CW: assault, murder/attempted murder, abandonment, and death of child/sibling

Thanks to @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for the e-ARC for review. Holly Jackson is the queen of thrillers and murder mysteries, and her debut adult novel was no different. I lost sleep because I was so invested in this book. The premise was clever and novel — a young woman racing against time to solve her own murder before the catastrophic injuries to her brain trigger a fatal aneurysm. I loved Jet’s determination and wit and was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected disability rep in this book, including traumatic brain injury, kidney disease, and aphasia. While the TBI and impending aneurysm were mainly to drive the plot and serve as a ticking clock, I found her symptoms convincing and well-explained and represented, especially her inability to recall words. The twists and turns were incredible and surprising. I was able to guess the murderer in the very end right before the big reveal, but it took a lot of wrong guesses and red herrings to get there. If you want to lose yourself in a thriller, Jackson is the GOAT, and this lives up to the hype after her incredibly successful book and TV series TGGGTM.

🏷️: #NotQuiteDeadYet #HollyJackson #NetGalley

Holly Jackson gives us a ticking clock and a heroine who is a lot—in the best chaotic, messy way.

Let’s start with the truth: this book throws a TON of characters at you right away. Like, names flying left and right, and I had to pause and remind myself who was who more than once. Definitely a bit overwhelming at first, but once you settle in, the story really hits.

Jet, our FMC, is spiraling after a Halloween night attack leaves her with a fatal prognosis: a head injury that will kill her within a week. Her reaction? Solve her own attempted murder before it’s too late. Wild? Yes. Emotional? Absolutely. Logical? …not really, but you’ll be rooting for her anyway.

She’s dramatic and a little unhinged, and while I sometimes wanted to shake her and say “girl, please chill,” I also felt for her. Like—if I only had a week left? Yeah, I’d be a bit extra too. Her past is rough, and that trauma shows up in her actions, which actually made her feel real, even when she was being a lot.

Now, let’s talk feels.
I didn’t sob, but I definitely got misty-eyed toward the end. The book quietly guts you with these small, emotional punches. It's a story that reminds you how fragile life is—and how people can surprise you in the worst and best ways.

Would I call it a five-star? Not quite. But I really enjoyed it. Once I pushed past the early character overload, I was hooked. It’s strange and sad and compelling, and it left me wishing for just a little bit more.

When Jet is attacked by an unknown assailant, doctors tell her she has at most a week left to live before the aneurysm erupts and kills her. Jet is determined that she will figure out what happens and enlists her childhood best friend to help her do it.

Holly Jackson is the queen of leaving nothing on the table. Twists and turns abound in this tense adult debut. A bit slow to start but all around a perfect summer thriller and everything we've come to expect from Holly Jackson.

Wow. Just wow. Holly does it again. I absolutely devoured this book. It kept me guessing. Every time I thought it was correct, I was wrong until I finally got it towards the end. Thank you for the ARC.

Jet needs to solve her own murder. She never thought she had enemies, but after a major attack leaving her with a brain injury, she decides she needs to figure it out who did it. The catch? She has seven days, at most, to live and solve it.

Holly Jackson is a queen of YA thrillers and this was no exception. The premise was so interesting and the execution was chef's kiss. It was twisty, exciting, and the characters were all so great.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: A young woman has one week to solve her own murder.

Thoughts: First of all, I think you should go into this book without too much prior knowledge. This is such a clever and unique concept - I don’t even care if it’s realistic or not because it is just so well done and entertaining. The characters are amazing, the twists are twisting, and the ending is wild. I even got a little teared up (not my usual reaction when reading a thriller!) Go pick this one up if you want an unputdownable thriller - you won’t be disappointed! One of my favorite thrillers of the year for sure.

Read this if you like:
🧠 psychological thrillers
🧠 murder mystery
🧠 sassy, sarcastic main character
🧠 small town
🧠 family drama

one of my favorite books i’ve read from holly jackson (and i have read them all!!!). i love her storytelling so much and there’s just something so special about the way she incorporates romance in her books that just play so genuinely and hurt you in a way that she almost (definitely) promises in all her books. no matter how much you want a happy (romantic) ending, she always promises the most realistic outcome and i always walk away from her work more appreciative of her candor and the way she stays true to herself with every book. she horrifies me in the best way. can’t wait to reread this final version that’s officially out now! (i cried for two hours after finishing this at 2 AM btw)

Well, color me impressed.

I have read Holly Jackson before, numerous books. This one definitely sounded different from her others and knew I wanted to read it. I was not disappointed! This book grabbed me from the get-go and never let loose!

