrill ride that left me on the edge of my seat. Set mostly inside the cramped quarters of a blown out RV in a span of 8 hours, the story creates an inescapable atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia from start to finish.

Holly Jackson masterfully controls the pacing and constantly shifts focus between the six individuals. Just when you think you can trust one character's motives, another contradicts it, making you doubt everyone. This uncertainty extends to figuring out who the vicious sniper is hunting them. Though I tried figuring out who it was at first, I just let the story unfold without constantly guessing, which heightened the shocks for me once the mole was revealed.

And can we all talk about Oliver? That dude is particularly detestable - a misogynistic, toxic man that you can't help but hate. Jackson uses him effectively to mislead the reader and made him some sort of a faux antagonist. His repugnance makes you suspect him all throughout, even though it's too obvious that he may not be the one who we think he is.

It's the ambiguous ending that truly disturbs and sticks with you after finishing. The really long letter. We never learn what decision Red will choose, leaving you to ponder how the events have turned out next.

Ultimately, this book taps into deeper fears about selfishness and self-preservation, that makes you question humanity's dark impulses just to survive. This was such a harrowing, claustrophobic experience that burrows into your psyche long after the final page.