Breakout: A YA Thriller from the Authors of New York Times bestsellers "Blackout" and "Whiteout"

by Dhonielle Clayton

For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest--five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten--this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.

It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies... including (another) one of their own.

As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind--secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends--seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Romance, Horror, Contemporary

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

Dhonielle Clayton is a New York Times bestselling author of The Marvellers series, The Belles series, Shattered Midnight, co-author of Blackout, Whiteout, The Rumor Game, and of the Tiny Pretty Things duology, a Netflix original series. She hails from the Washington, D.C. suburbs on the Maryland side. She taught secondary school for several years, and is a former elementary and middle school librarian. She is COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. She is the President and founder of Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, IP story companies creating diverse books for all ages. She’s an avid traveller, and always on the hunt for magic and mischief. Find her on Instagram: @brownbookworm.

Reviews

[Fifi’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a group of authors! This book is basically about a group of rich kids with powerful parents who’ve known each other since kindergarten, who go on a spring break trip and people start dying. Not the most original concept but usually works! The opening chapter is especially strong. This is the definition of a beach read (engaging, high readability factor) perfect for summer.

Despite this being for a younger audience, certain parts of this book were impressively written. The only thing is, it isn’t really consistent. Which, when you have a big group of authors collaborating on one book, consistency of writing style is hard, so that’s to be expected. It’s never jarring or super obvious, but for example, the intro chapter was so impressively written and the ones following were more generic. Not in a bad way, or anything unlike 95% of everything else out there, but when you have such an expertly written first chapter, you kind of have expectations for how the rest will go, so it feels a bit disconnected when it’s not. But again, this is understandable with so many authors!

I do agree with the other reviews saying there’s too many different POVs. It’s not just with the core group of teens but even random people working the grounds there have a random chapter in their POV. Some of the chapters do show a bit of the darkness and corruption taking place behind the scenes with the staff, and some did make a good addition. But others felt too much like filler. There was also too many time jumps, going from week before to present and without any real pattern. It felt a bit disjointed.

Was this anything ground breaking? Not really. Was the ending something super shocking? Not really. But it was a fun beach read and exactly what you’d expect if looking for a YA thriller. Not a stand out, but an afternoon well spent if you need a fun and mindless beach read!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

[Deborah Zeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for the eARC!

Spring break was supposed to be a reset… not a body count. 😳🌴

Five friends. One tragedy they never got over. And a brand-new guy who fits into their group a little too perfectly…

When Anthony invites them to a private island getaway at his family’s luxury resort, it feels like the escape they’ve been desperate for. No drama. No memories. Just sun, ocean, and a fresh start.

Until the storm hits. ⛈️
And then… the bodies start showing up.

One by one, secrets they buried last year start washing ashore—lies, betrayals, and the truth about the friend they lost. And now? It’s happening again.

Trust no one.
Leave nothing buried.
Because this island? It remembers everything.

Who’s making it off alive… and who was never meant to? 👀🔪

Twists, turns, and surprises at every part of this story. LIke one of the characters says: "Nobody really knows anybody else because we are too busy trying to manage what other people think." Clayton/Jackson/Stone/Thomas/Woodfolk/Yoon knock it out of the park with this nonstop, heart pounding and sometimes "heart-wrenching" story of betrayal, deceit and oneupmanship. A very interesting cast of characters, compared to the characters in the two previous books by these amazing writers. The reader never knows who to truly trust. It's five, or six, if you count Ant, extremely unreliable narrators, who are so full of animosity against one another that they cannot see the trouble brewing right in front of their faces. If you like stories in the vein of One of Us Is Back, this one is for you!

[Elle Cheshire]

A multi pov YA thriller on an island no one can leave, where everyone has secrets. This was exactly what I wanted it to be!

The teens are all from elite or rich family’s, their parents politics and reputation having defined their lives. They’re the popular kids from the academy so this spring break is supposed to give them a chance to forget; their lives, their troubles, the tragedy of last year. So when the newest addition to the group, Anthony, invites them to his fathers private island luxury resort, they’re all for it. Unfortunately, the simmering tension isn’t their only problem. A tropical storm hits and people start turning up dead.

