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Survival Show
Survival Show
American Idol meets The Hunger Games in this campy, dystopian satire about a teen betting her life that her singing talent can make her a star from the celebrated author of This Book Is Gay, Juno Dawson.
The world just seems to take and take from Taryn Beck, but there’s one thing it’ll never her voice. Only when she’s singing does Taryn feel like she can escape her reality—free from the aftermath of the War, free from the Scottish refugee camps where she and her family now live, and free from the responsibility of making ends meet for the sake of her sick brother.
Taryn’s voice is her one ticket out, and that’s why she enters to be a contestant on the world’s most watched television Starmaker, where kids from the New Peace Global Alliance compete for the chance to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. Rise to the top, and a life of luxury, stardom, and money awaits.
There’s only one small catch. The lowest ranking face a televised public execution. Starmaker thanks their participants for their noble sacrifice to Project Population.
Taryn’s about to sing for her life.
The world just seems to take and take from Taryn Beck, but there’s one thing it’ll never her voice. Only when she’s singing does Taryn feel like she can escape her reality—free from the aftermath of the War, free from the Scottish refugee camps where she and her family now live, and free from the responsibility of making ends meet for the sake of her sick brother.
Taryn’s voice is her one ticket out, and that’s why she enters to be a contestant on the world’s most watched television Starmaker, where kids from the New Peace Global Alliance compete for the chance to join an all-singing, all-dancing pop group. Rise to the top, and a life of luxury, stardom, and money awaits.
There’s only one small catch. The lowest ranking face a televised public execution. Starmaker thanks their participants for their noble sacrifice to Project Population.
Taryn’s about to sing for her life.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2026
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June 2, 2026I received this book through NetGalley.
Survival Show had a really fun concept. It gave me American Idol meets Squid Game vibes, but with a YA dystopian style. A singing competition where the stakes are life or death? That setup seemed interesting right away.
I liked the way the story played with fame, and survival. Then the idea of people’s suffering being turned into entertainment was very much, humans would absolutely turn survival into content and call it a show.
The YA dystopian feel was definitely there, and I can see this being fun for readers who like big, dramatic concepts. The premise was a strong part for me.
Where it didn’t fully land was the filler in the middle. With this kind of setup, I wanted and expected the tension to stay higher throughout, but there were some slower parts where not much felt like it was happening to move the story forward. I still found the idea interesting, but I wanted the story to move along.
This was a creative mash up, YA dystopian read with a strong concept. I’d recommend it to readers who like deadly competitions, reality TV satire, media criticism, survival stakes, and YA stories with American Idol meets Squid Game energy.
Survival Show had a really fun concept. It gave me American Idol meets Squid Game vibes, but with a YA dystopian style. A singing competition where the stakes are life or death? That setup seemed interesting right away.
I liked the way the story played with fame, and survival. Then the idea of people’s suffering being turned into entertainment was very much, humans would absolutely turn survival into content and call it a show.
The YA dystopian feel was definitely there, and I can see this being fun for readers who like big, dramatic concepts. The premise was a strong part for me.
Where it didn’t fully land was the filler in the middle. With this kind of setup, I wanted and expected the tension to stay higher throughout, but there were some slower parts where not much felt like it was happening to move the story forward. I still found the idea interesting, but I wanted the story to move along.
This was a creative mash up, YA dystopian read with a strong concept. I’d recommend it to readers who like deadly competitions, reality TV satire, media criticism, survival stakes, and YA stories with American Idol meets Squid Game energy.
April 19, 2026
sooooo much fun
May 3, 2026
When Juno Dawson was asked what her dream YA novel would be she said "The Hunger Games meets the Spice Girls." Survival Show was the novel that Dawson created from this idea, and while I'm not really a fan of either of these this was a great novel.
Juno Dawson brings us a brilliant dystopian world and while some authors of dystopian fiction spend long chapters explaining how society has become Dawson brings it naturally to life through story and dialogue. The characetrs are great, the plot fast paced and it builds up to a tense and satisfying ending.
Being a 61 year old man I may not be the obvious target audience for a YA novel about a teenage band, but I found Survival Show to be the sort of escapism that I love. Let's hope that my daughter enjoys this book as much as I did when I pass it on to her next week.
Juno Dawson brings us a brilliant dystopian world and while some authors of dystopian fiction spend long chapters explaining how society has become Dawson brings it naturally to life through story and dialogue. The characetrs are great, the plot fast paced and it builds up to a tense and satisfying ending.
Being a 61 year old man I may not be the obvious target audience for a YA novel about a teenage band, but I found Survival Show to be the sort of escapism that I love. Let's hope that my daughter enjoys this book as much as I did when I pass it on to her next week.
March 26, 2026
Thank you Simon & Schuster YA for sending me an ARC copy of this book!
Taryn is a 17 year old girl who wants to financially help her family, especially her sick brother, so she signs up for Project Population’s ‘Star Maker’ show, where you train to be a part of a global idol group, where the judges & the public vote for who they want to make the final cut of the group. However, if you’re eliminated from the show, you die as part of the show’s contract with project population.
As soon as i read the premise for this book, i was immediately intrigued and desperate to pick this up. As a huge fan of girl groups, I have a huge interest in girl groups produced from survival shows, like katseye in HXG dream academy, and girlset (formally VCHA) from JYP a2k and more. So the twist of ‘if you’re eliminated you die,’ was just such a genius concept i needed to get my hands on a copy!
The book overall I did enjoy. And I think if you are also interested in girl groups, and celebrity pop culture then you’ll likely enjoy it too!
