We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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.

We Won’t All Survive is my first book by Marshall, and I ended up really enjoying it. Initially, I gave it four stars, but changed it to three and a half after I had time to reflect on the story. There are a lot of characters, but we really only get to know them on a surface level, and I wish the author had taken more time to flesh them out so we could feel more connected to them and their situation. I think it also would have prevented me from confusing some of the boys and forgetting who was who. I kept getting them mixed up, which interrupted the flow of the story.

I also would have liked it if they’d been forced to play the game longer. I thought that aspect of the book was really interesting, and I think seeing them work through different challenges when it was truly life or death would have added more to the story. As it stands, once they realize things aren’t what they seem, they abandon the game and just try to figure out how to escape. While that may have been a realistic decision on their part, it wasn’t what I was expecting after reading the synopsis. I thought they'd have to navigate the game while trying to stay alive, but it ends up not being a focal point.

I wasn’t completely surprised by the whodunnit, but I do think the author did a good job of making us doubt several of the characters. No one wants to talk about the tragic thing in their past that brought them there, but understanding their pasts is what helped them realize why they’d been chosen to participate in the first place.

The ending felt a little rushed, but it was still satisfying. Mercy had a role to play, and I think she played it well. She managed to face her demons and come out on top, which is more than some of the others can say. Her motives were honorable and self-sacrificing, and I was happy when she figured out what was going on and remained level-headed until an opportunity presented itself.

If you want a quick story with awesome audio, We Won’t All Survive checks both boxes. I think Jess Nahikian nailed the narration, and I’m looking forward to listening to more books narrated by her in the future. (★★★⭑☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.