Loved this book! Author is great so I’m not surprised. Story line was fantastic! Also loved the cover on the book too.

When Jet Mason is attacked on Halloween night by an unseen intruder, she has potentially deadly head trauma and needs to figure out who attacked her while her condition deteriorates. I really enjoyed the main characters of the book, especially Jet, but obviously we know she has an expiration date, according to the doctors. This was absolutely a "who dunnit" book, and the FMC must figure it out before her time expires. This was a fast paced read, and I attribute that the literally clock counting down the time she has left. I won't lie; the ending shattered me (no spoilers). I highly enjoy Holly Jackson's writing, and this one was no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early!
Holly Jackson wrote her first adult thriller, and let me tell you, it was so good! It is truly an emotional journey we go on as the main character, Jet, attempts to solve her own murder along with her estranged boy-next-door bestie, Billy.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the entire situation of how Jet is not only alive, but actually walking around is kind of unbelievable. Okay, it’s insane. But, if you look past that, wow! What a good plot for a book!
This book made me laugh (yes, out loud!!) and it also made me cry (real tears, people.) If you’re a Holly Jackson fan, you may know Holly is a queen of twists BUT ALSO she’s a queen of making me emotional. At least the dog survives in this one. (Holly, I still don’t forgive you for you know who.)
The twists and turns this book took me on were so fun and it kept me guessing the whole time! There were truly so many ways it could have gone. So much evidence that it really could have been anyone. But, when it came down to it, the real baddie made so much sense! I love a book that keeps you guessing.
If you’ve never read a Holly Jackson book before, make this one your first! It truly was so entertaining. Have some tissues ready at the end.
Also Holly if you’re reading this: I don’t hate you. I am not disappointed. HOWEVER, how could you do that to me??? Actual tears sitting at my desk on my lunch break??
I really only have myself to blame. You did warn me, after all.
If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. Absolutely loved it, as always!

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
•Spoilers-free•
4.5 ⭐️

It’s Holly Jackson’s adult debut! This book is about Jet, a twenty-seven-year-old who’s always chasing the next big thing, and ends up being murdered in her own living room. Miraculously, she’s alive, but only has a week to live. Her last wish? Find out who murdered her.

This author’s books have been a little hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed this book! Jet was a bit too much for me, but considering her family and life situation, her wild coping mechanisms made sense. I really enjoyed the love interest, and the mystery was fairly easy to follow while still being twisty and exciting.

I somewhat guessed the ending, but not exactly. I don’t want to spoil, but I did love the ending and how everything unfolded(and it did make me cry 🥹).

If you loved AGGTM, I think you’ll love this slightly matured standalone from her. It’s also great for readers who want fast-paced chapters that constantly surprise you with the next big plot detail. It was hard to put down!

Thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the e-arc!

Qotd: Have you read anything by Holly Jackson? Or seen A Good Girl's Guide to Murder on Netflix?

Release date: July 22nd!

Holly Jackson is such a phenom when it comes to writing twisty thrillers and "Not Quite Dead Yet" is no exception. The book grips readers from the start and they will not want to put it down.

Jet is a woman who thinks she has nothing but time in life. However, that sadly changes when she is attacked in her own home and then told she may have a week to live. It's a whodunit? to determine who caused her impending murder and I loved that premise.

Thank you to Ballantine for selecting me for the ARC. I enjoyed it and can't wait to see the well deserved hype it is about to receive.

A massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an early copy of this book 😊. This is my new favorite mystery/thriller! I thought the premise was really unique and not something I had seen in this genre before. I loved Jet and Billy and I really got attached to these characters. You can’t help but love Jet and feel sad throughout reading her story. This is one where you hope for a different outcome, but every book can’t have a happy ending 🥲. I low key kind of loved that this was a mystery with a very tiny side of romance. The lighthearted.. fun moments were nice when things were getting a little too serious. I highly recommend this to mystery/thriller readers 😊.

Wow, all of the characters in this were insufferable. I was fully supportive of them all having a brain aneurysm and dying. Some of the plot points felt like a stretch and this turned oddly soap opera-y, but it was a good time I think. The letter to Sophia at the end had me dying — pun intended.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★★★★.𝟓 ~ 𝐈𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝


꧁ holly fricken jackson you did it again. i didnt know how this one was going to go because it was an adult mystery, but, yet again, she did an amazing job. as always haha. if you are looking for an edge on your seat, terrifying satisfying, halloween type of mystery book, this is perfect for you. just beware, you will be left with as much trauma as these characters were left with. i will say that the beginning chapter was a little hard for me to get into, but holly jackson has an incredible way of pulling you into these gripping stories. this one in particular was incredible. i will say that so far it’s my leaset favorite out of all of them. not that it was bad, but you cant beat the classic ‘a good girls guide to murder’. the only reason its not a five star book is because there was probably a curse word almost every page and i was definitely uncomfortable for that reason. but i had to keep in mind that is was an adult book so its bound to happen.