I liked the structure of this book, how the chapters belong to different sections of the process, like applying, the group challenges etc. it’s clever and mimics how survival shows work, so it works really well and fluidly here!
However, there was just a few areas of this book that bugged me a little bit, that made me knock it down a few stars quite early and throughout.
SPOILERS BELOW!
The book is set in the UK. Despite the dystopia plot, the book is set in a very lightly slightly twisted United Kingdom, Scotland and England. Taryn, the fmc, mentions passing Newcastle and Leeds on her way to London, and as a northern it really took me out of the book. I was thinking, why is it relevant that we need to name these cities? That exist today? When this book feels like dystopian rather than realistic? Also, Taryn mentions never having visited London, doesn’t know what Wembley Stadium is, however knows exactly how to get to Victoria Coach Station to travel home? It just didn’t make sense to me. It would’ve been more believable if the cities were made up but faintly represented London to make it familiar but not extremely on the nose.
Another thing that was too on the nose for me personally, was the direct mention of girl groups alike Katseye, that have very similar experiences to what these characters are going through in this novel. It was a little too close to them, which is likely to excite their audiences when reading this book, but it concerns me a little. If this book is to critique the kpop industry and the music machine, you probably shouldn’t be mentioning multiple real examples of young girls who went through it in your dystopia novel of their experience.
The book definitely picked up the pace once the tv show was in progress and especially towards the end I couldn’t put the book down! Although the ending was a little rushed but still okay! But because of this significant great pacing, it meant the first quarter of the book’s pacing stuck out a little because the build up was slow. Doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad time, the exposition was definitely essential to understand the motivation for Taryn signing up for the show and understanding why she would risk her life, but it did mean you need patience to stick with the book.
With the characters, I felt like Taryn and Leela’s friendship could’ve had more moments together, because the set up pre-dollhou5e felt like they were going to be ride or die best friends, but during the show it felt quite distant, like Taryn wasn’t really spending much time with anyone but Cade. It felt like the focus was only on one pairing at a time, rather than how Taryn is developing friendships simultaneously. Further, I saw the potential with the Taryn and Cade pairing, but the age difference between them just didn’t have me rooting for them like I wanted to. It is explicitly stated that Taryn is 17, and towards the start it’s unclear how old Cade is, only that he has been an idol since Taryn had posters of him on her walls at 12. but towards the end we discover he’s 21. As someone who turns 21 this year, I’m not even looking at anyone under 20 - and while that is a personal preference, and a 4 year age gap isn’t problematic, i don’t think 17 and 21 together is appropriate, because she’s still a minor and underage. And personally, I feel uncomfortable with the ages of this romantic pairing.
As previously stated, I enjoyed reading this book, I liked the premise, I was hooked, the writing was easy to read and the structure was formatted nicely - despite many of grammar & spelling errors in this copy, so i’d definitely recommend if you’re already interested! Check it out on April 23rd 2026!
Taryn is a 17 year old girl who wants to financially help her family, especially her sick brother, so she signs up for Project Population’s ‘Star Maker’ show, where you train to be a part of a global idol group, where the judges & the public vote for who they want to make the final cut of the group. However, if you’re eliminated from the show, you die as part of the show’s contract with project population.
As soon as i read the premise for this book, i was immediately intrigued and desperate to pick this up. As a huge fan of girl groups, I have a huge interest in girl groups produced from survival shows, like katseye in HXG dream academy, and girlset (formally VCHA) from JYP a2k and more. So the twist of ‘if you’re eliminated you die,’ was just such a genius concept i needed to get my hands on a copy!
The book overall I did enjoy. And I think if you are also interested in girl groups, and celebrity pop culture then you’ll likely enjoy it too!
I liked the structure of this book, how the chapters belong to different sections of the process, like applying, the group challenges etc. it’s clever and mimics how survival shows work, so it works really well and fluidly here!
However, there was just a few areas of this book that bugged me a little bit, that made me knock it down a few stars quite early and throughout.
SPOILERS BELOW!
The book is set in the UK. Despite the dystopia plot, the book is set in a very lightly slightly twisted United Kingdom, Scotland and England. Taryn, the fmc, mentions passing Newcastle and Leeds on her way to London, and as a northern it really took me out of the book. I was thinking, why is it relevant that we need to name these cities? That exist today? When this book feels like dystopian rather than realistic? Also, Taryn mentions never having visited London, doesn’t know what Wembley Stadium is, however knows exactly how to get to Victoria Coach Station to travel home? It just didn’t make sense to me. It would’ve been more believable if the cities were made up but faintly represented London to make it familiar but not extremely on the nose.
Another thing that was too on the nose for me personally, was the direct mention of girl groups alike Katseye, that have very similar experiences to what these characters are going through in this novel. It was a little too close to them, which is likely to excite their audiences when reading this book, but it concerns me a little. If this book is to critique the kpop industry and the music machine, you probably shouldn’t be mentioning multiple real examples of young girls who went through it in your dystopia novel of their experience.
The book definitely picked up the pace once the tv show was in progress and especially towards the end I couldn’t put the book down! Although the ending was a little rushed but still okay! But because of this significant great pacing, it meant the first quarter of the book’s pacing stuck out a little because the build up was slow. Doesn’t necessarily mean it was a bad time, the exposition was definitely essential to understand the motivation for Taryn signing up for the show and understanding why she would risk her life, but it did mean you need patience to stick with the book.
