Six Must Die

by Victoria Wlosok

Perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus’s The Cousins and I Know What You Did Last Summer, this propulsive thriller follows a fractured group of friends as they fight to survive a killer escape room in rural Tennessee.

Twelve months ago, an escape room fire took everything from Steffi Zamekova. In just one hour, she lost it all: her popular blog, her close-knit inner circle, and her memories of the night that killed one of the group’s own… the charismatic (if infuriating) Matt Cesari.

On the anniversary of the bewildering tragedy, Steffi is still desperate to piece together what went wrong. So when she receives an ominous invitation in the mail summoning her to the new escape room across town, she seizes the chance for answers.

Reunited with her former friends, Steffi sees the game as a last chance to uncover the truth behind Matt’s death. But it’s soon clear that each participant has their own cagey reasons for accepting the challenge. And as tensions rise and the players are picked off one by one, it’s a race against the clock for Steffi to uncover their secrets and unlock her own memories before the game’s mastermind ensures that no one escapes the room alive.

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

Unknown Binding

Published March 10, 2025

About the author

Victoria Wlosok is the author of the young adult thrillers How to Find a Missing Girl and Six Must Die. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in English and Business Administration, she now spends her time researching methods of murder for future books, attempting to break out of escape rooms, and teaching language arts in the mountains of the Czech Republic. She invites you to follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and X @xvictoriawrites, or visit her website at victoriawlosok.com.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 10, 2026.

2.5 stars

High school senior Stephanie goes to an escape room o n d by the parents of her friend Malachi to meet her friends Santo, Tobias, Charity and Guinevere. It’s just about one year since their friend, Matt, died in a fire at another escape room, which would seem like a really good reason NOT to celebrate at an escape room, but what do I know about kids and their fun.

And, big surprise, right away things start to go wrong. And Stephanie got a head injury at last year’s debacle so she has no memories of what happened. Looks like it’s going to be quite a night.

I love escape rooms so there were some small parts of this I loved but I found large portions of it confusing and the killer was pretty obvious (I thought.).

[Victoria Wlosok · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX MUST DIE releases March 10, 2026 with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

this locked-room, diminishing-cast, six-POV sapphic YA thriller is Saw meets Bodies Bodies Bodies meets I Know What You Did Last Summer, and it's for everyone who's ever gone through a traumatic friendship breakup and wishes they could've just been shot instead.

add this book to your TBR if you like:
• unreliable narrators who keep too many secrets for their own good
• killer escape rooms
• multi-POV novels
• messy gays who definitely should have all blocked each other years ago tbh
• dual timeline thrillers
• neon vibes in a claustrophobic setting
• "one of us is definitely the killer, but like, what if we just pretended we're not?"
• camp and gore and blackmail, in that order
• realizing you have feelings for your dead best friend's girlfriend
• bitches named charity
• multimedia elements (yelp.com reviews, court documents, text messages, etc.)
• immigrant daughters battling complicated feelings about their parents
• the existence of chess.com, as a concept
• books set in rural towns in the american south (this time, we're in the mountains of Tennessee)
• overthinking about how your friends hate you when you probably just need to go to sleep

get in the killer escape room, y'all. we're going dying on march 10, 2026. don't be late. xx

[alaska]

YA thriller fans we are SO back!!!!

fractured friend group trapped in a killer escape room?? by THEE Victoria Wlosok??? sign me tf up!!

[CL Montblanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn't have an official name yet, so I would like to offer it mine. That's right—I wanna marry this goddamned book. It's an absolute blast and a half and I can't wait for everybody else to read it!!

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

#ad much love for my advance copy @littlebrown @novelsuspects #partner #novelsuspectsinsidersclub

‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧
🆂🅸🆇 🅼🆄🆂🆃 🅳🅸🅴
< @ >
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟤𝟨, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
ʏᴀ | ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ | ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ | ʟɢʙᴛǫ+
‧₊˚ ✩°｡⋆♡ ⋆˙⟡♡ ⋆˙⟡♡⋆｡°✩˚₊‧

𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚐𝚘. 𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚡 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝. 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚒𝚡 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚒𝚗…

How many will walk out this time?

Tomorrow they graduate and go off in their own directions, but today they each arrive to the escape room BREAKOUT. Steffi wants answers as to what happened a year ago here. Why one of them is now dead and how she survived. Questions she needs the answers too. Since she now lives with a brain injury from that night, she can’t remember what happened. Will she find the answers she seeks?

And who invited them back here? They’ve been estranged since that night, a year ago, and now someone is forcing them back together.

𝕄𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖:
Dr Quack 🦆
Kill scenes HOLY CRAPPERS! Lit AF

A locked-room dual timeline thriller that has a lot of bloody good scenes.