They characters all have secrets to hide so when things take a turn, we get to see them scramble and make poor decisions. The group is already fraught with problems and I enjoyed uncovering their dynamics and secrets. They were all pretty unlikeable and the story kept me on my toes as I was never sure what they’d do next. I liked the addition of the ‘present’ chapters with the police trying to work out what happened on that island and ultimately the reveal of who, what, why. It brought it together well.

Overall, an enjoyable ya thriller. I might have liked a little more concern about the bodies and less self involved worry about their secrets getting out but it fit their personalities and priorities. And the very end was really great, it changed how I saw some of the story and really finished the book off well.

Proof copy received at an electric monkey event. All thoughts are my own.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one because I enjoy so many of the authors involved, but no matter how hard I tried, it just never fully came together for me.

I was thankful to receive a complimentary eARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books via NetGalley several months ago and started it right away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pulling me in, so I set it aside for a bit. No big deal, I’m a mood reader and sometimes timing is everything. As publication day crept closer, I picked it back up again, hoping it would click, but I still struggled to stay engaged. Then the audiobook was offered up through Harper Audio via NetGalley and you know I immediately requested it and was thankfully approved.

Attempt number three worked the best because I tackled it as an immersion read. That finally helped me get over the invisible hump and into the heart of the story. Unfortunately, while the experience improved, it still wasn’t by much.

The biggest issue is that the book feels incredibly disconnected. You can absolutely tell it was written by multiple authors and, unfortunately, that lack of cohesion really shows. The writing styles vary wildly from chapter to chapter, and there never feels like there’s a strong enough thread tying everything together in a meaningful way.

I also struggled with the audiobook casting. This is a YA story centered on teen characters, but most of the narrators sounded far too mature for the roles, which really skewed the overall experience for me. It was narrated by Amber Dekkers, Korey Jackson, Marcella Cox, Kevin R. Free, James Fouhey, Liz Femi, and Cary Hite, all of whom delivered their performances well, but simply felt miscast for the age of the characters.

That said, there were elements I enjoyed. When I switched back to reading portions physically once I was more invested, the characters felt far more age appropriate on the page. The dialogue sounded natural without relying on overly trendy slang, which I appreciated.

I also really liked the representation of wealthy, messy, and unapologetically vapid Black teens. That perspective felt refreshing and added something unique to the story. At one point, I was genuinely invested in the buildup and excited to see how everything would come together. Unfortunately, the payoff just wasn’t there. The ending felt rushed, predictable, and underdeveloped, almost as though the authors hit a word count limit and had to wrap everything up before fully fleshing out the conclusion.

So in the end, my feelings are pretty mixed. I think younger readers may still find aspects of the story enjoyable, but when the writing itself feels uneven, it frustrates me because young readers deserve strong storytelling to grow with as well.

Overall, I was definitely disappointed because I went in with such high hopes. Maybe next time.

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

The greatest asset of this writing team is the combined star power and reputation they possess as individuals and now as a group after several joint efforts. Simultaneously, all of this acclaim comes with high expectations. I anticipate anything I read from some of these folks - including a couple of my all-time YA favs who are in this group - is not just going to be good. It'll be exceptional. That's why it's a bummer that this is just okay.

One huge barrier I experienced with this book is a fault of timing, not of these writers or anything else. Immediately prior to this book, I read a forthcoming YA novel centering on a murder mystery within a wealthy family. That book is so well done, so it was tough not to compare at times (especially when randomly a character with that afore-referenced author's name appears in this book)! So timing was not on this book's side. Aside from that, all of the challenges are inherent in this book.

There are a lot of characters, and I'm confounded by the choice to give some of them nicknames - even more for us to track. Overall, by doing too much, this book is not doing enough. Too many characters, too many details, not enough distinction between characters at times, multiple timelines, and an obvious point person... It's not BAD, but it's also not good, and that feels tough for this group of exceptional creators.

