We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall Published by Viking Books for Young Readers on July 29, 2025
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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From the bestselling author of I Am Still Alive comes a new nail-biter that's part survival story, part murder mystery, and all thriller—perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson!
Two years ago Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a mall shooting. She still carries souvenirs from that incident: the fragment of a bullet lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and guilt for ignoring her sister’s warnings that the sweet boy next door was anything but.
When billionaire-turned-TV-host Damien Dare recruits Mercy to compete on his new survivalist reality show, she can’t turn down a chance at the whopping cash prize that could send her sister to college—but when she and the other contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. The set is empty. The gates close without warning, trapping them inside. Then one of them turns up dead. What appeared at first to be a tragic accident quickly transforms as more contestants start dying. With time and resources running low, surviving this show takes on a new meaning.
Read if you like:
- Suspense
- Elements of horror
- Survival shows
- Relatable characters
My thoughts:
We Won’t All Survive is my first experience with Kate Alice Marshall’s books but it won’t be last. I fear that this is just the start of a new obsession. This is suspense done right. I cannot wait to dig into her backlist titles.
It’s been a while since a book has truly had me hooked from page one but this one did. The characters, the plot, the writing, the twists; every single thing about this book had me turning pages as fast as I could. I kept coming up with theories as I read and I was dying to see if I was right. I wasn’t, just so you know, but I honestly think that made it so much better. I never knew what was coming next.
The plot isn’t exactly new but it was done well and had some refreshing twists. It’s a gripping story that will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering who, if anyone, is going to make it out alive. It was suspenseful with some fun horror elements thrown in. Think end-of-the-world survival meets slasher movie.
While the plot was solid, it was the characters that took this story to another level. All were so well-developed, with unique personalities, and gripping histories. By the end of the book I was devastated by each death. These characters didn’t feel expendable like they so often do in novels like these. I was fully invested in each one and every injury or death felt like a hit. Mercy may have been the main character (and a badass one, at that) but the side characters did their best to steal the show.
Overall, We Won’t All Survive needs to be on every thriller readers TBR. I can’t recommend it enough.
TL;DR
A gripping, page-turner of a novel that perfectly blends end-of-the-world survival with the suspense and danger of a slasher movie. Full of relatable characters, solid writing, and plot twists that you will never see coming, We Won’t All Survive is a must-read for thriller fans.
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