Five Survive Review by Siobhan Mescall

Sofia Davidovich
Jul 29, 2025
3 min read

Five Survive by Holly Jackson - Review

Summary and Recommendation:

Five Survive by Holly Jackson follows six friends on a spring break road trip in an RV that breaks down in the middle of nowhere, trapping them with a sniper who is after one of them due to a hidden secret. The group must uncover the secret and identify the target within the group to survive the night. The novel explores themes of trust, secrets, and the lengths people will go to survive, as the teenagers must uncover a buried secret and determine who among them is the target. The story delves into the characters’ individual secrets and past traumas as well as culminates chaotic confrontations and plot twists, resulting in the reader being absolutely hooked.

Personal Rating:

⅘ Stars

Age Rating:

14 + → The book contains some violence and intense suspense that is more suitable for this maturity level, including the frequent use of profanity that may be inappropriate for younger children. Additionally, the novel also documents some scenes involving teenage drinking which can send the wrong message for children below this age.

Find more in: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/five-survive

For Teachers:

Although this is an excellent read, it might not be a suitable book to assign as part of the class due to a lack of a strong academic connection. However, this is the perfect book to recommend to students who have the desire to expand their vocabulary however often document that they can't enjoy reading. The book's thrilling suspense and mystery trap readers into the story, constantly making you want to know more, and will allow those who tend to get bored of books to be so involved they will finally enjoy it. Additionally, the novel contains positive messages relating to the importance of putting your differences aside and working as a team.

Similar Books:

Other Books by The Author:

EDUCATIONAL HELP

SAT words:

This wonderful book can also be extremely helpful to you in terms of acquiring knowledge that can help you in the Reading and Writing section of the SAT! Specifically, many words in the book can be helpful towards expanding your vocabulary which can facilitate the Words in Context questions of the SAT. Additionally, the novel storytelling plot can improve your reading comprehension, a skill that is incredibly useful during the digital test.

Examples include:

Unforeseen - Not anticipated or predictive
Monotonous - Dull, tedious, and repetitious
Stagnant - Showing no activity; sluggish
Prompt - Cause or bring about
Overdue - Late or not happening when expected

Coordination with Other Classes:

Five Survive is a book that can strongly help you in English class. As mentioned before, the novel's focus on character development, plot twists, as well as the author's use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and unreliable narration, contribute towards enhancing the reader's critical thinking skills, reading comprehension, and exploration of literary devices, qualities that are valued in English class. However, the book's themes of trauma, survival and the consequences of violence, can also make it suitable for a Psychology class, allowing the reader to use it as an example when exploring/analyzing the inner workings of human psychology.

Amount of Time Needed for The Book:

For the average reader, "Five Survive" with its 416 pages could take anywhere from 2.5 to 10 hours, depending on factors such as reading speed, frequency, and skill. However, the book's engaging nature and quick pace mean that many readers find themselves finishing it much faster than anticipated.

About The Author:

(Summary about the author from: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2159079/holly-jackson/ )

Holly Jackson is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, an international sensation with millions of copies sold worldwide as well as the #1 New York Times bestseller and instant classic, Five Survive, and her forthcoming novel, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. She graduated from the University of Nottingham, where she studied literary linguistics and creative writing, with a master’s degree in English. She enjoys playing video games and watching true-crime documentaries so she can pretend to be a detective. She lives in London.