Would I read this again? Yes because I won't miss anything some of these folks generate. Do I think the short stories that evolve into a unified front (a la _Blackout_ and _Whiteout_) present a more exciting and impactful structure for this collab? Yes. I hope the next effort gives me more of that.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Audio Children's, Quill Tree Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I will admit, I had to rush through this one due to when I was approved and the publication date. But it wasn't a hardship to do so. I enjoyed this YA title but it wasn't my favorite. I read the short story collection from these authors when it was available so I was interested to see how they would incorporate all their voices into one story.
The audio is well done. All the narrators did their characters so well and really kept me wanting to listen. I was worried there would be too many voices for me to really enjoy the story but there were not. I appreciated having the different narrators as it made it easy to differentiate the POVs.
I love a book with multiple POVs. And for a book written by 6 different authors, this one was done really well. I never felt overwhelmed with the switches to the different characters and I appreciated how the voices were all very different and unique. It helped me connect more to the characters. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters.
The plot was fun and interesting. I love a good mystery that incorporates other elements, in this case romance. The atmosphere was also good. I really felt like I was there with the characters. Lots of drama, a cool island and boat, a storm rolling in, and secrets galore. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. So much build up and little reward. It just didn't come together for me as I felt like it should.
Overall, this was fun. I think the age group it's intended for will enjoy it enough but it just didn't pack the punch I was expecting.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I always enjoy a good mystery within a mystery and this one had me hooked! Last year during Spring Break Keisha died, she was part of Thurgood Marshall Academy’s The Six. Six friends who’d been together since kindergarten and were all filthy rich. Now there’s only five and Noelle is the outcast after she gave broke the pact the five of them had made after Keisha’s death. Anthony Brooks is new to school and he’s made it his mission to get to know these five friends, Noelle’s even his girlfriend. Now these six are off on another Spring Break adventure, this time at Anthony’s father’s island resort where they’ll have the island to themselves as the resort is being partially renovated. Soon they are hit by tropical storms, all communication and electricity is gone from the island, and to top it off someone else is dead. It’s Déjà vu for the five friends, but who did it? As the already fractured friend group beings to fracture even more they’ll have to decide who can they trust? Especially when they all have secrets, secrets they’ll do anything to keep. As more people die it becomes clear that someone is out to get them, maybe someone who’s determined to find out what really happened to Keisha. What are the friends hiding? And can they make it out alive? Thrilling and kept me guessing! I loved the morally greyness of this group of friends! Lots of secrets, lies, mistrust, and betrayal in this one! Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon do an excellent job of keeping the twists coming right up until the very end!

[Katy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first -- unlike the other books by this group of authors, this is NOT a romance. However, it is a very twisty and well-written thriller/suspense/mystery novel that I think many teens will get into. It's about a group of six Black kids called "The Six" who attend school together and come from powerful and wealthy families. Together they go on spring break to Ant's father's resort on an island. However, as soon as they get there, the tropical storms start hitting, and everything spirals out of control. The story is told from multiple points of view -- and not just the teens but also the staff at the resort where they're staying. I will say the switching of not only perspectives but also going back and forth in time is going to be tricky for teen readers. There's a lot to keep track of -- not just the present storyline but also the past that led them there, namely the death of one of the original six, Keisha. As the story unfolds, we're forced to question who we can trust as narrators, just like the characters are questioning who they can trust, especially as one of them ends up murdered. I think readers who enjoy these authors, thrillers, suspense, mystery, or a forced proximity/trapped with a killer trope will like this one. Certainly the authors' notoriety will lead many to pick up this title. Though it was different from what I thought it was going to be, I still enjoyed it and look forward to recommending it in my high school library. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a free ARC on NetGalley.
New wealthy student Anthony Brooks becomes friends with the five most influential kids at his school. He invites them to Kuzimu, an all inclusive private island resort in the Florida Keys owned by his father. The teens are ready to have a good time but things go wrong pretty quickly. Tropical storms are coming, the resort is still under renovation in parts, and the teens can’t communicate with anyone as there is no wi- fi. The cracks in the friend group begin to show. A year ago, before Anthony got there, there were the Six- Keisha, Noelle, Dwayne, Sydney, Quatro and River. After Keisha’s suspicious accidental drowning, their friendship was never the same. Things have gotten worse since Noelle gave a recent interview to a reporter about Keisha. They are all anticipating an awkward, anger fueled vacation until people start dying. Now everyone is suspicious of everyone else compounded by the fact that everyone is hiding secrets that they don’t want exposed, secrets that someone out there seems to know about. The teens start to wonder if everything links back to Keisha and her death.
This gave me elements of And Then There Were None meets the telenovela Elite. I figured out who was responsible for Keisha’s death but not why- that was a surprise. The person behind the murders was surprising but I think I was more invested Keisha’s life with the Six and the circumstances behind her death as described in flashbacks than the current mystery murderer on the island and how the teens would escape it.