𝕄𝕚𝕩𝕖𝕕 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
I really loved this book but it took about 100 pages before I really started to get into it. I feel it had a lot of build-up, things repeated, and kind of drawn out at parts - rather than high-stakes, high-tension scenes right off the bat. While that does come, it takes a while to get there.

So while it’s fast-paced, it’s also slow-paced. Just stick it out if you find yourself struggling at the beginning. It’ll be worth it - I promise that!

Because once the plot got going it turned into a whole different book. I loved the puzzles, the building tension, and that it actually took place inside an escape room. I also enjoyed the extras: police interviews, blog posts, news articles, etc.

ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕗 𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖:
✩ Everyone has a secret
✩ What happened a year ago
✩ Locked-room
✩ Group of toxic friends
✩ Blood & Guts (my fav)
✩ Pressure cooker
✩ Drama
✩ Grief
✩ Character-driven
✩ Dual timelines
✩ Escape rooms
✩ Puzzles

It might be a little too much for some readers.

[sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finish it soon I wanna read it!!!

[♡ A ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Six Must Die follows Steffi a year after an accidental fire in an escape room killed her best friend. On the anniversary of the tragedy, Steffi and her friends are invited to a new escape room. She seizes the chance to get real answers after spending a year with no memories of the night. But everyone has their own reasons for attending and as tensions rise and players begin to get picked off, Steffi must race against the clock to uncover the truth and make it out alive.

If you love the Escape Room movies, you’ll love this one. I had a lot of fun reading this one. It’s super fast-paced and entertaining. I loved them trying to work out the puzzles and clues. It’s a very tense read because of the time limit and the characters being trapped. I thought the escape room was really well described and very atmospheric. I did see one of the two major twists coming fairly early, but I enjoyed being surprised about the one I didn’t guess.

I have mixed feelings on the characters. I found them to be unlikeable, especially in their flashbacks. They’re very self-centered teenagers. Which is fine, it made for an entertaining time as we learn about their secrets and shenanigans.

If you love escape rooms or revenge based mystery/thrillers, I’d definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the arc

[Brooke! · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was INSANE!!! i could not put it down. this was one of the best thrillers i have read and i loved every moment. the point of views and the drama of this book was crazy! the ending was one of the craziest things ive ever read. make sure to read this book after it releases !!!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait for this to change my life

[Luna Hou · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How to Find a Missing Girl” instantly became one of my favorite YA thrillers, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting my chance to read more of Victoria Wlosok’s sapphic, sparkling, whip-smart work ever since! SO excited for this book 💖

[Lotte!]

Finish the book, I want to read it sosososoosososos bad!!

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Victoria Wlosok’s “Six Must Die” is a blood-soaked, fast-paced YA thriller that combines the claustrophobic tension of a locked-room mystery with the messy drama of high school friendships gone wrong. Perfect for fans of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Karen M. McManus, this book leans into revenge, betrayal, and the terrifying idea of being trapped in a killer escape room. There is some blood and gore in this book, so it’s more suitable for older YA readers.

The story follows Steffi Zamekova, who is still haunted by the events of a fire that destroyed her friend group and left one member, the charismatic but cruel Matt Cesari, dead. Steffi also lost her memories of that night, and a year later she’s desperate for answers. When an ominous invitation arrives, calling her and her estranged friends back to a newly built escape room, she can’t resist. But the reunion quickly spirals into a nightmare. Each of them has secrets, each has reasons for being there, and someone clearly wants revenge.

The escape room premise is one of the book’s strongest elements. With only one hour to solve puzzles, evade traps, and survive, the story barrels forward at breakneck speed. Multimedia elements like social media posts and flashbacks add layers to the mystery, while gory and graphic details of the deadly traps keep the stakes high. Those who love puzzles will find the concept gripping, though the mechanics of the escape room can be hard to visualize at times, and Steffi’s knack for solving everything stretches believability.

Characterization is more of a mixed bag. Many of the teens, especially Matt in flashbacks, are a bit unlikable; they can selfish, cruel, or manipulative. While this amps up the tension and makes their secrets juicy to uncover, it also makes it harder to root for their survival. Steffi’s amnesia, a major plot device, may add mystery but also predictability for seasoned thriller readers.

What Wlosok captures well is the toxic undercurrent of teenage friendships like the grudges, betrayals, and hidden motives that can simmer just beneath the surface. That human messiness, paired with the horror of watching a revenge plan play out one brutal step at a time, makes the book compulsively readable.