With the characters, I felt like Taryn and Leela’s friendship could’ve had more moments together, because the set up pre-dollhou5e felt like they were going to be ride or die best friends, but during the show it felt quite distant, like Taryn wasn’t really spending much time with anyone but Cade. It felt like the focus was only on one pairing at a time, rather than how Taryn is developing friendships simultaneously. Further, I saw the potential with the Taryn and Cade pairing, but the age difference between them just didn’t have me rooting for them like I wanted to. It is explicitly stated that Taryn is 17, and towards the start it’s unclear how old Cade is, only that he has been an idol since Taryn had posters of him on her walls at 12. but towards the end we discover he’s 21. As someone who turns 21 this year, I’m not even looking at anyone under 20 - and while that is a personal preference, and a 4 year age gap isn’t problematic, i don’t think 17 and 21 together is appropriate, because she’s still a minor and underage. And personally, I feel uncomfortable with the ages of this romantic pairing.
As previously stated, I enjoyed reading this book, I liked the premise, I was hooked, the writing was easy to read and the structure was formatted nicely - despite many of grammar & spelling errors in this copy, so i’d definitely recommend if you’re already interested! Check it out on April 23rd 2026!
May 30, 2026
This was both absolutely terrible and absolutely fantastic. No I will not elaborate.
April 14, 2026
oh my god this book had me HOOKED
where do i even begin??
i could definitely see the popstar/dream academy inspo (basically that but make it hunger games style) and omg if there’s one thing i’m weak for, it’s some reality tv vibes i love it sm
firstly, i love love loveeee this and when i saw that there was gonna be a sequel in the acknowledgments, i screamed
like it’s been so long since i felt so passionate about a book i finished from an author i’ve never read from (i NEED to pick up her majesty’s royal coven ASAP now omg)
anywaysss
the dystopian aspects was also so good but so jarring?? like it’s set maybe 50ish? 100? years into the future? so the stuff they call “classics” are the things that are trendy today (did i have a ✨moment✨ when they featured kateye’s gnarly as one of the songs? yes. like will that stand the test of time? who knows) and also seeing the us split into red states and blue states i was like okay i see what they’re doing here
and i loved the gameshow aspects (of course) and i LOVED the sisterhood vibes (pls pls plsss i need more of the girl group in the next book like sure i want to see them take down the system but PLS can i guiltily ask for them absolutely rocking it on stage too??)
but also like was the writing a tiny bit funky at times? was taryn a little bit too childish and mary-sue with her voice? yes. but was it entertaining as hell and i basically read it in one sitting WHILE in a reading slump so likeeee
aaaaa anyways omg i cannot waitttt for the sequel (i PRAY a certain someone isn’t dead omgggg SURELY??! i know it would be so cliche but IT WOULD BE THE BESTEST PLOT TWIST PLSSSS JUNO??? BUT ALSOOOO IM ALSO CONSIDERINGGGG THE OTHER OPTION WHICH WOULD BE SO SO GOOD TOO)
thank you sm s&s for the arc!
okay spoilers below bcos i need to yap
.
.
.
[redacting spoilers till post publication]
where do i even begin??
i could definitely see the popstar/dream academy inspo (basically that but make it hunger games style) and omg if there’s one thing i’m weak for, it’s some reality tv vibes i love it sm
firstly, i love love loveeee this and when i saw that there was gonna be a sequel in the acknowledgments, i screamed
like it’s been so long since i felt so passionate about a book i finished from an author i’ve never read from (i NEED to pick up her majesty’s royal coven ASAP now omg)
anywaysss
the dystopian aspects was also so good but so jarring?? like it’s set maybe 50ish? 100? years into the future? so the stuff they call “classics” are the things that are trendy today (did i have a ✨moment✨ when they featured kateye’s gnarly as one of the songs? yes. like will that stand the test of time? who knows) and also seeing the us split into red states and blue states i was like okay i see what they’re doing here
and i loved the gameshow aspects (of course) and i LOVED the sisterhood vibes (pls pls plsss i need more of the girl group in the next book like sure i want to see them take down the system but PLS can i guiltily ask for them absolutely rocking it on stage too??)
but also like was the writing a tiny bit funky at times? was taryn a little bit too childish and mary-sue with her voice? yes. but was it entertaining as hell and i basically read it in one sitting WHILE in a reading slump so likeeee
aaaaa anyways omg i cannot waitttt for the sequel (i PRAY a certain someone isn’t dead omgggg SURELY??! i know it would be so cliche but IT WOULD BE THE BESTEST PLOT TWIST PLSSSS JUNO??? BUT ALSOOOO IM ALSO CONSIDERINGGGG THE OTHER OPTION WHICH WOULD BE SO SO GOOD TOO)
thank you sm s&s for the arc!
okay spoilers below bcos i need to yap
.
.
.
[redacting spoilers till post publication]
July 7, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
i love juno dawson's writing, so going into this i was expecting to have a great time, and i can confidently say that i absolutely did have a great time.
the concept seems a bit silly on the surface (american idol but deadly), but the explanations for its existence actually work quite well within the context of this dystopian post horrific climate change world. i found taryn as a main character to be a good one to follow, and i thought that the plot was fully engaging from start to finish. however, i did not know that this is likely going to be a series, so im both left on a cliffhanger but glad that there's more to come.
**thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC copy**
i love juno dawson's writing, so going into this i was expecting to have a great time, and i can confidently say that i absolutely did have a great time.
the concept seems a bit silly on the surface (american idol but deadly), but the explanations for its existence actually work quite well within the context of this dystopian post horrific climate change world. i found taryn as a main character to be a good one to follow, and i thought that the plot was fully engaging from start to finish. however, i did not know that this is likely going to be a series, so im both left on a cliffhanger but glad that there's more to come.
**thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC copy**
July 29, 2026
I loved everything in this but especially women sticking together. Can’t wait for the sequel!!
October 21, 2026
TW; eating disorders, gun violence, manipulation, body shaming, transphobia and more
this was one of those books I couldn’t put down but also it was stressing me out. I love the whole survival element of a dystopian universe where you genuinely don’t know what will happen next so you’re on the edge of your seat
I think this book highlighted a lot of important issues: body shaming, growing up as a young woman, tokenism, the dangers of AI, environmental impacts and sm more. It really took the futuristic dystopian world and gave it a spot to dive into important elements
the only reason this isn’t getting a four is because it was hard to believe at some points that the mc survived such a dangerous thing despite “being constantly” watched, it felt unrealistic to give me a world where you’re never in private and everything is controlled and then to have a mouthy rebel mc who somehow doesn’t get punished?
either way it was fun and fast paced and I enjoyed myself
this was one of those books I couldn’t put down but also it was stressing me out. I love the whole survival element of a dystopian universe where you genuinely don’t know what will happen next so you’re on the edge of your seat
I think this book highlighted a lot of important issues: body shaming, growing up as a young woman, tokenism, the dangers of AI, environmental impacts and sm more. It really took the futuristic dystopian world and gave it a spot to dive into important elements
the only reason this isn’t getting a four is because it was hard to believe at some points that the mc survived such a dangerous thing despite “being constantly” watched, it felt unrealistic to give me a world where you’re never in private and everything is controlled and then to have a mouthy rebel mc who somehow doesn’t get punished?
either way it was fun and fast paced and I enjoyed myself
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Dream academy but make it Hunger Games stakes. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this.
This book takes place roughly 2070, so actually not that long from now. The thought of the world changing THIS MUCH in just 40 years is a bit of a stretch, but I digress. That must’ve been some war and flood I guess? Life isn’t Panem level miserable, but it sounds like only the top 10% are actually doing well. Taryn and her family are firmly at the bottom of the barrel, English refugees living in a refugee camp in Scotland, where the only options for most are the army or Laborforce. With a sick brother who needs a liver transplant, Taryn’s family is desperate enough to consider Project Population, a program that’s now worldwide due to popularity apparently ($500 for every year you’ve been alive, as a way to incentivize the elderly to “retire” to not waste resources). Joining Starmarker is Taryn’s best shot at helping her brother and escaping a miserable life.
Starmaker is a singing competition show for the chance to join a girl group, open to girls aged 14-21, but the lowest voted get publicly executed. Being a good singer isn’t enough to guarantee safety; all the contestants are good singers. The survival show starts at the final ten, where eliminated contestants will be executed via Starmaker’s partnership with Project Population. There’s also other reality shows mentioned like Bride or Die (the bachelor but you die if you don’t get picked I guess?) and Endurance Island. What is it with this government and their obsession with finding excuses to kill people as a form of population control?
There are a large amount of pop culture references, making it feel more YA than most dystopias. They even perform Gnarly by Katseye, for a final evaluation; I kid you not. It’s a bit corny, but that just means this is geared towards a younger audience than me, and I absolutely enjoyed this book regardless. The readability factor is off the charts and I absolutely devoured this. Could not put it down! And don’t get me wrong. Despite the younger audience feel and endless pop culture references, this book is brutal when it comes time to the eliminations. Some parts of this are a hard read.
Also, I’m just glad people are still writing dystopias, because I miss when they were trendy. A dystopia in 2026 is like a shining light in a sea of fantasy novels. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. This book has a Freida McFadden level of readability, largely due to the incredibly imaginative plot. This was a stand out read of this year!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
This book takes place roughly 2070, so actually not that long from now. The thought of the world changing THIS MUCH in just 40 years is a bit of a stretch, but I digress. That must’ve been some war and flood I guess? Life isn’t Panem level miserable, but it sounds like only the top 10% are actually doing well. Taryn and her family are firmly at the bottom of the barrel, English refugees living in a refugee camp in Scotland, where the only options for most are the army or Laborforce. With a sick brother who needs a liver transplant, Taryn’s family is desperate enough to consider Project Population, a program that’s now worldwide due to popularity apparently ($500 for every year you’ve been alive, as a way to incentivize the elderly to “retire” to not waste resources). Joining Starmarker is Taryn’s best shot at helping her brother and escaping a miserable life.
Starmaker is a singing competition show for the chance to join a girl group, open to girls aged 14-21, but the lowest voted get publicly executed. Being a good singer isn’t enough to guarantee safety; all the contestants are good singers. The survival show starts at the final ten, where eliminated contestants will be executed via Starmaker’s partnership with Project Population. There’s also other reality shows mentioned like Bride or Die (the bachelor but you die if you don’t get picked I guess?) and Endurance Island. What is it with this government and their obsession with finding excuses to kill people as a form of population control?
There are a large amount of pop culture references, making it feel more YA than most dystopias. They even perform Gnarly by Katseye, for a final evaluation; I kid you not. It’s a bit corny, but that just means this is geared towards a younger audience than me, and I absolutely enjoyed this book regardless. The readability factor is off the charts and I absolutely devoured this. Could not put it down! And don’t get me wrong. Despite the younger audience feel and endless pop culture references, this book is brutal when it comes time to the eliminations. Some parts of this are a hard read.
