after hearing and seeing plenty of good critiques surrounding five survive, i knew i had to see what the hype is all about. having been a fan of holly jackson’s young adult thriller trilogy, a good girl’s guide to murder, i had high hopes indeed going into the book and alas, she’s always here to SERVE ✨

this isolated thriller is filled with secrets and suspense. every single chapter just bleeds suspense and i immensely love that of the book. the characters and the plot were simply well written and holly jackson’s natural charm in the mystery genre never fails to keep readers like me on the edge of our seats craving to know the story deeper more and more.

redford “red” kenny is such a complex character indeed and by complex, i mean girlie got a tragic backstory, is a very complicated person, and i found parts of myself resonating with her own character. when i say she has been through a lot, i do mean A LOT. i simply wish i could give her a hug and gosh, the ending! it leaves so much room for interpretation by the readers of what could’ve happened with her and ... (not gonna spoil, you have to read it).

holly jackson seamlessly integrated the romance element into a story so shocking and suspenseful that i was rooting for them while also feeling so conflicted because it feels so wrong and yet so right at the same time. the plot twist was *chef’s kiss*