We Won’t All Survive

By Kate Alice Marshall

Reviewed by Sandy Driessens

Two years ago, Mercy Gray was hailed as a hero for saving lives during a shooting. So, 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.

Eight teenagers are invited to participate in a survival reality show set in an old, abandoned silver-mining town, in the mountains, called ‘Landry’s Gap”. As they arrive, they find it odd that there is no TV crew to greet them and the site is enclosed, with razor wire running around the perimeter. But when a PA system announces, Attention. The game begins in one minute. All contestants must be inside before it closes, they think … so it begins.

Their first quest is to find water. Are they supposed to work together or as individuals? This is a survival show after all. With these questions in mind, the eight fail the first test. But ‘Survival’ takes on a whole new meaning when the next morning, one of the contestants is found dead. Now the question is, “Who will survive?”

Kate Alice Marshall has created a thrilling story that grips the reader from the introduction until the spine-tingling conclusion. Narrated by Mercy Gray, Marshall introduces the characters and their connection to each other, capturing the angst that they all experience. The setting is skilfully described with enough foreboding scenes to keep the reader fearful. The plot progresses at a rate that is enthralling.

With themes of resilience, self-reliance and trust, whilst recognising coercive control in relationships, this polished piece of authorship will have the YA reader engrossed.  An excellent read.

Affirm Kids 2025

Kate Alice Marshall