71 pages • 2 hours read
Holly JacksonFive Survive
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1: “10:00 P.M.”
Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary
Content Warning: The following section contains descriptions of murder and violence, and references to PTSD, profanity, alcoholism, blood, and the death of a parental figure.
The book opens with Red staring at her distorted reflection in the RV window while trying not to think about her mom, Grace. She is interrupted by Maddy, who asks if she forgot they were in the middle of playing twenty questions.
Red keeps forgetting what she is doing and thinking. She wants to ask Maddy which side of the bed Maddy sleeps on since Red can only sleep on the left side. However, she is distracted by a road sign, which shows that they should get on a new road soon.
Maddy asks Red to focus, but Red admits she forgot whom she chose as her person. Another friend, Simon, stumbles out of the bathroom. Simon is drunk on tequila brought by Oliver, Maddy’s older brother. When questioned by Maddy, Simon says that he is getting ready to celebrate spring break. Red talks to her friends but keeps getting distracted.
Maddy implies that Oliver, who is sitting in the front with his girlfriend, Reyna, does not like people touching his things. Simon argues that since everyone is in his uncle’s RV, he may touch their things. Reyna is driving while Arthur stands behind them. Arthur looks at Red and smiles, but Red thinks he might be smiling at Simon.
Just as Red is about to ask Maddy about the bed, Oliver exclaims that unless Reyna moves in the other lane, they will miss their exit. When Reyna explains she cannot move into the other lane because there are cars there, Oliver claims that because the RV is bigger, other cars will move out of the way if Reyna forcefully changes lanes. Even though Reyna is not comfortable doing so, Oliver yells at her and makes her move the car. Realizing he upset her, Oliver apologizes, blaming tiredness for his actions.
Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary
This chapter begins with Red eating chips and Simon reminding everyone that they owe him money for the snacks. Maddy lets Red know she will cover her expenses. Red reflects on her poverty, alluding to a plan that will change things for her.
Red again thinks about asking Maddy about sleeping preferences. However, she talks to Arthur after noticing that he looks nervous. Arthur confesses he is claustrophobic; he thought the RV would be wider. Red thinks about their relationship; Arthur does not go to the same school as them, and they all know him through Simon. Red enjoys having Arthur around because she has feelings for him; he is always kind to her and has taken care of her in the past.
Arthur asks Red about the writing and boxes on her arm, and she explains that it’s her to-do list. Since Red has finished packing for the trip, Arthur checks that box for her, and Red feels a moment of satisfaction at having completed a task. She and Arthur talk about their allergies, and Maddy, noticing their behavior, later tells Red that she approves of Arthur. Red denies having any romantic interest in him.
Maddy gets a call from her mother and does not pick up since Red is sitting beside her. The narrator hints that something happened to Red’s mom. Maddy avoids the word “mom” around Red because she thinks it might hurt her. Red acknowledges to herself that this is true: “Red did bleed just to see the word, to hear it, to think it, or remember, the guilt leaving a crater in her chest” (17).
Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary
Unable to reach Maddy, their mom, Catherine, calls Oliver. Oliver takes the call and asks Arthur to help Reyna drive to the campsite. Catherine asks if they are close to the campsite, and Oliver replies they should be there soon. The phone service is poor. Catherine asks if they are all being responsible and reminds Oliver to take care of Maddy. After the call, Maddy complains about being treated like a child, and Oliver explains Catherine is just stressed.
Curious, Simon asks why she is stressed, and Oliver explains that Catherine, who works as the assistant district attorney, is currently involved in a high-profile case. She is working as a prosecutor against a well-known member of the Philadelphia mafia, Frank Gotti. If Catherine wins, she could become the next district attorney. Red, having heard this story multiple times before, predicts what Oliver will say next. At the end of the conversation, Oliver mentions he wants to follow in his mother’s footsteps. However, he is more ambitious and wants to become the US attorney general.
Red laughs at this, and Oliver defensively asks what she will do in the future. Red lies and says that she got into Harvard, but Maddy, knowing the truth, explains that Red did not apply to any colleges. Oliver notes it is a pity because Red has a lot of potential, and Red has a flashback to an argument when her mother said the same thing to her. Feeling overwhelmed by the past, Red gets up just as Arthur exclaims that they went in the wrong direction.
Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary
Oliver gets up and looks at the GPS. Red is about to ask Maddy about sleeping arrangements when Oliver explains that it recalibrated to an alternative route, which shows that they are 10 minutes away from the campsite. Oliver and Reyna share a tender moment, and Arthur comes over to speak to Red.