Also, I’m just glad people are still writing dystopias, because I miss when they were trendy. A dystopia in 2026 is like a shining light in a sea of fantasy novels. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel. This book has a Freida McFadden level of readability, largely due to the incredibly imaginative plot. This was a stand out read of this year!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
September 1, 2026
1.5 Stars, rounded up to be generous
I'm getting tired of "dystopian" books that lack the teeth needed to really tear down the society they're supposedly critiquing. And I get it. It's a singing show with a euthanasia twist. You don't really expect it to be world class literature, and that's fair. But that doesn't mean I liked it. Or thought it did a good job at even what it set out to do.
Don't get me wrong. There were some things that I did like here. Like the portrayal of sisterhood, and the absolute and unquestioned inclusion of Leela as a transwoman in this sisterhood. That's great. I just wish the rest had been as good. Alas, it wasn't to be.
Anyway, my full review will be available over at Gateway Reviews on September 4, 2026 (you know, this very Friday). If you want to dig more into the meat of this one, do feel free to swing by over there.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I'm getting tired of "dystopian" books that lack the teeth needed to really tear down the society they're supposedly critiquing. And I get it. It's a singing show with a euthanasia twist. You don't really expect it to be world class literature, and that's fair. But that doesn't mean I liked it. Or thought it did a good job at even what it set out to do.
Don't get me wrong. There were some things that I did like here. Like the portrayal of sisterhood, and the absolute and unquestioned inclusion of Leela as a transwoman in this sisterhood. That's great. I just wish the rest had been as good. Alas, it wasn't to be.
Anyway, my full review will be available over at Gateway Reviews on September 4, 2026 (you know, this very Friday). If you want to dig more into the meat of this one, do feel free to swing by over there.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
May 6, 2026
Labelled as The Hunger Games meets the Spice Girls/K-pop, Survival Show is a high stakes Y.A. novel featuring a singing competition that literally ends in death for the unsuccessful participants.
The idea of this one was fun but I just didn't connect with it. The Hunger Games aspect just felt very much like a filter or aesthetic being used - there's a reason the original novels (can't include the spinoffs, still gotta read those 😅) hit so hard, with their strong political message. Here it feels like the message is barely present, as the girls go from worrying about their potential live-broadcasted deaths, to squealing over guest judges and having makeovers. It all felt very surface level.
It was a fun concept, and most of the cast were great, but Survival Show seems much too caught up in the facade of appearing like a quirky dystopian novel to really make a statement.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
The idea of this one was fun but I just didn't connect with it. The Hunger Games aspect just felt very much like a filter or aesthetic being used - there's a reason the original novels (can't include the spinoffs, still gotta read those 😅) hit so hard, with their strong political message. Here it feels like the message is barely present, as the girls go from worrying about their potential live-broadcasted deaths, to squealing over guest judges and having makeovers. It all felt very surface level.
It was a fun concept, and most of the cast were great, but Survival Show seems much too caught up in the facade of appearing like a quirky dystopian novel to really make a statement.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
September 18, 2026
3⭐️
Before I say anything about this, you should definitely try and listen to the audiobook! Honestly one of the best ones I’ve heard in a while. Because the girls have to sing the production team hired actual singers to perform the songs.
To come back to the story, I’d say it’s mid. Not because of the pacing or the performance but the world building could have expanded more beyond the contest. Why is this particular corporation so influential? How did the 5 families get all the money? Did they cause the floods? I wanted to know more about the project and the origins of it. I know the author has released more books in this series but I just feel like they could have done a bit more in this first book to introduce the reader better to the world.
Also this might be super nit picky but the evil bad guy didn’t have enough evilness to him. I’d wish the author gave me a bit more of everything.
Before I say anything about this, you should definitely try and listen to the audiobook! Honestly one of the best ones I’ve heard in a while. Because the girls have to sing the production team hired actual singers to perform the songs.
To come back to the story, I’d say it’s mid. Not because of the pacing or the performance but the world building could have expanded more beyond the contest. Why is this particular corporation so influential? How did the 5 families get all the money? Did they cause the floods? I wanted to know more about the project and the origins of it. I know the author has released more books in this series but I just feel like they could have done a bit more in this first book to introduce the reader better to the world.
Also this might be super nit picky but the evil bad guy didn’t have enough evilness to him. I’d wish the author gave me a bit more of everything.
July 1, 2026
The second I saw this book at Waterstones, I couldn’t help but stop and stare based on the title alone. The tagline of Survival Show says it’s X-Factor meets Hunger Games, but really it’s just Dream Academy. Or Are U Next. Or I-land. Any veteran k-pop fan will be unsurprised by a lot of what is put into this book, because a lot of it (minus the deaths, at least in a literal sense) are shockingly accurate to what actually happens in the industry: idols being forced to resign due to relationship scandals, eating disorders, manufactured drama, performative diversity, faked hiatuses, etc etc. What DID surprise me though was how well Dawson seemed to understand these things, and how she was able to adeptly articulate the dichotomy of not just being an idol, but also a fan of idols. The allure and fun of it, in spite of all the pain. I think above all else, that’s what gravitated me towards this book - there’s an element of cynicism of Dawson’s writing, but it never borders on overly-cynical.
