“Five Survive” by Holly Jackson is an intense, demanding standalone thriller that sucks the reader in from midnight till sunrise. Meticulously mapped, this book consists of eight hours, 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Through this heart racing duration, Jackson uncovers secrets untold, betrayals, and whether or not their friendships will survive such a high pressure situation.
The book begins with Redford ‘Red’ Kenny, who could potentially be described as neurodivergent. Her attention constantly shifts throughout the story, perfectly complimenting the psychological component of the book. Kenny’s mother being killed years earlier caused her to be somewhat more closed off emotionally.
Starting in a 31 foot RV, Kenny stares out the window, lost in her thoughts. Her thinking is quickly interrupted by Maddy Lavoy, her best friend of forever. While playing a game, Simon Yoo walks out of the bathroom, interrupting their conversation and expertly introducing himself into the plot. He’s a comedic relief, presenting himself as a valuable asset throughout the story.
Yoo’s uncle is the owner of the RV the six friends are using, and soon after the introduction of Yoo, the other main characters are introduced. Oliver Lavoy, Maddy’s older brother and aspiring lawyer, Reyna Flores-Serrano, Oliver’s girlfriend, and Arthur Moore, a friend of Yoo’s and the crush of Kenny.
While Flores-Serrano is driving down the highway, the group misses their exit. Oliver frantically tries to renavigate them, but finds that his internet is cutting in and out. Moore offers to help, using his navigation provided by a different internet.
Eventually, they lose all internet and get lost in the middle of the woods with a popped tire. This is where tension in the story starts to build more, putting the reader on edge and sparking suspension.
Oliver takes charge and orders the bunch around, leading to the tire getting fixed. He’s very bossy, often awarding himself the titles of annoying and controlling. They celebrate the fixed tire and head for the road again.
Suddenly, they hear all their tires popping. Concerned, the team gets out and checks out the cause, while Oliver blames Flores-Serrano for the whole ordeal. Another popping sound occurs, and when Kenny looks over, she notices a gunshot in the RV and a red laser pointed at her, so they quickly run back to the RV and lock the door.
Not knowing what’s happening startles the readers alongside the characters, puzzling the audience due to the third person limited point of view. Because Kenny, the main character, doesn’t understand, neither do the spectators.
Unable to call the police, Oliver quickly takes charge, instructing Flores-Serrano to start driving away on the popped wheels. They quickly realize that the sniper shot out the gas tank as well, and now they are all stuck. This sets a feeling of despair for both the characters and the reader, getting into the reader’s head and setting them on edge.
Realizing they are all stuck, Oliver then instructs everyone to gather any supplies that could be useful until the morning. The group decides to close all windows and curtains, blocking the sniper’s view. Suddenly, they hear a voice coming outside, Kenny realizes it’s a walkie talkie, and Moore reaches outside to grab it.
The sniper communicates to the group, informing them that there is no way for them to escape. He then tells them that all he needs from them is a secret, but he won’t tell them what about or who from.
Because the reader doesn’t know any background information either, this leaves them just as confused as the characters. Because the story is in Kenny’s POV, they only know her side of the story, resulting in slight dramatic irony towards the other characters throughout the whole story.
Oliver, convinced he and Maddy are the targets, instructs the other four to protect them at all costs. He believes that the sniper is referring to a murder trial case his mother is working on, regarding the murder of Joseph Mannino by Frank Gotti.
As tension grows high and more secrets are revealed, it comes to light that it’s actually Kenny with the secret. Oliver targets her, urging her to sacrifice herself to save the group, but Kenny refuses. Oliver ultimately grabs her and throws her outside, which causes feelings of disgust towards Oliver, because he sacrificed a child’s life to save himself.
To Kenny’s surprise, the sniper doesn’t shoot her, and she makes it successfully back inside alive despite being locked out of the camper for three minutes. This can confuse the reader, making them not understand the why—wanting to know more. Oliver then decides that Maddy will go outside and try to escape, as her and Kenny look almost identical.
After being forced outside by Oliver, Maddy gets shot in the leg by the sniper, who somehow knows she isn’t Kenny. Flores-Serrano, the med student, attempts to keep Maddy stable but insists she needs to go to the hospital immediately. Oliver, panicking, insists Kenny needs to reveal her secret to the sniper.
Kenny admits that she is the main witness in the Frank Gotti case, and that they are probably targeting her so she can’t testify at the trial. Unsatisfied, the group pushes on. It is then revealed that Catherine Lavoy, Oliver and Maddy’s mother, is the true witness of the case, but is paying Kenny to cover for her.
Maddy then reveals to Kenny that she thinks Catherine is Kenny’s mothers murderer, causing Kenny to start to resent Maddy. While Kenny begins to try and come up with another plan to escape, Moore stops them. Realizing he is the mole contacting the sniper, Kenny feels betrayed, and Moore reveals how he communicated with his brother the sniper.
It is also revealed that Moore is actually Frank Gotti’s son, and he was sent to make sure his father wasn’t convicted. Because Oliver destroyed Moore’s communication device, he can’t communicate to let them out. This also causes the reader to feel the betrayal of Moore, because there was hardly any dramatic irony exposed earlier in the story.
When the cops show up, Kenny runs out, knowing that the sniper won’t shoot her, Moore following behind. Kenny tries to warn the cop not to come any closer or the sniper might shoot, but the cop shoots Kenny instead. Oliver also makes it outside, slicing Moore’s neck before getting shot and killed.
The novel ends with Kenny and Maddy in the hospital, Oliver dead, and Moore on the run after killing Catherine Lavoy. Moore delivers a letter to Kenny trying to apologize, where he asks her to meet. The story ends before she checks yes or no, ending on a cliffhanger and leaving the reader wanting more. It also leaves a hint towards a possible romantic plot for Kenny and Moore, adding more suspension onto the story.
Kenny’s character development through the story transformed her from a reclusive girl to someone who can stand up for herself. It was refreshing to see a character step into their role of main character, especially one with a personality like hers. The cliffhanger at the end felt necessary, and really added to the story.
Overall, “Five Survive” is a five star amazing book. It’s fast paced, thrilling, and full of suspense. I’d recommend it to lovers of “The Naturals,” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, or “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” by Holly Jackson.