The ending ties the threads together in a satisfying way, revealing the truth behind the fire, the secrets each friend tried to bury, and the mastermind orchestrating the deadly game. It’s dark, twisted, and just cathartic enough to stick with you after you turn the last page.

Overall, “Six Must Die” is an addictive, gory YA thriller that thrives on its high-concept premise and relentless pace. While the characters aren’t always likable and some twists are easy to guess, the revenge-driven plot and chilling escape room setting make it a fun and terrifying ride. If you enjoy dark teen mysteries with a dose of horror, you’ll likely tear through this one in a single sitting.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. An absolute thrill ride! A year ago Steffi and her friends were at an escape room, a fire caught and they barely escaped. Well almost all of them escaped, Steffi’s best friend Matt did die in the fire. At first people thought the fire was suspicious but they were cleared of any wrong doing. And for Steffi, she sustained a TBI and doesn’t remember anything about that night. Now the six remaining friends have all received invitations to play a new escape room. There friendship group shattered the night of the fire but for Steffi this might be her only opportunity to regain her memories. They reluctantly play but soon realize something is off about this game. The room is covered in reminders of that night as well as photographs of the group of friends at other escape rooms the played. Soon they realize someone is targeting them, and everything seems tied to the night of the fire and Matt. As Steffi tries to uncover what happened she’ll quickly discover that some secrets are better left buried, especially when there’s a high possibility that the fire was no accident. Someone wants the truth and they may even be willing to kill to get it. Victoria Wlosok had me on the edge of my seat with this one and I couldn’t put it down! Secrets, lies, and betrayal are at the heart of Six Must Die and I was very much here for it! A fast paced gripping novel that you won’t want to miss!

[Leigh Kalista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this advance copy!

Six Must Die is a good addition to any Young Adult collection, offering a fast paced blend of mystery, suspense, and psychological tension. Victoria Wlosok creates a story filled with uncertainty. Every character seems to be hiding something, and that feeling keeps the pages turning. One of the book’s most compelling elements is the question of whether the protagonist is a truly reliable narrator. Wlosok leans into that doubt, allowing readers to decide how much they trust the version of events they’re being given.

The breakout room setting adds a fresh and inventive twist to the classic whodunit format. It creates a high-pressure atmosphere that enhances the stakes and keeps the tension steady throughout the story.

While there are moments where more character development would have strengthened the plot, the tight pacing and immersive setup make up for it.

Overall, Six Must Die is a quick mystery that will appeal especially to teens and high school readers who enjoy suspenseful plots and stories that invite them to question everything they’re told. It’s a fun, immersive read that belongs on any YA mystery shelf.

[Stacey Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Six Must Die was too convoluted for me to really get into. The author seemed to get lost in excessive detail, which distracted from an already slow-paced story. Instead of adding depth, the over-description bogged the plot down and made it difficult to stay engaged.

There was very little suspense, and the story moved far too slowly to hold my interest. The ending took much too long to arrive, making the book feel like a chore to finish rather than an exciting thriller.

My idea of a good thriller is fast, furious, edgy, and gripping—this one missed the mark for me.

Thank You NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Emily Casilli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centered around a well constructed friend group. It had the most tiniest, fine details to descriptions, clothing styles, and overall personalities. I found this book incredibly realistic, almost disturbing so with the depth and knowledge brought about each character. There are several times this book has text, blog/website excerpts, review's and documents for the Breakout Escape room in the fictional world and they are insanely realistic too.

Six Must Die had ya vibes. Can’t remember if it is a ya.

[Katy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this thriller up! I loved how we were figuring things out right along side Steffi about the night that Matt died. This book was fresh and super fun. It was however a little gory for my taste.

I like the ensemble of characters although most of them are not very likable. That does not detract from the story however and instead their flaws drive the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Wendy Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Propelled by a mystery in the past, SIX MUST DIE is a charged and tangled adventure. With characters you will root for and want to shake in equal measure, this escape room thriller is an absolute page-turner! Wlosok does a killer job of portraying realistic friendships that are both toxic and wholesome, bringing emotional resonance and realism to the story's propulsive finish.

[Katlin Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This was the perfect young adult thriller! It gave me holly Jackson and Natasha Preston vibes! The ending really threw me for a loop. I really enjoyed this book!

[Ann Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

made me terrified of escape rooms. also made me feel better about my high school friend drama

[QuAiL · Rating 5 out of 5]

i already know i’m going to love this one

[Luisa Peñaflor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a huge fan of Wlosok's funny, true, imperfect characters and tense, wholly engaging voice - cannot wait for this one

[Ash]

DNF at 50%

I started this ARC with high hopes — it looked like an interesting premise and I liked the writing at first. Unfortunately I just kept losing interest and skimmed the rest.

[Elio · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5