Five Survive

Five Survive is a young adult crime and mystery fiction novel that unfolds over eight hours. It was published in 2022 and written by British author Holly Jackson. The book follows Redford (Red) Kenny and her five friends, who are traveling from Philadelphia to Gulf Shores for spring break. Their RV breaks down in rural North Carolina, and they become the target of a sniper. As the six friends try to survive the night, dark secrets are revealed, and their friendship is continuously put to the test.

Jackson published her best-selling debut, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, in 2019. It was the Children's Fiction Book Winner of the Year in the 2020 British Book Awards and was nominated for Waterstone’s YA Book of the Year. Five Survive is her fourth novel and is also a New York Times bestseller. Jackson is also the author of The Reappearance of Rachel Price, published in 2024.

This study guide refers to the 2022 hardback cover edition of the book published by Delacorte Press.

Content Warning: The book and this study guide include scenes of murder and violence and references to PTSD, blood, alcoholism, and the death of a parental figure.

Plot Summary

Five Survive begins with Red and her friends—Simon, Maddy, and Arthur—taking a road trip from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Gulf Shores for spring break in an RV. They are chaperoned by Maddy’s brother, Oliver, and his girlfriend, Reyna. The story is narrated from Red’s perspective using a third-person limited point of view. Red often thinks about her mother, Grace, who was killed five years ago after Red spoke to her on the phone.

Red and her friends rented the RV from Simon’s uncle and are navigating using maps. However, halfway through the journey, everyone’s cell service becomes unreliable. Rather than reaching the campsite, they reach an abandoned area in the middle of the wilderness. Before they can leave, one of their tires is punctured.

They fix the tires and decide to turn around and find another route. However, while turning, all their tires get punctured. They get out to investigate what happened, and Red sees a red dot on the side of the RV. Suddenly, someone shoots at them. Everyone runs back inside. They realize someone shot out their tires and gas tank.

The shooter leaves them a walkie-talkie. Red and her friends realize that the shooter pre-planned trapping them here. He warns them to follow his rules and says that one of them has a secret he wants. They must divulge this secret by morning, or else he will kill all of them. They make a plan to find the shooter’s location so they can escape. However, before they can run away, the shooter warns them not to leave the RV. He knows their plan and has a partner helping him.

Suddenly, Don and Joyce, an old couple who saw their lights, approach the RV. The shooter warns Red and her friends to say nothing to the couple; otherwise, he will kill them. However, Oliver and Maddy pass them a secret note asking for help. Before Don and Joyce can leave, the sniper shoots them.

Tensions rise in the RV, and everyone gets suspicious about each other. Oliver becomes paranoid, asking everyone to check if the RV is bugged. While looking for a microphone, Maddy finds a picture of a family and asks Simon about it. Simon confesses the RV might be stolen. Simon’s uncle steals cars, and occasionally, Simon helps him for money.

Oliver gets angry at Simon, worried about this information getting into the wrong hands. Oliver’s mom, Catherine, is an assistant district attorney involved in a big case against Frank Gotti, a member of the Philadelphia mafia. If Catherine wins the case, she will be the new district attorney. Oliver is convinced the secret connects back to the case.

Reyna thinks the secret is about her and Oliver. Despite Oliver’s protests, Reyna tells everyone their secret. Oliver takes over the story, confessing he accidentally killed a man named Jack Harvey in self-defense because he was harassing Reyna. However, Reyna confesses she was cheating on Oliver with Jack.

Oliver becomes even more paranoid, accusing Red, Simon, and Arthur of working with the sniper. Oliver chokes Arthur, and Red, who likes Arthur, realizes the sniper is after her. Red explains that she is an eyewitness in the Frank Gotti case. Oliver tells her the sniper wants her dead and, taking matters into his own hands, pushes her out of the RV to save himself. However, the sniper does not kill Red. Oliver then suspects Red is working with the sniper, though Red denies this. Oliver makes Maddy impersonate Red to get out of the RV and get help, then threatens everyone with a knife after they protest.

However, the sniper shoots Maddy. To save her, Red confesses that Catherine made her lie: She is not an eyewitness, and Frank Gotti did not kill Joseph Mannino. Catherine promised her money for false testimony, and Catherine told her Frank killed Red’s mom, who was a police captain. Red wants Frank jailed as revenge.

Trying to save Maddy, Red finally gets radio interference on the walkie-talkie. However, before she can explain everything, Arthur smashes the walkie-talkie. He reveals he is Frank Gotti’s son, and the sniper is his brother, Mike. He tells Red that Frank did not kill Grace, and Red realizes that Catherine, who is a mole in the DA’s office, set everything up. Catherine killed Grace, set Frank up, and released Red’s name to the mafia through her rival and coworker’s email account. Whatever the outcome, Catherine stands to win and become the DA. Maddy confirms Red’s theory while she is bleeding out, revealing that she knew Catherine killed Red’s mother.

Oliver refuses to believe Red or let anyone leave to get help, even though Maddy is dying. To save her, Red tries to rebuild the walkie-talkie. A police car arrives, and, reminded of her mom, Red runs out to protect the officer from the sniper. Arthur runs after Red to save her, and Oliver runs after Arthur to kill him. The sniper shoots Oliver, and the police officer shoots Red, mistaking the walkie-talkie in her hand for a gun. As Red lies bleeding on the ground, she hears her mother’s voice clearly for the first time in years and is finally at peace with herself.

The last section of the book contains three multimedia writings: a police radio transcript, a newsletter, and a letter Arthur writes to Red. Through these, it is revealed that Red survived, Arthur killed Catherine to avenge Red, and he and his father left money for Red since Red’s father does not have medical insurance. Arthur’s brother was found and convicted, and no one gave Arthur’s name to the police. Arthur asks to meet Red at Pier 68, leaving the decision up to her.