Oh, my goodness… I just found your channel because I finished this book today and I had to find out if anyone else was as frustrated by it as I was. I have to thank you because your review seriously healed me from reading this ridiculous book 😂! And, like you, I’ve enjoyed her other books, so I have nothing against the author and was rooting for this to be great. But… yeah, you just said everything so well that I really can’t add anything better 😀. Looking forward to following your channel- thanks again!
You literally said exactly what I was thinking! I finished this book a few days ago and I was super disappointed because I loved Holly Jackson’s other books but this one just wasn’t working for me. I also hated how rude Bel was to Rachel when she first arrived. Like I understand it’s weird that she’s back, but at that point Bel didn’t even suspect Rachel was lying. She was finally home after being kidnapped… maybe be kinder? I also hated the plot point of Rachel kidnapping Charlie. It reminded me a lot of the ending of As Good As Dead but I felt like it didn’t fit with this story. Rachel worked so hard to return to her family and she is going to risk it for revenge against Charlie? It felt super out of character to me. This review was so refreshing! Definitely going to check out your other videos
I thought I was the only one who thought like this. Everyone seemed to love this book. I had a lot of questions and the ending threw me completely off.
I also recently read this. I thought it was kind of funny how several people found Charlie, but they were all surprised that each other was smart enough to find him too. Also, there were waaaay too many references to glittering eyes and knotted stomachs for my liking. The book was OK in my opinion, but not great.
*spoilers* I think, how I read the death of Charlie, is that he actually was dead after the first fall, not the second- Rachel just said that to take the guilt away from Carter. 100% agree with what you're saying! Especially with Sherry's disappearance. I know Sherry controlling Carter's diet was supposed to be a sort of justification for Carter not feeling attached to her but it felt so underbaked. Also, and this isn't too strong of a criticism at the author as I thought that Five Survive was very original, but I feel like a lot of the plot was simply reused from the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series- love interest helping the main character solve a mystery and the main character being involved in a murder and the clean up. It just didn't stick out to me the way her other books have. I agree about the pacing too, but adding the plot thread. Other than a camera happening to be in the scene a lot, I pretty much forgot about the documentary for the vast majority of the book. Finally (please excuse my ranting comment, you've inspired me- I'll definitely be watching your other reviews!), the 'family' at the end felt very unnatural. Almost every character, except Bel, felt one-dimensional, whereas Holly Jackson usually excels at character building, and I wasn't rooting for them at all. And Bel's personality is undermined, she becomes accepting and warm, without any apparent reason- yet the only reason, the betrayal of her father, is never really given time to settle. I just didn't feel invested enough in Rachel, let alone Carter, to feel like the three of them working to cover up a crime was okay.
Thank you! By Chapter 18 on the audiobook, I was bored, and now I know why. I thought a YA book would be perfect to listen to while I work, but it was frustrating and super long.
One minor correction to your review. Both Charlie and Jeff died immediately. Rachel made up the story about Charlie not being dead and that Rachel was the one who killed him just to make Carter feel better, because Carter was so overcome with guilt at thinking she was the one who killed Charlie. (She didn't seem to care much about her 'father', Jeff, dying in front of her)
I have a question-Are you telling me that Carter had no connection to the only “parents” she had ever known, the people who raised her. Were they horrible to her, so horrible that she was ok with her “dad” dying and her “mom” skipping out? For 16 years she knew these people as her parents, they raised her, loved and nurtured her and she’s just like “bye Felicia”… what the hell.
@@tysbookcorner Yup, it kept me until the end, but I didn't quite get the ending. It doesn't seem as if Sherry knew about the kidnapping and that Rachel was alive all this time. Sure, she knew she didn't really give birth to Carter and the baby appears in suspicious circumstances. But she was so willing to just get out of the country give up Carter or else what? Did she think she would get into trouble? And ditto for Carter taking exactly 1 second to go from calling her Mom to Aunt Sherry and ruining her (Sherry's) life and immediately embracing Rachel as Mom
I think, this story was inspired by a true crime, that happened in Germany, where a girl was forced to give birth to several babies without medical assistance. It's a miracle, that she and her children survived.
I loved agggtm but this just wasn’t it …highly anticipated for me as well but I kept falling asleep while reading it 😅 😮 I dnf’d after a couple chapters. Thanks for the spoilers …now I know it wasn’t great anyway😂😊
thank you so much for this video, this book was a whole mess! i’m assuming the target demographic are too young to realize how unbelievable the book is and that may be why the reviews are so high 😭
Oh, my goodness… I just found your channel because I finished this book today and I had to find out if anyone else was as frustrated by it as I was. I have to thank you because your review seriously healed me from reading this ridiculous book 😂! And, like you, I’ve enjoyed her other books, so I have nothing against the author and was rooting for this to be great. But… yeah, you just said everything so well that I really can’t add anything better 😀. Looking forward to following your channel- thanks again!
Aww thank you!!
Same....i just serached negative reviews about this book...from the beginning i find bel so annoying, it took all of my patience to finish the book..
