Review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson

 

Five Survive is a thrilling, fast-paced novel. It’s a novel that takes a while to take off, but when it does, it’s impossible to step away from, trapping you in the same scenario as the characters you’re reading about. The premise is that of a spring trip gone horrifically wrong, with both the threat of a sniper, and, potentially, each other.

The real suspense in this novel doesn’t come from just the unnerving threat of someone outside with a gun; it’s that anyone in the vehicle could be the key to their freedom, and also subsequently be the reason for this situation. This leads to tension between the group and is the real bite of the second half of the novel, with the characters’ true colours coming through.

The main character and narrator, Red, is carrying around a lot on her shoulders, having gone through a massive trauma prior to the beginning of the book. She tries to act tough with the people in the vehicle with her, but we see throughout the book that her past, and perhaps even her chaotic present, haunts her throughout the book. I found her to be a compelling and believable character, being swallowed up by two situations at once.

As someone unfamiliar with thriller novels and the author’s previous work, this was a surprisingly emotional read, especially in the last sixty or so pages. It was very interesting how the characters’ dynamics and mindsets changed, strengthened and even became dangerously warped as the story went on. There were some incredible twists that I didn’t see coming at all. This book covers heavy topics like grief and death, and has a pretty nasty shock that sets off the second half.

Hugo Murphy, 16