it was probably her most violent book, with more descriptive scenes of blood and injuries that made me very shivery, so i wouldnt recommend this if you dont want a violent book. one thing i need to touch on is the SUSPENSE IN THIS BOOK! i can’t even begin to explain how i was going crazy with anticipation. especially counting down the days (not a spoiler). i was going crazy, i kid you not. and that ending?!?! definitely holly jackson core. she just LOVES to do that to us…ill leave it at that…for now. anyways, i would highly recommend this book after you reads the content warnings at the bottom of this review. ꧂


characters

Jet ~ girl…i understood you by the end…but i dont think you were wise. but if i was in your place, i wouldnt act any differently. you deserved so much better but at times, you were pretty unbearable. you did have been throwing my kindle in annoyance occasionally…more times than i should admit but its fineeeee

billy ~ did you dirty with the name but i love youuuuuu. my babyyyyy. you were too good. ravi level good. deserved so much better, poor, sweet, billy (iykyk)

luke ~ i dont like you…but you made up for it in the end so ill tolerate you



꧁ Content warning ꧂

-Cursing (any that exist)
-romance (no kissing or spice, just hints of a potential love, and talks of screwing around)
-adult content (taxes, jobs, etc)

Holly Jackson, I am billing you my therapy bill.

"A dead woman walking. And dead women had no use for fear."

Jet's been attacked and left for dead, but a miracle happened and she did not die. She have 7 days left to live, and she vowed to find her murderer.

Every single book that Holly Jackson wrote is her best work yet. This is probably my 2nd favorite book of hers, with the AGGGTM's series being the first.

I started this for funsies because I wanted a different genre from my previous read, but boy was I glad because reading slump no more.

I love Holly Jackson's writing. She knows how to weave the mystery elements by giving just enough for the readers to keep on reading.

I love Jet. She's steadfast strong, and been single-minded in her goal in solving her murder. As she should. She got a complicated family, with a lot of complex feelings and emotions however, she stood her ground in taking the matters in her own hand. Billy's a surprising character. He's shy but he's helpful and will do everything and anything for Jet. I love to see their dynamic and their journey in solving the crime.

As a fan of mystery thriller genre, I am always looking for the killer, the culprit and boy was I theorizing and doubting everyone right from the start. I was wrong and did not see who did the murder. That was surprising because I did not guess it right.

Now, I started this around 5pm and finished around 11pm with a 4am meeting. I was puffy-eyed and groggy when I woke up but no regrets.

I cannot wait for the rest of the world to read this.

I am a Holly Jackson fan, and she is one of my auto-read author now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House- Ballantine for an E-Arc!

First, I just want to say how much I loved Jet as a character. She was so dry and sarcastic and my type of funny. She most likely will not be for everyone, but she sure was for me.
This storyline was so interesting and nothing I’ve ever read before. I love Holly Jackson’s writing. It was so fast paced and easy to read. I was sucked into the story very quickly and trying to solve the mystery right along Jet the entire time I was reading, and also when I wasn’t.
I will say that one of the people I suspected to have “done it” was true, but there was way more to it than I would have guessed!
Overall another great book from Holly Jackson and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy of this. It was one of my most anticipated releases for this year!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and to PRH Audio for the ALC.

I loved Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series, so I was super excited when it was announced she was writing an adult book!! I was hooked on this book from the very first page, and I didn't want it to end. I must say that if I was Jackson, I would've written the ending of the book in a different way, but we can't always get what we want in life. (I promise I am still a fan, Holly!)

Furthermore, I really liked the audio narration by Alex McKenna (though I kind of wish it was done by Bailey Carr again).

With all of this being said, I can see where some reviewers don't think her writing for an "adult" book was that different than her writing for her YA books, but this personally did not bother me, I am simply putting it in my review, in case readers are expecting a much more drastic writing style than in A Good Girls Guide to Murder.

Overall, this was an unputdownable thriller and I would love to see this adapted into a movie or TV series!

Fast-paced, funny, and full of twists! Thank you to NetGalley and Random house for the ARC!

Holly Jackson’s Not Quite Dead Yet is a thrilling ride from start to finish. As a librarian/teacher who has read all of Jackson’s YA books and often throws them at teens hungry for suspense, I was excited (and a little nosy) to dive into her adult debut. It did not disappoint.