In fact, I’d say it feels realistic considering the confines of the world Survival Show is set in. Because the universe of this novel feels like one of the most topical depictions of a dystopia I’ve seen in recent memory. It is not one that necessarily focuses on all voices being silent, but rather on them being drowned out by the internet, AI and social media. I always tend to roll my eyes when a contemporary novel relies heavily on things that may seem dated. There’s a real danger of cringiness there, a clear indicator that you’re not from the time period you’re writing in. But with this book? The integration felt perfect. In fact, there were so many times I shuddered, because I could see real world billionaires actually employing a lot of these tools. Our world has a real danger of turning into the one in this novel. It could happen a lot sooner than we think, too.
I thought Taryn was a great protagonist. She has a lot of the qualities of the greatest dystopia lead within this genre (Katniss, duh) but she still feels distinct enough in her own right. I love how her perspective really lends itself to skewing our own perception of the world around her. When she's skeptical, we're skeptical. When she falls for the propaganda, we do too. I did enjoy a lot of the side cast, too. Though some deaths were predictable, every character left a mark.
I think the only person I really wasn't vibing with was her love interest. It's not really anything to do with him individually - I actually found him to be very interesting - but the romance between him and Taryn felt pretty contrived, not to mention very…icky? The age gap between the two of them is certainly problematic, and what's worse is that it's never addressed. Sure, you could make the argument that Taryn wouldn't have been aware of that, and that Dawson was trying to make another point about age gaps in the industry. To me, though, that never really happened. I feel like this could've been fixed if they just made him a year or two younger. I don't know…I hope this somehow gets addressed in the sequel, because that knocked this book down significantly for me.
Speaking of which, I am unsure of how I feel about the ending. A lot of it I love, but there's also parts of it that feel like are too happy for the story this book is telling. You could chalk it up to the limitations of the YA genre, but I feel like that's a gross assumption considering how dark this book is capable of getting. But again, I'm so open for the sequel. This book was insanely bingeable for me and I felt incredibly nervous for everyone, including Taryn at times. Survival show anxiety is such a unique experience, and it was a treat to have it captured in such a high stakes form. Thank you to this book for saving my reading slump!
4.25/5
In fact, I’d say it feels realistic considering the confines of the world Survival Show is set in. Because the universe of this novel feels like one of the most topical depictions of a dystopia I’ve seen in recent memory. It is not one that necessarily focuses on all voices being silent, but rather on them being drowned out by the internet, AI and social media. I always tend to roll my eyes when a contemporary novel relies heavily on things that may seem dated. There’s a real danger of cringiness there, a clear indicator that you’re not from the time period you’re writing in. But with this book? The integration felt perfect. In fact, there were so many times I shuddered, because I could see real world billionaires actually employing a lot of these tools. Our world has a real danger of turning into the one in this novel. It could happen a lot sooner than we think, too.
I thought Taryn was a great protagonist. She has a lot of the qualities of the greatest dystopia lead within this genre (Katniss, duh) but she still feels distinct enough in her own right. I love how her perspective really lends itself to skewing our own perception of the world around her. When she's skeptical, we're skeptical. When she falls for the propaganda, we do too. I did enjoy a lot of the side cast, too. Though some deaths were predictable, every character left a mark.
I think the only person I really wasn't vibing with was her love interest. It's not really anything to do with him individually - I actually found him to be very interesting - but the romance between him and Taryn felt pretty contrived, not to mention very…icky? The age gap between the two of them is certainly problematic, and what's worse is that it's never addressed. Sure, you could make the argument that Taryn wouldn't have been aware of that, and that Dawson was trying to make another point about age gaps in the industry. To me, though, that never really happened. I feel like this could've been fixed if they just made him a year or two younger. I don't know…I hope this somehow gets addressed in the sequel, because that knocked this book down significantly for me.
Speaking of which, I am unsure of how I feel about the ending. A lot of it I love, but there's also parts of it that feel like are too happy for the story this book is telling. You could chalk it up to the limitations of the YA genre, but I feel like that's a gross assumption considering how dark this book is capable of getting. But again, I'm so open for the sequel. This book was insanely bingeable for me and I felt incredibly nervous for everyone, including Taryn at times. Survival show anxiety is such a unique experience, and it was a treat to have it captured in such a high stakes form. Thank you to this book for saving my reading slump!
4.25/5
August 5, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.
This book was a very interesting concept by combining American Idol with Hunger Games. I loved the dystopian twist but was expecting a bit more betrayal from the characters since they know that if eliminated they will die. I did like how throughout the book I was questioning who I could trust and how I could not. I felt like this was a good thing since it made me sympathize with Tayrn. Tayrn is also an interesting character. I like how ultimately she works against this program but wished that there was more to her motivations or we learn more why she really feels to go against the system. Ultimately this book gave a star academy vibe like how Katseye was formed with a dystopian twist and I liked this interesting and new concept.
This book was a very interesting concept by combining American Idol with Hunger Games. I loved the dystopian twist but was expecting a bit more betrayal from the characters since they know that if eliminated they will die. I did like how throughout the book I was questioning who I could trust and how I could not. I felt like this was a good thing since it made me sympathize with Tayrn. Tayrn is also an interesting character. I like how ultimately she works against this program but wished that there was more to her motivations or we learn more why she really feels to go against the system. Ultimately this book gave a star academy vibe like how Katseye was formed with a dystopian twist and I liked this interesting and new concept.
