FIVE SURVIVE By Holly Jackson

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FIVE SURVIVE By Holly JacksonFive Survive by Holly Jackson
Published by Delacorte Press on 11/29/22
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 380
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive.

Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend - the older brother - his perfect girlfriend - a secret crush - a classmate - and a killer.

When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night. . . .

Short and Sweet Review

It’s spring break, Red and five others are heading down to the beach for some fun. But when their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere and there’s no cell service, the group realizes that this was no accident, they were targeted. The group is given until dawn to give up a secret that the person who is keeping them hostage is looking for.

This book was so good and fast paced that it was hard to put down. Red, her best friend Maddy, Maddy’s brother Oliver and his girlfriend Reyna, and two friends from school Arthur and Simon are ready for spring break but the RV breaking down was never part of the plan. When they think that its a simple fix they realize that somebody planned this and now they’re really trapped in the RV. The person is looking for a secret and it seems like a simple request but this group will tear each other apart and the circumstances bring out the worst in some people. Red has been through a lot, she’s lost her mom, her dad is distant, and now she doesn’t know whether she’ll make it out of the RV. Things really start going when the group is trying to find a way to get out of the RV but the shooter makes it clear that none of them will make it out of the RV alive without the secret being revealed. Oliver was the worst character he was insufferable and he made it very clear that he only cared about his own safety. I didn’t mind any of the other characters but I was interested in learning what kind of things they were hiding. The end was great and we see that what was revealed is a lot more complicated than surface level.

Holly Jackson did a great job at writing a book that creates suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. She also did a great job writing the characters and making you question whether they can be trusted or not. Definitely get your hands on this book!

AS GOOD AS DEAD By Holly Jackson

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

AS GOOD AS DEAD By Holly JacksonAs Good as Dead by Holly Jackson
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #3
Published by Delacorte Press on 9/28/21
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 458
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .

Short and Sweet Review

Pip is about to head to college but she’s still uneasy about how her last investigation ended. Having her own podcast, Pip is used to seeing threats but she’s paying attention to the one asking, “who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears.” Its apparent to Pip that she has a stalker and of course she’s going to investigate but she has to act fast because someone is out to get her.

In this book we see Pip kind of unraveling she still thinks about her last investigation and Stanley’s death kind of haunts her. So when she starts seeing the signs that someone is stalking her, the dead birds, the chalk drawings, and the strange emails, Pip wonders if she’s losing her mind. She sees a similarity in the way she’s being threatened and how a serial caught six years ago would operate but now Pip is trying to figure out if the wrong man is behind bars and if the actually serial killer is out and if she’ll be the next victim. This book has two parts, in the first part we see Pip dealing with her stalker and starting a new investigation, in the second part we see Pip try to get away with murder. I’ve read the first two books in this series and seeing as this is the last one, I have become very invested in Pip and her safety. Everything Pip has learned about true crime and murder becomes handy in this book because she has a murder to cover up. I love the characters and in this book everything comes around full circle we see characters from the first two books, and we see how everything fits together like a puzzle piece in this last book. I will say Pip had some amazing friends and an even better boyfriend. The bond between her and Ravi its amazing, he’s able to get her to think logically and he’s so caring and is willing to do anything to make sure she’s okay.

The plot in this book is amazing. I learned a lot from this book but I still don’t think I’d be able to get away with murder. Pip is an amazing character and she fights for what she believes in even if it puts her in harms way. I will definitely miss following Pip around on her investigations and reading from her podcast. This series has become one of my favorites and holds a special place in my heart!


GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD By Holly Jackson

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD By Holly JacksonGood Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #2
Published by Delacorte Press on 3/2/21
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 388
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?

Short and Sweet Review

After solving her last case Pip has decided to do away with all the mystery and detective work. When Jamie Reynolds goes missing his brother asks Pip to investigate. Even though Pip is hesitant she takes on the case to help out the Reynolds family. The more Pip investigates she learns some of the towns dark secrets along with Jamies.

Pip is back! I love Pip and she starts off this book trying to avoid getting caught up in another mystery because of all of the danger she was put in when she was solving the Andie Bell case. We follow Pip as she follows clues and tries to piece together the clues to figure out where Jamie went. We see Ravi and I love him, he’s so supportive of Pip and is willing to help her out but also keep her centered. Connor was somewhat helpful but I think he shouldn’t have been as involved as he was, whenever Pip had someone to interview he just made them uncomfortable. Connor had good intentions but I think his worrying made it hard for him to take a step back and let Pip do her thing. Pip is still in a lot of danger, the culprit was creepy and willing to do things that put the other characters in danger. There was one scene involving a catfish that definitely sent chills down my spine and made me want to make sure I had all of my doors locked. I did appreciate seeing all of Pip’s case notes and the pictures and interviews she did, it just adds something special.

I loved this book! The culprit was a piece of work and needs a lot of help I was kind of sad about something that happened at the end, it was kind of bittersweet. I’m excited to see what the last book has in store!

A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER By Holly Jackson

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER By Holly JacksonA Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #1
Published by Delacorte Press on 2/4/20
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.

Short and Sweet

Five years ago in the town of Fairview, Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. The tragedy still haunts the town. Pippa decides that the facts of the case don’t make sense and she wants to reexamine it for her senior capstone project. The more Pip learns the more someone tries to keep her from progressing her detective work.

Characters

Pippa: Pip is the best main character ever! She’s so smart and she took a risk by taking on this project and she did a great job covering all of her bases. Pip is dedicated and I love seeing her thinking process, she was also a good friend and cared deeply for those around her.

Ravi: Ravi is Sal’s younger brother and unfortunately he’s had to deal with the towns wrath for the past five years. He obviously didn’t think his brother committed the crime, but when pip comes around he’s not sure if he really wants to relive everything. Ravi was smart and contributed to Pips case. I felt for Ravi, he had to deal with a lot in the past five years.

Romance

Pippa and Ravi: This was more of a working friendship that developed into something more, but the book was more focused on solving the case but you could tell that these two had feelings for each other. Maybe in the next book this romance will be explored more.

My Thoughts

~ So the theory is that Sal murdered Andie and then he killed himself but Pip is ready to disprove the theory that everyone has been running with for the past five years.

~ I liked seeing the entries of Pip’s capstone project it included her thoughts on the case, interviews, and evidence. It really added something to the book, Pip even made a murder map and a web with all of the suspects.

~ The relationship between Pip and Cara and Naomi was sweet they were basically like sisters, the scenes with them were nice to see it was a break from investigating sometimes.

~ My favorite scene was when Pip and her friends went to the calamity party, she was out of place and it was hilarious.

~ As Pip got closer to finding out the truth she starts receiving threats. I started worrying for her it got more dangerous and she was putting her life on the line.

~ The ending was crazy the twist had me on the edge of my seat and I could not put the book down I just had to finish it!

Overall

I love my mystery books and this one did not disappoint! Pip was so thorough in her investigation and I love how seriously she took everything. The mystery kept me guessing at who the culprit could have been and I was shocked in the end. I’m so excited to read the sequel when it comes out!