Jet’s dark, deadpan humor had me laughing out loud—even when her family wasn’t. The idea of solving your own murder is wild enough, but when everyone around you seems a little too shady, it becomes downright addictive. Suspicious characters, snappy writing, and a twisty plot make this a must-read for mystery fans. Recommending it to my book club ASAP!

I featured Not Quite Dead Yet in my July 2025 new releases video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5JWYTfUVq4, and though I have not read it yet, I am so excited to and expect 5 stars! I will update here when I post a follow up review or vlog.

4.25 stars

I'm a huge fan of Holly Jackson's YA mysteries, so I was so excited to get to read her adult debut!

Not Quite Dead Yet follows the aftermath of the night Jet Mason was almost murdered. She really should be dead, but somehow she survives a brutal attack. Only, there's a bone fragment dislodged in her brain that will cause a fatal aneurysm in a week. Can she solve her own murder before time runs out?

While I was able to mostly guess how this would wrap up (I think I've read too many mystery/thrillers), I still had a really great time reading this book. There were enough threads to keep the mystery propelled forward, plus the deadline (no-pun intended?) kept the stakes high. I think Jackson's characters still feel slightly young, but I would totally read more adult thrillers from her!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sad to have finished this book—but at least now I can breathe! What an intense, gripping read. The writing was sharp, and the story pulled me in from the very start. Someone comes to kill Jet but doesn’t quite succeed, setting off a relentless and suspenseful hunt for her would-be killer. I was hooked watching Jet navigate this danger, and the plot felt refreshingly unique compared to most mysteries I’ve read.

This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC.

SYNOPSIS
-Jet Mason is 27, rich, and kind of just… existing.
-On Halloween night, she’s attacked in her family’s mansion and suffers a head injury that’s basically a ticking time bomb.
-Doctors say she has a week to live before a fatal aneurysm takes her out.
-So Jet decides to do something, finally: figure out who tried to kill her before she dies.
-It’s a one-woman murder mystery, with help from her childhood friend Billy.
———
MY THOUGHTS
-The premise is genuinely cool. Someone solving their own murder, with a clock running out? I was in.
-But the execution just didn’t hit. It dragged. I kept waiting for it to click, and it never really did.
-Definitely a slow burn, but not in a satisfying way.
-The ending was kind of a letdown. Felt anticlimactic.
.Still had that YA vibe. I actually like Holly Jackson’s YA stuff a lot, but this didn’t feel like an adult debut. Just a slightly older main character and some extra cursing.
-Also, I know this is petty, but the name Jet? I couldn’t get past it. Every time I read it I cringed a little.
-All characters felt pretty surface level.
———
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Loved the idea, didn’t love the follow-through. Definitely readable, just didn’t leave much of a mark.
———
THANKS: Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 22, 2025.

This book has such a promising premise, and I had to read it for myself!

Starting out, I didn’t like Jet at all. She grew on me as I got to know her character more deeply and appreciate her wittiness. She’s sarcastic, rough around the edges, grew up in her dead sister’s shadow, and is someone who has always said “I’ll do it later, I have my whole life to live” until she’s left with a week or so before she succumbs to her injuries from her murder. She’s determined to solve who would want to murder her and why. This leads her down multiple paths as she uncovers the secrets of those around her.

I LOVED Billy and his reliability. He was the sweetest. He was my favorite part of the book.

I wish some of the side characters had more depth or we got to know them deeper than their secrets, I especially wish we got to know more about Jet’s mom and dad as individuals. It is very much the Jet and Billy show.

There’s lots of profanity throughout. I didn’t think it was needed to that extent and took away from parts of the story.

I figured out several of the twists, but still enjoyed the journey and would recommend it to those who love mysteries or thrillers and want a different take on solving murder. I’ve never read a murder mystery where the victim is presented with the limited opportunity to figure out whodunnit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for- Ballantine for providing me with this digital ARC.

“—𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭,” 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐯𝐞.
“𝐍𝐨,” 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝.
“𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞.”

6 stars
› ⌕ .ᐟ.ᐟ ˎˊ˗

first and foremost, thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine, and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions and thoughts here are my own!!

the premise of this story is that you’re following a woman as she tries to solve her own murder. this is her last ditch effort to follow through completely with something in her life. this book takes place around halloween so this is definitely a perfect fall read! overall, i really enjoyed this book. i almost cried at the end… if you’re planning to read this, enjoy, but be prepared for some tearjerker moments. this book was a wild ride, so let’s get into the review shall we?