September 27, 2026
The author was trying to make a really cool, unique dystopian society. In order to do that, though, she needed to take out references to “I stan,” McDonalds, Ariana Grande, Temu, The Spice Girls, Diet Coke, Timothee Chalamet… and those are the ones I remember. Every time they were mentioned I cringed. It can’t be dystopian if we are still out here talking about Disneyland and shiz. Also, “sing for your life?” Be so freaking for real. Stupidest plot ever. Our main character was supposed to be a Katniss Everdeen but instead I just hated her. The rebellion was the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, too. You think you can overthrow a powerful, multi-billion dollar company by exposing the fact that they’re giving people eating disorders?? Yeah, good luck with that. Also the audiobook had actual singing in it and that almost lost it a whole star.
July 25, 2026
If you market something as _____ meets the Hunger Games, there probably shouldn’t be as many very clear similarities to the Hunger Games as Survival Show has.
At times, it feels like it’s simply scenes from the Hunger Games reworked.
With that being said, it’s still a really gripping novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
At times, it feels like it’s simply scenes from the Hunger Games reworked.
With that being said, it’s still a really gripping novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
August 27, 2026
Para quem é fã de reality shows e jogos de sobrevivência, aconselho MUITO este livro!
Como ex-concorrente de um reality show, foi muito engraçado acompanhar os castings, as dinâmicas e todo aquele início. Fez-me reviver imenso essa fase e adorei essa sensação
Depois com jogos de sobrevivência à mistura… é óbvio que ia para a lista de favoritos de ✨2026✨
Conclusão: a senhora da livraria de Edimburgo não se enganou, fiquei mesmo fã da autora.
Como ex-concorrente de um reality show, foi muito engraçado acompanhar os castings, as dinâmicas e todo aquele início. Fez-me reviver imenso essa fase e adorei essa sensação
Depois com jogos de sobrevivência à mistura… é óbvio que ia para a lista de favoritos de ✨2026✨
Conclusão: a senhora da livraria de Edimburgo não se enganou, fiquei mesmo fã da autora.
April 26, 2026
This was fantastic! I cannot wait for the sequel. It's chilling in how you can see all of this might actually happen.
Read
February 13, 2026Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Survival Show is set in a reimagined world after a war and flood. It follows the story of Taryn Beck, a teenager who makes it her mission to provide her brother with life saving medical treatment, by entering the reality TV show “Starmaker” - if Taryn wins, she, along with her 4 band mates, will live a life of luxury, stardom and wealth. But if she’s eliminated, she will lose her life to “Project Population”, an initiative designed to cull the community.
This story is a mix of The Hunger Games and The X Factor which makes for a unique and clever plot which lovers of Dystopian YA novels and KATSEYE will absolutely adore.
I really liked Juno Dawson’s writing style, it was clear and easy to read. I think Dawson also did a really good job at portraying the darker side of the music industry and these competition shows. I particularly loved the Nadine Coyle/Irish PopStars reference “you told us you were born in June, and that you are a Gemini. But you lied about the year that you were born, didn’t you?”
With that being said, in all honesty, this was not the most enjoyable read for me. I do, however, think that my main issues with the book were solely due to my age, and had I been reading this at 16/17 years old, I would have LOVED it.
First of all, I did not fully connect with any of the characters, they felt incredibly young and I actually found them quite frustrating. Again, this could be an age thing, but I found myself wanting to shout at them and tell them “just stop bickering, stop making poor choices, stop selling each other out, and why didn’t you just get out of there when you had the chance!” The death and loss of each other was never a surprise to them, it was fully expected but never taken seriously until it happened.
I also really struggled with the pacing of this book. I felt like the build up to the start of the show went on a little bit too long whereas the results show felt too rushed, and although the writing was good, those moments felt too short for me to fully experience the emotions of the remaining girls and the eliminated contestant.
Things seemed to pick up a bit towards the finale/ending of the book, and I was satisfied with the way it ended. Iappreciated the twist at the end, I genuinely didn’t expect that reveal and I did gasp a little.
Survival Show is set in a reimagined world after a war and flood. It follows the story of Taryn Beck, a teenager who makes it her mission to provide her brother with life saving medical treatment, by entering the reality TV show “Starmaker” - if Taryn wins, she, along with her 4 band mates, will live a life of luxury, stardom and wealth. But if she’s eliminated, she will lose her life to “Project Population”, an initiative designed to cull the community.
This story is a mix of The Hunger Games and The X Factor which makes for a unique and clever plot which lovers of Dystopian YA novels and KATSEYE will absolutely adore.
I really liked Juno Dawson’s writing style, it was clear and easy to read. I think Dawson also did a really good job at portraying the darker side of the music industry and these competition shows. I particularly loved the Nadine Coyle/Irish PopStars reference “you told us you were born in June, and that you are a Gemini. But you lied about the year that you were born, didn’t you?”
With that being said, in all honesty, this was not the most enjoyable read for me. I do, however, think that my main issues with the book were solely due to my age, and had I been reading this at 16/17 years old, I would have LOVED it.
First of all, I did not fully connect with any of the characters, they felt incredibly young and I actually found them quite frustrating. Again, this could be an age thing, but I found myself wanting to shout at them and tell them “just stop bickering, stop making poor choices, stop selling each other out, and why didn’t you just get out of there when you had the chance!” The death and loss of each other was never a surprise to them, it was fully expected but never taken seriously until it happened.
I also really struggled with the pacing of this book. I felt like the build up to the start of the show went on a little bit too long whereas the results show felt too rushed, and although the writing was good, those moments felt too short for me to fully experience the emotions of the remaining girls and the eliminated contestant.
Things seemed to pick up a bit towards the finale/ending of the book, and I was satisfied with the way it ended. Iappreciated the twist at the end, I genuinely didn’t expect that reveal and I did gasp a little.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really loved it. No surprise really as I've been a Juno fan since Hollow Pike. Hunger Games meets X Factor.