We follow Jet as she has a genetic kidney disorder that makes life complicated....more so when a violent crime causes her to have a limited time left to live. Therefore, she takes matters in her own hands and tries to find her "killer" in the time left....since a quick death is inevitable she tries to solve her own murder because she's 'not quite dead yet'

I rarely have a book create emotions of sadness or grief. I can list one other book that has hit my heart. Now, make that two. This book definitely gut punches the emotions.

I don't give out 5 stars willy nilly - can probably count on both hands how many I've handed out. But this one, this one deserves it! Bravo!

Thank you for the opportunity!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson in exchange for my honest review and opinion! OMG welcome to publishing day! This book is one absolutely amazing read! Holly Jackson knocks it out of the park! You will find yourself turning the pages as fast as you can, as you will be sitting on the edge of your seat holding your breath waiting to find out what is going to happen next. The ending - WHOA! So incredibly good! Way to go, Holly!

💀Not Quite Dead Yet💀

Holly Jackson is one of my favorites authors, and her adult debut is out NOW! 🎉

I was in a bit of a reading slump, and NOT QUITE DEAD YET pulled me right out of it 👏

Jet Mason was violently attacked on Halloween night and suffers a horrific head injury. The doctor is certain she will be dead in seven days, and Jet wants to be the one to solve her own murder.

I love books where a character becomes an amateur sleuth 🕵️‍♀️

If I was told I had a week to live, I would be spending those days checking things off my bucket list, but I understood Jet’s motives. She felt like her life hadn’t amounted to anything, and figured solving her murder would be something she could follow through.

Jet’s voice and POV kept me engaged in the story, and I had fun trying to solve the crime right along with her!

There were some twists I definitely didn’t see coming 🤯 and I thought this was a hit from start to finish!

Solid adult thriller debut for YA author Holly Jackson. Small town thriller that uncovers plenty of secrets. An attack on Jet Mason leaves her with limited time to find the culprit before an aneurysm kills her. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy for a honest review.

Thank you to Random House, NetGalley and Holly Jackson for my #gifted copy of this book.

Jet Mason is attacked in her home on Halloween, When she wakes up, she finds out she has a brain aneurysm and only has 7 days to live. She decides that she is going to use that time to solve her own murder. With the help of her childhood best friend Billy, she investigates who would want her dead, was it her sister-in-law and former friend? Was it her ex-boyfriend? Was it the town drunk who hates her family? Was it her very own brother?

This book had so many twists and turns, I love a good mystery to solve and I tried to solve this one right along with Jet and Billy. Each day more small town secrets are revealed as well as secrets her own family has. It definitely kept me turning pages. I did figure out who the killer was about 2 pages before it was revealed, so I count that as a win!

This was also surprisingly emotional, there were a couple of times that I found my eyes getting misty and I was not expecting that in a mystery book.

I did have to suspend belief for parts of this story, like Jet being able to walk out of the hospital with a severe head injury after just waking up from her attack. And although this is an adult mystery, it read as a YA book. The characters were in their late 20's but often acted as if they were younger.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It kept me turning pages, I wanted to solve the mystery and there were so many secrets revealed that I had to know how it ended. Not Quite Dead Yet is out TODAY!

I loveddd AGGGTM, so when I heard Holly Jackson was releasing her first novel for adults, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Holly Jackson really knows how to craft an intricate storyline, and is such an amazing crime/mystery author. Building up a cast of culprits, only to systematically disprove each one, while subtly giving clues of the identity of the real offender, is not an easy feat. And there is so much to unpack in this novel!

I could not have guessed the multiple twists in this book; though I did guess a minor twist right before it was revealed, I didn’t know them all. And honestly, the journey to get to each one was so great I’m not sure I would have minded even if I did. And I loved the dark humor throughout. I literally laughed out loud multiple times, despite the serious content.

Goodness, Billy and Jet were wonderful. Childhood best friends that now reconnect for her last week of life, on this crazy mission together but finally living and loving. Everyone needs a Billy in their life 🥹

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you Random House Ballentine and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Go find new stars, Billy" 🥹

Happy Release Day to Not Quite Dead Yet!!

