We Won't All Survive / Kate Alice Marshall / Book Review

WE WON'T ALL SURVIVE

Mercy Gray is a hero. Or that's what they all say. When she got caught in the crossfire of a mall shooting, she helped save lives. And she bears the souvenirs: a bullet fragment still lodged in her back, a mountain of medical debt, and the guilt of not listening to her sister's concern about the "sweet" boy next door. And the guilt, too, of draining her sister's college savings to help pay for her hospital stay.

When billionaire influencer Damien Dare decides to start a brand new survival competition, he reaches out to Mercy. Who better to compete in a survivalist reality show than an actual survivor? And when she sees the prize money on the line, she can't exactly say no. Even if her sister wants her to.

But when Mercy arrives to the off-grid old mining town Dare bought for the show, something seems... off. There are no cameras around, for one. No crew to meet Mercy and the other contestants who have arrived. And before they've had time to search, the gates start to close behind them...


WE WON'T ALL SURVIVE


THOUGHTS

This book is fun. It has some decent twists. and, I mean, what more can you ask for? With an interesting cast of characters-turned-suspects and a very of-the-moment premise, this book delivers exactly what it promises.


PROS

Manosphere Manipulations This book feels very timely in the way it trudges through the  toxic masculinity manosphere universe that's sprung up in recent times (the kind especially charged by billionaire podcasters and loud, annoying male YouTubers). You know, the influencers who tackle topics they shouldn't and push ideals that are, well, less-than-ideal? All of this gets dredged up in this wilderness thriller, and it works really well. It feels 2025 in a prescient way (not an immediately-dated way).

Survivor's Guilt This book also takes a really nuanced look at survivors. The entire cast of characters here have survived something traumatic, though each of their past traumas is a little different. And this book reckons with the difficult choices made, the guilt that one carries in the aftermath, and the... relief that comes in unexpected pockets in the middle of terrible, awful experiences (and the guilt of having felt relieved). I don't want to spoil so much, but it really is a very interesting dive into character psychology here that I appreciated so much.

Casual Rep There are a lot of queer characters in this book, and this book just... doesn't make a big deal about that. And I love that. I love it when queer characters just get to exist. It's refreshing.


CONS

As much as I enjoyed this read... it doesn't really add much to the genre. It does what it does well enough, but at the end of the day, it's just kind of... generic. Nothing New

I had a heck of a time remembering who was who when it came to the boys in this book. It really took until the (already slim) cast dwindled for me to remember which was which. Until one of them did something dramatically different and solidified into a Character, they were all just kind of... the boys. And that's maybe on me, but it's also maybe on the writing in this one. Random Men

I said above that this book has some good twists, and it does. But at the same time, some of these little twists follow some... predictable patterns. You catch somebody doing something suspicious. You immediately think they're the culprit. A conflict ensues, and at least one party flees the scene. Only later do you discover you didn't have the right context for what you saw. Rinse and repeat. It gets pretty predictable in some places, which is unfortunate in a thriller. A thriller should be thrilling, and predicting the next several steps in the plot just isn't all that thrilling. Formulaic Twists


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Fans of Kathryn Foxfield's Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are will love this new reality-tv-style thriller. Those who loved Sarah Beth Durst's The Lake House will love this less-than-supervised teen survival game.

COME OUT, COME OUT, WHATEVER YOU ARE THE LAKE HOUSE

Details
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Date: July 29, 2025
Series: N/A
Add to Goodreads
Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Best and Worst of 2024

Image
  Best                      First Place:             Every Time You Hear That Song Jenna Voris                                         ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In this dual-timeline historical fiction, Darren Purchase spots her ticket out of town in the scavenger hunt left in country star Decklee Cassel's will, but there's a lot more to Decklee Cassel's legacy than the tabloids ever knew. A historical love story with strong women at the core, Jenna Voris presents a story of ambition, desperation, and the regret of a one-way ticket out of town. Though the payoff of the contemporary leg of this dual-timeline story feels a little lackluster, this piece of historical fiction is worth escaping into a world where small town girls dare to dream. Runner...
Read more

Sky's End / Marc J. Gregson / Book Review

Image
SKY'S END Sixteen-year-old Conrad wasn't born to be a Low. In fact, he was born to be the highest of the Highs, but he lost all that when his father died—was murdered—and his treacherous uncle took power. The Meritocracy is harsh. That's just the way of the world. Conrad was offered a place by his uncle's side, but he won't stand with a traitor—even if it means exile as a Low. But when Conrad's mother dies in a gorgantaun attack, he knows he has to get the last of his family back: his little sister. And getting his sister means working with his uncle... kind of. Conrad and his uncle strike a deal. Conrad can come back without bowing to the traitor, but only if he earns it. And earning it means entering the Selection. Earning it means joining the Hunters, the deadliest of the Trades. Earning it means rising to be captain, surviving the brutal Gauntlet, and killing the most gorgantauns in this Selection year. And in a w...
Read more

Don't Let the Forest In / CG Drews / Book Review

Image
DON'T LET THE FOREST IN Andrew Perrault would do anything for Thomas Rye. He lives and breathes for Thomas Rye. He would die for Thomas Rye. So when Andrew returns to Wickwood Academy for senior year and his twin sister decides to cut both Andrew and Thomas out of her life, Andrew knows he has to be there for Thomas more than ever before. Thomas needs him--and he needs Thomas. But something strange is happening at Wickwood. Something to do with Thomas. Something Thomas won't tell him. When the police arrive on campus with questions about Thomas's parents, rumors start flying that Thomas murdered them. Thomas won't say a word, not to anyone. Not even to Andrew. When Andrew catches Thomas sneaking out, he follows him into the off-limits forest on the edge of campus. Andrew expects to confront Thomas, to comfort him, to support him. Whatever happened, Andrew knows the truth: Thomas did what he had to do. But the forest isn't...
Read more