NetGalley ARC | We Won't All Survive

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kate Alice Marshall is the rare author who can write both YA and Adult well. I have enjoyed all of her books so far, in both genres.

Above all else, this book paints a crystal clear picture of how dangerous it is to not only be female, but to be female and not gently protect a man's feelings. (Spoiler Alert: I will never be any man's peace. Take care of yourselves, you giant fucking babies.)

Anyway.

Mercy is our main character. Two years ago she saved several people in a mass shooting at a mall that targeted her sister and was carried out by a supposed "nice guy" who would not leave her alone. Mercy's sister repeatedly told her and pretty much everyone else that he made her uncomfortable, he wouldn't take no for an answer, wouldn't leave her alone. But he was just SO NICE, that no one believed her. Not even Mercy. Then one day her sister (I seriously am blanking on her name right now, this is so embarassing) finally goes off on him at school, screaming at him to leave her alone. Naturally, SHE is blamed for his rampage, because how could she be so cruel to such a nice guy? Why couldn't she let him down GENTLY? Never mind the fact that she did, repeatedly, and he would not listen.

I am so fucking sick of women being blamed for a man's shitty behavior. Fuck all the way off.

Anyway.

Mercy has a permanent reminder of that day still lodged in her body, so near her spine that doctors did not want to remove it and risk further damage. So she is in pain often, carrying that as well as massive medical debt and a huge helping of guilt for not listening to her sister earlier.

Unfortunately, Mercy is still carrying him as well, as he taunts her throughout the ordeal, always whispering that she can never trust anyone, that someone is out to get her.

And there are plenty of someones to choose from as the story unfolds.

Eight young adults (ages 18-20) are chosen to comete on a new reality show, Who Survives, where the grand prize is $100,000. They have to complete challenges throughout the six weeks to be eligible to win, and it is not going to be easy.

Turns out, the seven other contestants also have traumatic backstories and that is exactly why they were chose by Damien Dare, creator of the game. He's a big self-help guru that basically advocates for a cleansing of society in an only-the-strong-survive extreme kind of way.

Yet when they all arrive on what is supposed to be the first day of filming, no one is there to greet them. No welcoming committee, no crew, no Dare. The abandoned mining town that Dare bought just for this purpose is truly good and empty. And once they're trapped inside the gates.

After failing their first challenge, the dejected contestants retire for the evening and the next day, one of them is dead. While at first thought to be an accident, it becomes clear something else is going on as others die. They're already low on supplies, as anything that could be useful is tied to the game and earning 'coins' to buy what they need. They can't access the items without earning or finding coins, but it's clear the game has morphed into something else entirely, and they have no way to do so when they're literally just trying to not be the next victim.

There are eight characters and for the most part their backstories flesh them out but I have to admit to confusing a couple of the guys early on. Mercy hitches a ride from town with Harrison and Milo, when the shuttle that was supposed to pick her up never arrives. Once at the off-grid site, they meet the rest of the group - Piper, Aletha, Spencer, Eli, and Colby.

Despite the best of intentions in planning how to get out, more injuries and death follow. It's as though their every move is being orchestrated by someone they can not see but who can see them very well, or from a mole within the group.

I would not say this is fast-paced, but it still kept me very engaged throughout. As the story goes on, they also really begin to differentiate themselves, which was extremely helpful. It was truly hard to know who to trust, even though I had an inking about who was involed within the group. Turns out I was very right and very wrong at the same time because multiple villains, not necessarily working together, were all skulking around. Understanding the hows and whys of each villain is also explained well, and something that the author did well.

Marshall also lets the tension build in such a beautifuly frustrating way. Sometimes you're just waiting for the next thing to happen, then it comes when you're not expecting it because you've been lulled into a false sense of security for a moment. Combine that with the trauma they each carry with them, it's a wonder that any of them made it out alive.

Mercy's backstory (and by major extension, her sister's story) are so timely. I am so sick of this culture of toxic masculinity which has been allowed to fester for pretty much the entirety of human history. It is also incorporated into the story in the form of a couple of the contestants who are into Damien Dare's extreme views, have read his books, and subscribe to his philosophy, plus the whole "nice guy" thing, the guy who thinks he is entitled to a female's time or attention because he is "nice" (Spoiler Alert: He's not).

Marshall is a talented writer who weaves said toxic culture of male bullshit in well with the danger at hand as the group struggles to survive.

Highly, highly recommended.