Ugh noo! I wanted to like this one so badly. I love Holly Jackson but this book was not for me. It was entertaining enough, but I just felt like it was too predictable. This book is too long for that reveal, it almost felt like many filler scenes needed to be added just for the page count. The reason for Emily’s death didn’t make sense in terms of why was she hurt but not Jet, what made her be safer with that person . The cover is beautiful I’ll give you that, I see it more clear now after I finished the book. I knew what was gonna happen to Jet but I was still shocked when it did happen. I felt so bad for Billy, he was trying so hard for Jet, just to be blown off. Don’t even get me started with his father!! He deserves better :( Hello !! Are we just gonna let Jet’s mom to continue to live her best life ??? No action was ever done to her, this is something that SHOULD have been explored. All this to say, I still love Holly and will continue to pickup any book she writes.

I would still encourage readers to read this one so that they can determine if they like this book. I feel like it might get mixed reviews.

Thank you to Holly Jackson, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this arc!! I literally almost had a heart attack when I saw I got it!!

Holly Jackson did it again 😭👏🏻 she made me cry, laugh and even scared me a bit at times. I am literally so sad for Jet but you know what it’s fine I don’t even care 🙄😭😭 BUT BILLY THO???? 😍😍 I literally fell so in love with him, no one writes mystery characters like Holly Jackson 😭

This book was sooo good, I loved following them trying to solve her murder, like I loved theorizing with the characters, it was so much fun and a quick read! Definitely recommend this book when it comes out!

Whoa! This one was a real roller coaster. Jet is a young women trying to find her path in life, with a dysfunctional family. Her mom is a cold socialite, her brother is a jerk, married to a nasty piece of work, who used to be Jet's best friend, and her dad is just there. Her best friend Billy is her saving grace when she is brutally attacked from behind in the family home and given a week to live before a brain aneurysm will kill her. So she decides to solve her own murder.

It's quite an adventure after that, with a ticking time bomb, as she and Billy try to figure out who wanted her dead and why. I became really invested in these two characters and was rooting for them the whole time, knowing full well that her odds were slim and someone still wanted her dead for unknown reasons. A great mystery thriller! This was my first book by this author and I will be looking for more by her.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

“I’ll do it later.” Jet Mason’s life is passing her by, not accomplishing much of anything to be proud of in her 27 years. Halloween night somebody sneaks up on her and violently attacks her, forming a brain aneurysm that will kill her in seven days. Jet has those 7 days to finally do the one thing to give her life purpose: solve her own murder, the cops are useless so she’ll do the leg work herself. Interview her so-called friends for motive, even her family. Who can you trust?

This book was AWESOME!! Maybe my best book of the year (and I’ve read 26 so far) The characters and the town felt so real. And I definitely related way too much, as someone who’s been through the same brain injury the MC has been through, so I personally know the medical symptoms and one-armed struggles were so on track. But I didn’t have to solve my own murder, luckily I survived and I’m here giving this book FIVE STARS. Thank you to Holly Jackson, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC before the book comes out in July!

It starts slowly at first, but trust me, it doesn't take long before it gets exciting. I was screaming, crying, and on the edge of my seat. And that ending, Wow Holly, you have nailed it. Jet has only seven days to solve the murder of herself. Will she be successful? This is a book you should definitely read.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Holly Jackson never usually misses and I can say this book was twisty and turny in all the right places. but this didn’t do to me what the AGGGTM series or The Reappearance of Rachel Price did for me. And that’s so hard to say because I’ve read all of her books and they have been such enjoyable thrillers for me. i finished the AGGGTM series in like 3-4 days because I was so enraptured.

Let’s get on to what hit and what missed for this novel for me.

HITS
- Billy was so lovely and he was just a go with the flow type of guy. He was a real ace in the hole honestly. Best boy for sure.
- A lot of moving parts. I liked that we are getting a “whodunnit” and also the added layer of stress of jets potential dying (whenever it may happen)
- Reggie bc why not
- twist and suspense one after another. like it was so high up there.
- a small town cast of characters. literally my favorite thing. when everyone knows everyone and they’re like ???? girl who would do this we all know each other.

MISSES
-Jet as the main character. like for the plot it works, but i have to say she was just so insufferable. a lot of the pieces of the novel could have been refigured but you could tell it was all done for the sake of the plot. like jet could have told the police everything she knew instead of just twiddling her thumbs and trying to solve her own murder. like i get it’s the point but girl you’ve incriminated yourself in like eighty crimes
- jet not having any women in her life she was really close with. she hated sophia, mom was barely in it, etc. i could say that’s also a theme in AGGGTM but it’s not bc there ended up being a good cast of characters

(SPOILERS AHEAD)
- jet dies before she sees this through???
- we don’t have a real resolution. like: will jj get out? what happened to jets dad and his kidneys? is luke going to jail? like there was no resolution
- speaking of the ending: having an exposition heavy ending without first connecting all the dots that were laid out is such poor writing. and i didn’t expect that from holly. i also didn’t expect jack to be luke’s father?
- maybe we had wayyyy too many pieces (billys mom leaving, emily’s death isn’t an accident, luke’s dad, the construction site, jets injury bc she’s not dead yet, an affair? i could go on)

3.75 ⭐️ !!