However, the GPS starts to malfunction, and Oliver asks if anyone can look up where they are. However, no one has service, so they try to follow road signs to get to the campsite. Maddy mentions Red should not be helping with directions since she is always late, and Red counters that she arrived before everyone else that morning. However, Maddy confesses that she asked Red to arrive an hour earlier than everyone else since she knew she would be late. Red feels hurt but also understands why Maddy did this since it’s true that she’s always late.
Red, Simon, and Oliver try to direct Reyna toward the campsite. Red and Simon insist that she turn left, but it’s a wrong turn. Oliver insists she turn back, and she exclaims she cannot do that since there is not enough space to turn. Red feels guilty and tells Reyna to keep going and circle back to the beginning of the road. However, the road keeps getting rougher. Soon, everyone hears a loud “crack,” and Oliver says that they “just punctured a tire” (35).
Part 1 Analysis
The first four chapters establish the foundations of the novel, introducing the main characters, revealing their relationships, highlighting the narrative structure, and introducing some key themes.
Broken into eight hours and eight sections, the novel has chapters taking place between each hour. The explicit tracking of time adds a sense of urgency to the narrative, foreshadowing danger for the characters. The title of the novel also adds to the atmosphere of danger. In the first chapter, Jackson introduces six characters. However, the title foreshadows that one of these six characters will die at some point. Finally, the setting—an RV in an unfamiliar landscape where there is no cell service and a failing GPS—establishes narrative tension, which will only grow as the locked-door mystery begins.
Jackson uses the third-person limited point of view in Five Survive, telling the story from Red’s perspective, and the first four chapters introduce her key personality traits and socioeconomic background. Red’s struggle with the trauma of losing her mother is explicit in the opening scene. Red looks away from her reflection in the window because her face reminds her of her mother’s, and she harbors intense guilt and pain around her mother’s death. Red’s inability to focus highlights her tiredness and depression, which are a byproduct of her trauma, as well as the exhaustion resulting from poverty. The narrator reveals Red’s poverty and socioeconomic struggles through her interactions with Maddy, who offers to pay for Red’s snacks because Red cannot afford to pay for them herself, as well as Red’s thoughts. For example, she lies about being accepted into Harvard because she wants to pretend that she is economically stable enough to pursue those dreams: “It was fun while it lasted, living that other life” (26). Economically and mentally, there is a divide between Red and all other characters in the novel because none of them have experienced the hardships that Red has faced.
Alongside establishing Red as the protagonist, the first four chapters also reveal the other main characters’ key traits. Oliver’s pride and aggressiveness are highlighted through his behavior with Reyna and Red. He acts defensive with Red after she laughs at him, and his behavior with Reyna is dominant and pushy, showing that he likes to be obeyed. His behavior introduces the theme of The Dangers of Toxic Masculinity, as Oliver is shown to be aggressive primarily toward women. Reyna is an outsider inside the RV because she does not belong to Red’s friend circle; this isolates her from the other women to some extent, making her particularly vulnerable to Oliver’s moods.
Arthur is also a newer addition to Red’s friend circle and became a part of the group through his association with Simon. Arthur and Red’s interactions reveal their growing romantic feelings for each other, hinting that their romance will be an important subplot. They look and smile at each other frequently, indicating their mutual interest. Arthur also seems to be cognizant of Red’s mental-health struggles and tries to help her cope, positioning him as Oliver’s foil and offering a different perspective on masculinity. Like Arthur, Simon’s characterization contrasts with Oliver’s; he is a troublemaker but also funny and irreverent. In later chapters, he is one of the first characters to point out Oliver’s growing hypocrisy, privilege, and toxic masculinity.
Another key relationship is Maddy and Red’s friendship. Red reflects on how Maddy knows all her facial expressions and that they have known each other for a long time. Maddy is protective of Red and tries to take care of her. However, Maddy’s intimacy with Red gives her power; for example, she asks Red to come an hour earlier so that she can show up on time. This hints that Maddy knows things that Red doesn’t and can manipulate their situation for her benefit. Additionally, Maddy has some sway over Red’s emotions, controlling the conversation so that no one mentions the word “mom” around Red. This is presented as compassionate in these early chapters but takes on a sinister note when the characters’ Secrets, Betrayal, and Corruption are revealed in later chapters.
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By Holly Jackson
