The book Five Survive, written by Holly Jackson, illustrates a story with many hidden twists where six friends’ spring break takes a turn: trapped in an RV with no cell service, in the middle of the woods, and a sniper waiting outside.
Some of the major themes within the story include secrets, trust, and the biggest of all, betrayal. Nearly all of the characters carry a secret, and while some are bigger than others, each changes the fate of the story. Yet, these characters trust one another and develop strong relationships throughout the book. Along with secrets, the characters deceive each other, demonstrating the theme of betrayal.
Around every corner, a new layer of lies and deception is unveiled, with a mixture of questionable moral choices being made. All of the characters have more to them beneath the surface, as their back stories are not revealed until the end.
An aspect that stuck out to me the most was how everything ties back to the tiny details. There’s no attribute that Jackson includes in the story that doesn’t wrap back into the plot sooner or later.
It has a bittersweet ending, leaving it open to endless possibilities and making the audience want more, but, unfortunately, there is no more to read.
The beginning is slow but necessary for context later in the book. Many readers turn away from this novel, feeling bored at the start, but the readers who end up staying are led to have an amazing experience with a beautifully created story.
Jackson also wrote the extremely popular Five Survive, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (AGGGTM) as well as Good Girl Bad Blood, As Good As Dead, and The Reappearance of Rachel Price. However, many are missing out and are unaware of the novel Five Survive.If mystery and thriller with a subplot of romance piques your interest, then this story was made for you. Overall, it is a great read that I would recommend to anyone, especially if they’ve read AGGGTM. If you are interested in reading a Jackson book, Five Survive would be an excellent start.