Holly Jackson never fails to amaze me and she once again delivers an amazing, gripping thriller! Not Quite Dead Yet is an adult book centered around the mystery of “who killed Jet”. I was LOCKED IN from the first chapter and did not put this book down until I finished in a puddle of tears. With the classic Jackson storytelling but in a darker adult world, we follow Jet Mason, a 27 year old with a ticking time bomb in her brain. Jet is messy, intelligent, flawed, and vulnerable. I fell in love with her from the first page because I think we have all been in her shoes before, trying to find direction in our life. Jet has 7 days to solve her murder so she recruits Billy, the boy next door/ childhood friend. SWEET SWEET BILLY, I adored this man!! He is with Jet through every chaotic, gut-wrenching, emotional moment and is always there to provide unwavering support to Jet. This man deserves the biggest hug in the world. He loved Jet so well for so long 💔

The pacing of the book was perfect. With Jet being on a deadline, it felt like impending doom was going to happen every other page. The suspense was built so well through different characters, secret reveals and motives. Some of the plot reveals were easy to guess but the overall story was so addicting to read. I finished this book laughing, gasping, sobbing, and just wrecked from the devastation and emotional whiplash that this ending was. Not Quite Dead Yet is a fast-paced thriller that everyone needs to pick up!

Rating 4.5⭐️ rounded up

Thank you SO SO much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have been a fan of all of Holly, Jackson’s books, and I can’t say I read much YA. that’s why I was so excited that she was writing an adult thriller and I was so happy to get an advanced copy. I had to restart this book twice because the beginning made me feel like it was going to be a little too creepy, but it was also slow at the same time. Once I got into the book, I absolutely loved it though. It was such a creative way to write a book and the twists kept coming at the end. I can’t wait to see what Holly does next!

Holly Jackson delivers another gripping thriller—this time with an adult cast at the center of the mystery. It’s refreshing to see her signature storytelling style applied to characters beyond the YA world, bringing a darker, more layered tone to the narrative.

The plot carries an ever-present sense of impending doom as Jet sets out on a chilling quest to uncover the truth about her own murder. Jackson expertly builds suspense, weaving in red herrings and a wide cast of characters, each with their own secrets and motives. While some twists are easy to spot, the journey remains addictive and emotionally engaging.

While it didn’t end up being my favorite of her works, it was still a tense, fast-paced mystery that will keep fans of Jackson’s work turning pages late into the night

I've never read anything by Holly Jackson, so I was looking forward to getting into her adult debut since her YA thriller series is widely acclaimed. I find that I enjoy thrillers written by authors who mostly write young adult, so I had high hopes for Not Quite Dead Yet.

However, this book has a really strong start then devolves into a series of events that are nearly impossible to believe, starting with a medical team releasing someone with severe head trauma and looming aneurysm into the world with the only instructions being "redress your wound." This is more of a whodunit mystery than it was a thriller for me, but it had a unique slant of the person who was murdered being the one to solve their murder. But it required so much suspension of belief that it gets a little out of hand.

Jet is childish, bratty, and, even though she was dying, the way she constantly reminded everyone around her at least once a chapter got very repetitive even if it was a valid thing to do. Her teaming up with her childhood best friend Billy would have been more tolerable to me if their time spent together had been less filled with secrecy and leaving things unsaid. I feel like if someone is dying in your dynamic you should get it off your chest? They felt like two teenagers ~gettin' to the bottom of it~ the entire time.

I think what really brought this down for me was how selfish and deeply self-serving nearly every character in this book was. And there are a LOT of characters. It started to feel kitsch-y at one point, and then I just started reading to get to the end. I didn't see the end coming, so there's that.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

2.75 ⭐️s

I am tearing up at this book. I started and finished in ~12 hours because I needed to make sure I helped Jet solve this before she died (???).

This was (obviously) reminiscent of AGGGTM, but with a lot more swears and dark off the bat. I can’t get i to too much without spoiling anything, but this was 5/5. I sort of saw the overarching twist but didn’t expect the smaller twist. I wish this wasn’t a standalone, and I wish I could see more of Billy.

🌱| Fast-paced read. Solid twists. Snarky punches. I think I think I might enjoy more as audio. I’ll be listening as a re-read. 🎧✨

I am always amazed with some authors. There are some authors that lose a bit of the magic the more they write. Then there are authors like Holly Jackson that keep me engaged and on the edge of my seat with every book.
Jet is a young adult who seems a bit flaky, almost a disappointing person, until you know more about her. While trying to figure life out and find a purpose Jet is brutally attacked and the killer presumes they've killed her, but Jet isn't dead. Once treated for her injuries Jet learns she has just 7 days to live. With the help of her childhood best friend, Billy, she goes against the advice of her family, the police, and doctors she sets out to solve her own murder.
I enjoyed these characters, but Billy was by far my favorite. I wish everyone could have a Billy in their life.