[Ladystarlight Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Break Out

Can you outrun the worst thing you’ve ever done?

Five friends, inseparable since childhood, are invited by the new kid, Anthony, to his dad’s luxury resort. The dream getaway turns into a nightmare when one of their own turns up dead after a storm.
Secrets and lies will be revealed, and they may not all make it out alive.

I’ve never read a book with six authors, and you could occasionally tell when a different author was writing each chapter. The language, for example, varied. However, it did not detract from enjoying the book.

This is a modern take on the classic Agatha Christie who-done-it, with lots of twists I didn't always see coming, especially the ending. My prediction of the ending was completely off.

It would have been nice to know a little more about the secondary characters and have them fleshed out a bit more; all the main characters had very distinct personalities and characteristics, which led me to not like all of them. However, that's the sign of a well-written character.

I personally feel this book is aimed at the younger end of YA, as it’s not particularly graphic, and I feel older teens would not necessarily relate to the characters. (I'm an adult reader for context)

Overall, if you’re a fan of:
Murder mysteries
Secrets and lies between friends
Multiple POVs
Trapped together with the murderer

You will enjoy reading this book, and I give it 3.5 stars.

Thank you, Electric Monkey, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Carmen Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay yeah… this book stressed me OUT!😭 After loving Blackout and Whiteout, I honestly didn’t expect Breakout to go this hard into thriller territory, but it absolutely worked for me.

The atmosphere becomes tense so fast once everyone gets trapped together on the island, and from that point on, I trusted NOBODY, and I mean NO ONE!

I loved that every character felt messy and real. The friendships already had cracks before things started spiraling, so once secrets started coming out, everything felt emotionally charged.
You could tell these characters had history. I felt resentment, grief, attraction, jealousy... just waiting to explode.

Not to mention the power house of authors on this project made it an instant need to read, and even with having so many creative ideas from so many talented authors, somehow, even with that, the story still flowed really well.

There was this constant tension hanging over the entire story that kept me reading “just one more chapter." Also… them being trapped on a private island with people who clearly don’t fully trust each other anymore?? Immediate chaos.

If you like:
friend group drama
locked-room mysteries
multiple POVs
secrets and betrayals
YA thrillers where literally everyone seems suspicious

…you’ll probably eat this up like I did.
By the end, I was sitting there like: “oh so NONE of y’all were okay.” 😭

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Bonnie's Booked Solid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

As an individual who has read both Blackout and Whiteout and enjoyed them, I was excited to see another installment from these amazing authors. Upon beginning to read, I noticed the format for Breakout was different from the aforementioned. In the previous installments, you have each other following their "assigned" character(s) all linking up at the end. With Breakout, it read like one cohesive book written by one author (I am not complaining).

However, there were a couple of drawbacks:
- The timing. It was difficult to keep up with because timing wasn't easy to follow.
- Characters. I found myself taking notes just to keep up with who was who, dating who, and enemies of who.

What I truly enjoyed:
- The mystery aspect of it: A private island. A tropical storm. And, a case of who done it.
- Friendship: Wait...what? Despite the tragic events that took place, these individuals have been friends since starting school in Kindergarten. Their parents' statuses had them living amongst the rich which often times isolates you from peers because there is hardly anyone that looks like you.