April 30, 2026
Audiobook 1.7 stars |
When I started listening to this book I was excited but then after I while it felt like AI hade wrote it. It hade almost no emotion and had so many holes in the story.
When I started listening to this book I was excited but then after I while it felt like AI hade wrote it. It hade almost no emotion and had so many holes in the story.
April 1, 2026
I was in a pretty big reading slump which made picking up this book kind of hard, but once I did boy was it hard to put it down!!
Imagine you mix Popstar Academy with Black Mirror, you’d find something almost like Survival Show.
Survival Show follows Taryn Beck, a flood refugee from the Republic of Scotland whose younger brother is in dire need of medication. Her dad sees the only way for his son to survive is to donate his life to “Project Population” and get the payout( aka paying people to undergo euthanasia). But Taryn has another plan. Use her voice to get onto Starmaker, the most popular girl group survival show on the airways.
This book I think proves dystopian literature is starting to be less like a scary, far-away future and lean closer towards being a pretty damn accurate reflection of society. So be warned and read with caution, this book might sound a lot like your socials feed rather than a fictitious story!
My only tiny issue with this book was that sometimes it over explained situations and emotions but I can let that slide as it is YA.
Survival Show has solidified itself as a new favourite YA dystopia in my rotation of recommendations! A must read when it releases on the 28th of April!
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Imagine you mix Popstar Academy with Black Mirror, you’d find something almost like Survival Show.
Survival Show follows Taryn Beck, a flood refugee from the Republic of Scotland whose younger brother is in dire need of medication. Her dad sees the only way for his son to survive is to donate his life to “Project Population” and get the payout( aka paying people to undergo euthanasia). But Taryn has another plan. Use her voice to get onto Starmaker, the most popular girl group survival show on the airways.
This book I think proves dystopian literature is starting to be less like a scary, far-away future and lean closer towards being a pretty damn accurate reflection of society. So be warned and read with caution, this book might sound a lot like your socials feed rather than a fictitious story!
My only tiny issue with this book was that sometimes it over explained situations and emotions but I can let that slide as it is YA.
Survival Show has solidified itself as a new favourite YA dystopia in my rotation of recommendations! A must read when it releases on the 28th of April!
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 18, 2026
“They. The people who run the world. I think about them all the time. The trouble is they don't think about us at all.”
“Stories keep us human, however we choose to tell them. Remember that. Songs are stories. Dancers tell stories too.”
The Hunger Games meets Big Brother meets K-Pop, Survival Show is a dystopian novel with a lot of depth but also sisterhood, female rage, and campy humor. I don’t read a lot of YA these days, but I love Dawson’s writing, and she didn’t let me down with this one!
Growing up as a climate refugee, our protagonist has a fighting spirit and a voice of pure gold. She tries out for a competition called Starmaker, where the winners become the newest idol girl band and the winners are literally eliminated. The stakes are high, but so are the rewards, when her brother struggles to get the medication he literally needs to stay alive.
There is drama, there is intrigue, there is manipulation and romance and helplessness and rage. While the YA format made the book fairly predictable and easy-to-digest despite the dystopian nightmare that is this world, Dawson went to some places in this book I wasn’t expecting, and I was here for it! Apparently this is the first in what will become a series, and I’m definitely on board to see what happens next!
“Stories keep us human, however we choose to tell them. Remember that. Songs are stories. Dancers tell stories too.”
The Hunger Games meets Big Brother meets K-Pop, Survival Show is a dystopian novel with a lot of depth but also sisterhood, female rage, and campy humor. I don’t read a lot of YA these days, but I love Dawson’s writing, and she didn’t let me down with this one!
Growing up as a climate refugee, our protagonist has a fighting spirit and a voice of pure gold. She tries out for a competition called Starmaker, where the winners become the newest idol girl band and the winners are literally eliminated. The stakes are high, but so are the rewards, when her brother struggles to get the medication he literally needs to stay alive.
There is drama, there is intrigue, there is manipulation and romance and helplessness and rage. While the YA format made the book fairly predictable and easy-to-digest despite the dystopian nightmare that is this world, Dawson went to some places in this book I wasn’t expecting, and I was here for it! Apparently this is the first in what will become a series, and I’m definitely on board to see what happens next!
May 23, 2026
Such an interesting concept: a talent show taking place in a dystopian world, in which the eliminated contestants are literally eliminated. This book was creative, endlessly entertaining and kept me guessing at all times. Personally, I would have liked more worldbuilding and some more depth in the characters and their relationships. But since this is a YA, I could let it slide and just enjoy all the twists and turns.
Want to Read
February 18, 2026this sounds hilarious actually I am very happy for the teens of 2026
May 4, 2026
This was a fun, easy read! I feel like being compared to the hunger games was a big stretch but it was still entertaining. Good characters, great storyline.
May 16, 2026
Juno Dawson wrote the 'Eurovision in Space' episode of Doctor Who so I am excited about this! A talent show with a twist... when you're eliminated, you're eliminated in every sense of the word. The creative dystopian world felt vaguely familiar, almost as if we let certain politics run its course this is where we're going to end up. The tension and drama ramps up and I have to keep reading to find out what unfolds. It was dark but great!
August 10, 2026
Dream Academy goes Hunger Games lol. this was so silly and fun.
May 26, 2026
how FUN!!! dramatic, campy storyline interweaved with genuinely SAD parts! loved every bit
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