The fact that I have now received TWO HJ arcs is just mind blowing. I am forever grateful - a little backstory. April of last year I was in the biggest book slump of my life, I genuinely thought I would never read again. I got an arc for the reappearance of Rachel price and it saved me. 5 stars, no notes, and my favorite book by her. Flash forward to today - spoiler, severe reading slump again. This book didn’t cure my slump but I can always count on her to bring me back one step closer!!

We follow Jett and Jett gets murdered but they do a really bad job (not a spoiler I swear). Jett then wakes up to find she has an aneurysm that will rupture in seven days… so she decides she’s going to solve her own murder.

I wasn’t bored during this story but I wasn’t connecting to all the characters like I usually do. I literally hate her brother, I hate her mom, and her sister in law (probably the point). This is HJ’s first adult book and I was pleasantly surprised. I literally laughed out loud during some parts. Quick easy and fun read!

Holly Jackson has outdone herself again, and I don’t know how she keeps doing it!!!! I didn’t know if I would like this book based off the description. Jet having seven days to solve her own murder. I thought she would be a ghost but no she’s alive the whole time, which I think is very unique. Like her other books there were lots of twists and secrets revealed.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! Wow, really well done! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I will saw the beginning threw me off to who was narrating this story. A lot of it was Jets thoughts, but she would refer to herself in the third person. Threw me off in the beginning but I got used to it.

It was a fun and sad ride. My heart broke for Jet many times. Especially dealing with my sisters passing (8 yr anniversary) while reading this I was even more emotional. Things hit a lot harder.

Two things I was meh about - the amount of F bombs dropped felt a little unnecessary. Maybe I just take the f word as more of a way to show frustration, and I felt like it was used every time Jet spoke.

All in all I really enjoyed the book! I definitely knew who it was but it was an exciting adventure!

Not Quite Dead Yet raises the stakes almost immediately as we meet the main character Jet and have to figure out who attacked her. Jet is a lovable and funny main character, and you become invested in her very early on. As a reader you really feel the urgency of Jet’s time ticking down as she tries to figure out her “killer” with her childhood best friend Billy. I think the mystery/plot was developed well and the resolution was satisfying. I believe this is Jackson’s first adult fiction novel after writing YA and some of that type of writing shows up here (weird instances of too much swearing, oddly timed and overkill jokes), but not enough to be distracting. I think this was a great first adult mystery/thriller for Jackson and I hope she continues to write more for this genre! I would definitely pick up another one by her. I highly recommend this book! (5/5)

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

ARC Read
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
Release date July 22 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have absolutely loved everything I’ve read by Holly Jackson.

If you had the chance to solve your own murder is there anything you wouldn’t do? Jet and Billy are childhood friends and go on an adventure to finding the killer and why they did it. Jet is strong, brave, and fearless.
The letters at the end of this book broke me. But who doesn’t love a good cry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for a complimentary early release copy of Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson.

The premise of Jet trying to solve her own murder is what initially caught my attention, the fact that we only get a week with Jet and can see her deteriorating as she gets closer to having the aneurysm is heart breaking however aside from the event of Jet’s murder there were only a few other things that I had enjoyed about the book. I liked the friendship between Billy and Jet, I wouldn’t have mind if the book included more about their relationship regardless if it was romantic or platonic. I love a good soft personality type of character and Billy was definitely giving golden retriever vibes. I really liked the scenes with Reggie the Mason’s dog, it gave the book some small fluff moments that were really needed! Nothing happens to the dog either which is always a good thing!

Around the time after Jet’s murder is when the story went downhill for me. I wasn’t particularly pleased with the direction that the book had gone in more specifically the investigations and the reveals that followed afterwards. I didn’t like many of the characters including Jet herself, she grew on me a bit towards the end but I’m still feeling a bit iffy about her. This wasn’t a story that I found to be particularly thrilling/suspenseful, the story often felt predictable, and the reveals lackluster.

“This past week, I haven’t really been dying. I think, maybe, it’s the opposite. I’ve finally been living.”

After a brutal attack, Jet is left for dead. But she’s not quite dead…yet. Due to her injuries she’s been told she has days to live. And she’s using that time to solve her own murder.