I couldn't help but laugh every now and again because you have five teenagers stranded at a resort while being told what to do. Yet, they ignored all directives, planned escapes while trying to determine who they can and can't trust. Even amongst themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

To use the star power of each of the writers to create a teen thriller is no joke. The names are great contributors to the scene of YA literature. Blackout and Whiteout were a short story collection that told a full story while this definitely reads as one complete story where they assumed the roles of characters in the murder mystery on a private island. The problem is that it feels like all of the rest in this genre from the last handful of years. A vengeful person from the outskirts comes in and upends the world of a group of teens because tragedy seems to strike again and again. It's a complete suspension of disbelief in that sense, but it's a comfort in the genre. So I don't begrudge the hallmarks of the story.

A group of friends, six at the time from a private academy enjoy a vacation together. One dies. A year later they get to a private island and a resort a few months from actually being completed- invited as part of their new friend's insistence. Readers are introduced to the friends in a mult-POV, nonlinear timeline which also includes the secondary characters like the chef, the bellhop, etc. Fast forward after a natural disaster, a first death and ultimately by the end, multiple deaths. Rich kids with egos and connections, but someone hellbent on revenge. It works and there will be fans.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a fast, thrilling page-turner about a group of privileged black teens who take a Spring Break trip on a yacht to an island in the Florida Keys on the anniversary of their friend’s death a year ago, and surprise, people start dying after a hurricane leaves them stranded and without power. They all have secrets and dirt on one another, and these bits of information all begin stirring as the bodies start piling up.

There are many perspectives—from each of the teens, as well as staff at the island resort—and while these do sometimes make it difficult to keep track of everyone, the pace of the book never falters, as it’s a mad race to figure out who is behind the killing—and the truth behind their friend’s death last year—and it all culminates in a jaw-dropping revelation that helps wrap up the novel despite a few weaknesses in the denouement.

(Spoiler: I really wanted to know what happened with Ant and the police/the staffers who were blaming him. How did that wrap up?)

I think if you love Tiffany Jackson & Nic Stone books, this one doesn’t disappoint and is a great one to steer teens to this summer, as its short chapters and breakneck pace will leave them entertained!

Thank you to NetGalley & Quill Tree Books/Harper Collins for the e-ARC! This one is out Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I’m so bummed because I really love all of these authors and I have loved the last two books that they have done together as collaborations. However, those books very much felt like short stories that had characters in common as the overlap. Where is this really feels like one complete book. My main problem was that I could not keep track of who the people were, what time it was, past, present, on the island or off the island. Even when I was reading in large chunks to try to maintain some understanding, I had a really hard time following what was going on. They’re just seemed to be too many red herrings, and too many things thrown in to distract the reader that then it became hard to focus at all.

That being said, I did really like the concept of the story. These six friends get trapped on an island together during a hurricane, and all of them have secrets involving the death of their best friend the previous year. Not many of these people are likable and all of them are hiding something, but I couldn’t even stay focused on them because there was always new characters and new ideas being introduced. I will, of course, always ride hard for these authors, but this one was a little bit of a miss for me.

[Shameria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw that my favorite collectives of authors were collaborating again, I immediately knew I had to read this. I went in completely blind without reading the synopsis, trusting it would be a great experience.

Six teenagers on spring break at an all-inclusive island… what could possibly go wrong? Well… everything!! This book is packed with multiple POVs, twists, and turns that had me questioning everything I read up until the very end. And that ending? A COMPLETE surprise. I’m not even going to lie, I had a whole detective moment with a whiteboard trying to piece everything together.

It was definitely a page turner, but at times there was a lot going on. The number of perspectives and plot shifts made certain parts a little hard to follow, and I found myself wanting a bit more clarity and development in some areas.

Overall, it was an engaging and fast paced read, even if it felt slightly overwhelming at times. And somehow… I still have questions. If you’re looking for a book that will have you playing detective and second-guessing everything, this is definitely for you.

