Kate Alice Marshall, We Won’t All Survive, Affirm Press, July 2025, 336 pp., RRP $22.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781923293977
After being a hero at a shopping mall shooting two years ago, Mercy Gray just wants her life to return to normal. But when Damian Dare offers her a spot in his new survival reality TV show with a one hundred-thousand-dollar cash prize, Mercy can’t refuse.
But upon arrival, weird events start to occur. There is no filming crew. Only the teenagers left to fight for survival.
But not everybody will survive.
Who is the real enemy?
We Won’t All Survive is an excellent YA murder mystery/survival novel, blending themes of resilience, self-belief, and friendship. Kate Alice Marshall does an amazing job of addressing coercive control in relationships throughout the novel, an important issue that needs to be more widely recognised. I especially loved how each character has been construed so uniquely, with complex issues in their lives that impact how the public eye sees them. For example, at the beginning of the book, Alethea is portrayed as a narcissistic and selfish character due to her past trauma and her presence on social media. But as the novel continues, she turns out to be brave and selfless, highlighting that we assign bias and judgement towards others too quickly, especially where social media is involved. I think this idea is very relevant in our society, as we source a lot of information from the media which does not always tell the absolute truth.
I would recommend this book to lovers of Holly Jackson, Karen McManus and Jennifer Lynn Barnes, as this novel contains a similar murder-mystery ‘vibe’. We Won’t All Survive is appropriate for ages 14+, due to its somewhat violent nature (for there is murder after all).
Reviewed by Emily Woolnough