Solving your own murder is such a fun and wild concept for a mystery novel. This book is action packed and also carries the nuances of complex family dynamics and what it’s like to face death.

I thought this was going to be the first Holly Jackson book where I clocked the twist right away… I was wrong (per usual). Like her other novels, Not Quite Dead Yet leaves you on the edge of your seat the whole time and is always leading you on to new possibilities.

I love the main character, Jet. She so fiery and funny. For me personally, she’s the most relatable main character I’ve ever read about.

Poor sweet Billy… he is an amazing supporting character that’s “perfect” but not so perfect he’s unrealistic.

Billy and Jet’s friendship is the absolute best. They’re so Ravi and Pip coded with teamwork detectiving and living for the small moments.

This is the second book EVER that has made me sob uncontrollably (my husband got me ice cream). Jackson has the most subtle yet brutal way of playing on reader’s emotions, in the best and worst way possible.

Perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and other modern mysteries.
This is Holly Jackson’s first adult book. I feel like her writing has always been mature and emotionally intelligent. I think what makes this book adult is the aged up MCs and more swearing.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballintine for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. For full transparency, I may be a bit bias since I love anything Holly Jackson writes.

5 Stars

this one was so interesting to read! very much in line with Good Girl's Guide to Murder and develops its own themes well. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Well that was a trip. After an attack, Jet learns that she has only about a week left to live due to brain trauma. So she enlists her former best friend to help her solve her impending murder. As they do they learn that their families and community have hidden secrets. This is the kind of book that’s difficult because you know what ultimately is going to happen but not how the loose end will be tied up. I don’t want to give away too much but it was twisty. The conclusion was surprising, I will say that much.

A huge shout out to NetGalley, Holly Jackson, and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC! It took me a full day to wrap my head around the events of this book, and I still don't know if I have fully recovered. 😭 My mind is blown, and this is an absolute must-read! 🤯

Margaret "Jet" Mason is attacked on Halloween night, resulting in a fragment of her skull embedded in her brain and a 1 week death sentence. Feeling like she hasn't accomplished anything in her 27 years of life, she vows to accomplish the biggest thing yet... solve her own murder.

With the help of her childhood friend, Billy, Jet uncovers way too many secrets about way too many people in, not just her town, but her own family. It is quite the ride, let me tell you. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor on several occasions!

I absolutely loved Five Survive by this author so I was so excited to pick up Not Quite Dead by Holly Jackson, her adult debut!! At the time of picking it up, nothing was holding my attention, but this immediately drew me in.

The premise? So fun. The main character, Jet, is attacked, finds out she’s going to die sometime in the next week, and decides to solve her own murder,It seemed a little outlandish before starting that she just knew she was going to die in a few days, but the explanation behind it was actually really well done. This was quite different from a traditional thriller, the humorous tone and quirky main character was more similar to a (dark) cozy mystery.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book! The plot was captivating, the main character was fun to follow, the ending was satisfying. The characters were so complex and I loved them so much. At (most) times it felt like the main character was taking forever to put two and two together, but she had a brain injury so I’ll cut her some slack.

Could not put down! What would you do if you only had 7 days before you died? Jet has suffered a traumatic brain injury and is on a mission to find out who her killer is before she dies in 7 days. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming! Another great read from Holly Jackson!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC of Not Quite Dead Yet. 27 year old Jet is living at home, telling her parents she will do things "later". Well when Jet flakes on helping her parents like she said she would and goes home, her life changes for the worse. An intruder comes in the house and hits her 3 times with an unknown object. Jet wakes up in the hospital and is informed she has two options, a surgery that she only has a 10% chance of surviving or having a week left to live until a brain aneurysm takes her life. Jet very quickly learns that "later" is not always a given. Jet chooses the latter and decides to use the week finding out who murdered her and she does this with her best friend, Billy. Billy is the best sidekick ever and it is obvious the feelings he has for Jet. This book was action packed and fast paced. I enjoyed trying to figure out who did it along with Jet. It was not at all who I suspected. I will say I did not really love how the book ended. I won't give details that spoil the ending but I felt like there would have been a better way to end it. Not that the ending made the rating of this book any less. A true mystery, suspense, thriller, story and one that I could not put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this free ARC. I will be posting to Goodreads and fable closer to the release date.

I absolutely loved the premise of this story. It was captivating because it was different than most thrillers since she was solving her own murder. It was a little hard to get into at first because I wasn’t a fan of Jet, but it eventually picked up and hooked me! I also liked Jet as the story progressed. I felt like everything wrapped up and came together for an amazing ending. I really appreciate that the author didn’t throw a crazy ridiculous end twist. Sometimes those work, others don’t. And this definitely was a story that didn’t need it. It had me guessing all the way up to the conclusion and can’t wait for more adult Holly Jackson novels in the future.