You literally said exactly what I was thinking! I finished this book a few days ago and I was super disappointed because I loved Holly Jackson’s other books but this one just wasn’t working for me. I also hated how rude Bel was to Rachel when she first arrived. Like I understand it’s weird that she’s back, but at that point Bel didn’t even suspect Rachel was lying. She was finally home after being kidnapped… maybe be kinder? I also hated the plot point of Rachel kidnapping Charlie. It reminded me a lot of the ending of As Good As Dead but I felt like it didn’t fit with this story. Rachel worked so hard to return to her family and she is going to risk it for revenge against Charlie? It felt super out of character to me. This review was so refreshing! Definitely going to check out your other videos
I thought I was the only one who thought like this. Everyone seemed to love this book. I had a lot of questions and the ending threw me completely off.
That ending was a hot mess! 😅
I also recently read this. I thought it was kind of funny how several people found Charlie, but they were all surprised that each other was smart enough to find him too. Also, there were waaaay too many references to glittering eyes and knotted stomachs for my liking. The book was OK in my opinion, but not great.
*spoilers* I think, how I read the death of Charlie, is that he actually was dead after the first fall, not the second- Rachel just said that to take the guilt away from Carter.
100% agree with what you're saying! Especially with Sherry's disappearance. I know Sherry controlling Carter's diet was supposed to be a sort of justification for Carter not feeling attached to her but it felt so underbaked.
Also, and this isn't too strong of a criticism at the author as I thought that Five Survive was very original, but I feel like a lot of the plot was simply reused from the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series- love interest helping the main character solve a mystery and the main character being involved in a murder and the clean up. It just didn't stick out to me the way her other books have.
I agree about the pacing too, but adding the plot thread. Other than a camera happening to be in the scene a lot, I pretty much forgot about the documentary for the vast majority of the book.
Finally (please excuse my ranting comment, you've inspired me- I'll definitely be watching your other reviews!), the 'family' at the end felt very unnatural. Almost every character, except Bel, felt one-dimensional, whereas Holly Jackson usually excels at character building, and I wasn't rooting for them at all. And Bel's personality is undermined, she becomes accepting and warm, without any apparent reason- yet the only reason, the betrayal of her father, is never really given time to settle. I just didn't feel invested enough in Rachel, let alone Carter, to feel like the three of them working to cover up a crime was okay.
I agree with this all. Someone else commented saying they believed Charlie died at the first fall and I didn't catch that but it makes sense.
I couldn’t get into this book so I was so glad to watch your video and see how it ended. Sounds like quite a wild ride!
Wild ride is an understatement lol
I feel like 100 pages could have easily been cut and so much just didn't make sense.
I definitely agree the story could have been shorter 😅
Thank you! By Chapter 18 on the audiobook, I was bored, and now I know why. I thought a YA book would be perfect to listen to while I work, but it was frustrating and super long.
Omg yes this book was just way too long 😅
One minor correction to your review. Both Charlie and Jeff died immediately. Rachel made up the story about Charlie not being dead and that Rachel was the one who killed him just to make Carter feel better, because Carter was so overcome with guilt at thinking she was the one who killed Charlie. (She didn't seem to care much about her 'father', Jeff, dying in front of her)
Thanks for clarifying, I missed that!
I have a question-Are you telling me that Carter had no connection to the only “parents” she had ever known, the people who raised her. Were they horrible to her, so horrible that she was ok with her “dad” dying and her “mom” skipping out? For 16 years she knew these people as her parents, they raised her, loved and nurtured her and she’s just like “bye Felicia”… what the hell.
Crazy right!? Rachel came into town and Carter forgot all about the people she actually knows who raised her 🙄
@@tysbookcorner Yup, it kept me until the end, but I didn't quite get the ending. It doesn't seem as if Sherry knew about the kidnapping and that Rachel was alive all this time. Sure, she knew she didn't really give birth to Carter and the baby appears in suspicious circumstances. But she was so willing to just get out of the country give up Carter or else what? Did she think she would get into trouble? And ditto for Carter taking exactly 1 second to go from calling her Mom to Aunt Sherry and ruining her (Sherry's) life and immediately embracing Rachel as Mom
I am 100 pages in and I am bored AF! Thank you for making this video so I don't have to finish this book!!
Lol no problem!
Omg I was 66 pages in and stopped reading because it was so boring
I had the same questions too
I think, this story was inspired by a true crime, that happened in Germany, where a girl was forced to give birth to several babies without medical assistance. It's a miracle, that she and her children survived.
Oh wow 😮😮
I loved agggtm but this just wasn’t it …highly anticipated for me as well but I kept falling asleep while reading it 😅 😮 I dnf’d after a couple chapters. Thanks for the spoilers …now I know it wasn’t great anyway😂😊
LOL, fingers crossed her next one will be great 😅
thank you so much for this video, this book was a whole mess! i’m assuming the target demographic are too young to realize how unbelievable the book is and that may be why the reviews are so high 😭
Hmmmm you might be right 🤔
Girl this story sounds like it was WAY too much😭😭😭😭too many plot holes for me.
Yes this book was doing a bit much lol
I am not finishing this one. It's unpleasant.
I couldn't be bothered finishing it. Worst book. Thx for summarizing so at least I could see it wasn't worth reading to the end.
No problem!! Lol