[Andrea B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Breakout had an interesting premise, but overall it didn’t work for me. The setup, a group of friends trying to move on from a tragedy while stranded on a private island during a storm, felt like it had a lot of potential for suspense and drama. The mystery aspect kept me curious enough to keep reading, and there were definitely moments that felt tense and atmospheric.
However, I struggled to connect with the characters. Since the story depends heavily on the dynamics within the friend group, it was hard to stay invested when most of them came across as unlikable or frustrating. I also felt that the emotional conflicts between the characters weren’t explored deeply enough, even though the book clearly wanted those relationships to carry a lot of weight.
The ending was probably my biggest disappointment. After all the buildup, the resolution felt underwhelming and didn’t fully pay off the suspense the story had been creating. I was expecting something more shocking or emotionally impactful, but instead it felt rushed and unsatisfying.
Even though this is a YA novel and I’m older than the target audience, I’ve enjoyed many YA thrillers before, so I don’t think age was the issue here. Breakout had a strong concept, but the weak character development and disappointing ending made it hard for me to fully enjoy.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the authors who brought us Blackout and Whiteout.
🏝️
Five close friends hoping to escape the grief of a past tragedy accept an invitation to a luxury private island for spring break. But when a tropical storm traps them there and bodies begin piling up, their getaway turns deadly. As old secrets and betrayals resurface, the group must figure out who they can trust before none of them make it off the island alive.
🌀
I loved the character development in this one, and the setting/mood were so well done. The isolated island atmosphere mixed with the tension and paranoia made it incredibly immersive. I also really enjoyed how this anthology was different from the previous ones by telling one cohesive story instead of separate connected pieces. It made me so curious about everyone’s writing process and how it all came together so seamlessly. And that twist! The final sentence had me like WHAT?! If there’s ever a fourth book, I’m officially voting for the title Fallout. This YA thriller releases June 2!

CW: death, grief, murder, blackmail, drugs, classism, blood, body horror

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

BREAKOUT by Dhonielle Clayton; Tiffany D. Jackson ; et al (June 2, 2026)

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the eArc

A year after the d*ath of one of their friends, a group of students are trapped at a luxury resort after a tropical storm When the b*dies start piling up, they must find a way off the island before none of them make it out alive.
BREAKOUT is a YA thriller that blends mystery, secrets, and betrayal. This was an interesting read with multiple points of view and multiple authors. Had I not know there were multiple authors, I would had realized. Each point of view, each chapter, blended like they were written by one person.
This didn't have me on the edge-of-my-seat like I would have wanted. Don't get me wrong, there were a few twists, but I called the one that I thought of as the biggest.Though that one was predictable, the one at the end was shocking.
If these authors get together to write another thriller, I'd love to read it.

[Jessica Womble · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author lineup alone had me requesting Breakout immediately and a YA thriller featuring privileged teens stranded on an island while bodies start dropping, SAY LESS!!!

This story delivered secrets, hidden agendas, messy dynamics, and the classic whodunnit energy that I’m always here for. Everyone seemed to be hiding something, which kept me guessing and eager to uncover who could actually be trusted.

That said, I do think this one would’ve benefited from fewer POVs. At times, the story felt a little scattered and harder to fully settle into. Because there were so many moving pieces and perspectives, it occasionally lacked the cohesiveness I was hoping for, making it difficult to stay completely invested and connected to the narrative.

Overall, Breakout had an intriguing premise, strong suspenseful moments, and a powerhouse group of authors behind it, but the execution didn’t quite hit as seamlessly for me as I wanted it to.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six friends go on spring break a year after one of their group died under mysterious circumstances. Everyone has secrets, everyone is hiding something. They’re on an island that is under siege from a hurricane and people are dying one by one…

It sounds amazing, right? Especially when you factor in that j love each of these authors individually. To me, it didn’t work. There was too much jumping around in time and between different POVs. I had a hard time keeping track of the narrative and the characters and new ones kept getting tossed in there. It just didn’t work for me. The premise and authors will give this a built-in fandom, but it wasn’t for me.

The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Comes out June 2, 2026.

[Lisa Welch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up after enjoying both Blackout and Whiteout by this group of authors. I was really enjoying this one for the majority of the book - a great setting, lots of friend drama and secrets, an intriguing mystery. I thought there was a bit too much going on with all of the POVs (mostly the addition of resort workers who only appeared one time for a brief couple pages). But then......this one totally fell apart for me at the end. I thought the ending was completely unrealistic, and I am not a fan of new information showing up to explain the backstory of things. I felt cheated by the ending.....not only by the content but by the crafting of it. I will still read anything this group of authors writes, but I might tamp my expectations a bit in the future.

[Alliekbreads17 · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review from Netgalley
3⭐️ Book
4⭐️ Audio
This book has a very interesting premise. I was intrigued. Immediately the book started off with a storm occurring which is also high interest for me. We learn not too far into the book that these entitled teens are into partying, drinking, and doing drugs. I was hoping this would turn into a bigger lesson than what it was. There was no character growth from the fact that the deaths of friends was related to these decisions. This was a 🚩. The multiple POV was a lot especially for a YA audience. I could see how reading this could get confusing, however the audio helps some because it is narrated in different voices based off who is speaking, but there is still a little confusion. Overall a good read and great collaboration.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This book was super interesting and I was very invested. The idea of them being trapped on the island is what drew me in. I did predict one of the major plot twists but it did not affect how much I liked the book. I felt bad for Noelle most of the story and thought the other kids were absolute jerks.

I did feel like the multiple POVs (more than like 10) were unnecessary. Some I could see how they helped add to the storyline but the rest were completely unnecessary and made things more confusing.

Thank you to Quill Tree Books & NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars, rounded up)

Let me start by saying this is NOT a romance. It is a fantastic story, masterfully told, and also quite different than the first two books by this stellar collaboration. Breakout is a mystery/thriller told in flashbacks from multiple POVs. It is one whole story, not the intertwined short stories of the first two books. Every one of the main characters is hiding something, and the well-timed reveals are delicious. Brilliantly plotted and paced, this is a must read for fans of thrillers and books about the ultra-privileged elite. Clear your calendar, you aren't going to want to put it down. Highly recommended for grades 9 and up.

eARC provided by NetGalley

[TheBookOfMicah_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

I’m so sad I didn’t get the physical copy ARC of this at BookCon (this would’ve been worth the fight - jk). I loved every part of this book!

The entire time reading I kept wondering what happened, who did what, were they even friends really, and where the heck their parents were lol. I also enjoyed the other characters that were added into the story that provided some input outside of The Six.

I would love to see this book play out on the screen💙 and I now need to read Blackout & Whiteout

Lastly, I LOVED how this book is divided into sections where there’s a dual timeline. I love when books hop around.

[ReadingWithSiobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like Breakout. I love the authors and their personal writing styles. I hate to say that I think this book was drawn out.

I liked that there were multiple POVs, but I found some of them to be unnecessary and confusing. As I tried to keep up with the story, I got lost because of new characters being introduced. I feel like they took away from the storyline.

I enjoyed the concept of a group of teenagers trapped on an island, but I think the way it was done is a little lackluster.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, HarperCollins Children's Books for providing the copy of Breakout by Dhonielle Clayton; Tiffany D. Jackson; Nic Stone; Angie Thomas; Ashley Woodfolk; Nicola Yoon. Considering there were six authors, the writing was incredibly cohesive. I have read and loved the writing of five of these authors, and their expertise shows in this book. I loved the story and the characters! I’m not a fan of why the murders happened and who was responsible, and it felt farfetched to me. I predicted the other big reveal from the middle of the book. 4 stars

[Kimberllee M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars! This book had so much great things - suspense, kept you wanting more from start to finish, great setting, and good group of characters with some side characters. Whoever would think spring break would be a deadly one 😳 I did like the friendship of the Six even though there was a shift since their friend died and Noelle talked to the press without them knowing. THEY ALL HAD SECRETS!!! like it didn’t stop with their dirty laundry get aired out. I was very much in shock for the revealing parts i didn’t expect and it think it for sure made the book. I think the time jumping from the past to present could be a bit confusing which is why it wasnt a full 5 stare for but still loved it. I really want them to do more of this collab novels - they are so fun to read and this was definitely so good- cant wait to get the finalized copy to add with my Breakout copy!!

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one vacation you definitely DON'T want to be on!
Reading about it safely from your own couch though:
definitely a journey you want to be along for the ride on!
I have enjoyed every iteration of the books these authors collaborate on, Breakout included!
This book definitely makes the reader wonder what each of the characters is up to throughout the story, and thus keeps you turning the pages.
Murder, lies, storms and dangerous situations abound!