🕵🏻‍🐾🍂🍟🎤🚔🩸📂💙

⌗⤷ characters
main characters: jet mason & billy finney
i really loved following jet as a main character. and billy was just perfect, he deserves the world. jet is in her late twenties and this book is classified as an adult thriller, but jet read more like a fmc you would find in a young adult book.
i love that billy played the guitar, maybe (definitely) i am biased because i also play guitar, but that just felt like the perfect characteristic for him to have.
the side characters were nearly unbearable, but as that was holly jackson’s goal with most of these characters, i’d say she succeeded in that. jet’s mom was such a jerk. i feel for jet, she is always being compared to other people by her mother and her accomplishments are always downplayed. she really went through some stuff in this book.
also, honorable mention: jet’s dog, reggie. SO CUTEEE!!

⌗⤷ atmosphere
the atmosphere in the book was really good, i felt like i was actually IN the book and living it as i read it. it was super cozy (however, my definition of cozy could be questioned), and creepy, and i definitely want to reread this during fall around the time it actually took place, just to get the full effect ya know???

⌗⤷ writing
the writing style was typical to holly jackson’s other books, and i enjoyed it! the only thing to note is that while this is marked as adult, it reads a bit more like a young adult as i mentioned earlier. someone asked me if i noticed a difference between this and her YA books and that was when i realized it wasn’t a YA so.. i’d say 100% it reads more towards young adult than adult.

⌗⤷ plot
spoiler free!
i had very few issues with the plot, it kept me guessing and kept me interested throughout the whole book. one of the things i did have a slight issue with was the short length of the resolution. i wish we would’ve gotten a little more information and a lot more pages to go with it, but instead it sort of felt like everything was being thrown at us in a rushed attempt to wrap up the story. a longer ending would’ve felt a bit more satisfying in my opinion.
this didn’t affect my enjoyment much though! this book is still definitely one of my favorites and i do recommend it!!

⌗⤷ intrigue & logic
this book was definitely both intriguing and logical. in the acknowledgements, holly says that she worked with a medical professional to make everything in the book as accurate as possible. that was a cool piece of information to learn, and it definitely is evident throughout the book as well!

⌗⤷ other/final thoughts
the letters in this book were such a bittersweet addition i loved seeing them, they felt so real when i was reading them & the letter to the dog ugh🫠🫶🏽
this book is amazing!! READ IT!! but if you want to be completely immersed in the experience, wait until halloween to start reading ;)

Julia Pritzker has become obsessed with horoscopes and astrology following her spiral after watching her husband murdered before her eyes. But she beings to think her luck has changed when she inherits a large sum of money and a house in Italy, from a woman she doesn't know. Intrigued about the inheritance and her potential relationship with this woman, Julia takes a trip to Italy to investigate her biological family she has never met.

She is shocked to learn her benefactor, Emilia Rossi, was seen as a paranoid recluse who believed that she was related to a famous Renaissance ruler. The more time Julia spends at her new home in Italy, the more strange things begin to happen around her and she questions if paranoia is starting to take root in her own mind. Julia embarks on a journey to learn who she is, save her identity, and remain ALIVE!

This book combined a few different things - finding ones identity, supernatural elements, astrology, and a mystery. The astrology component was a bit too much and heavy in the book for me, but the mixing of the other elements were interesting. And I was unable to figure out what was happening before it was spelled out for me at the end - a good ending to a mystery book for me. The book did have some slow parts at times and had some elements of disbelief. But in the end, the story comes together well.

Thank you to Hatchette Audio, Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley and Lisa Scottoline for this eALC in exchange for my honest review.

thank you Netgalley for this arc of holly jackson’s new adult mystery novel, “not quite dead yet!”

overall, i think i would give this a 3.5 — i was leaning towards a 4 for a good 95% of the book, i binged this in two days and thoroughly enjoyed it, but knocking off .5 because i guessed the killer less than halfway through ☹️

this has so many of the same elements i loved of jacksons writing in agggtm and so many of the same aspects i love in a good mystery/thriller — so fast-paced, so layered, so many misdirections + interesting character lore and family secrets, and it all ties together neatly in a bow at the end.

“not quite dead yet” follows twenty-seven year old jet, who after attending her town’s halloween party, endures a fatal brain injury that is sure to kill her but she miraculously wakes up at the hospital. still, the injury is fatal — and jet is given the options between a surgery with a 90% chance of killing her or waiting out the week, knowing with certainty that an aneurysm will kill her, but allows her a little more time to live. jet sets out to solve her own murder within that time, launching this book’s very unique plot in action.

i have loved holly jackson’s young adult mysteries, and was excited to hear about her diversion into writing adult mysteries with this release —- but i have to say, the most “adult” difference in this book is like if you were to imagine a main character like pip that just cusses a lot lol.

not ragging on that, or saying i didn’t enjoy jet’s character — i actually really loved her tenacity, her humor, and her overall values. she was such a strong female lead. i also loved the subplot romance — which brought me close to tears at the end!!!! it definitely was a bit darker too than some of her others, lending to the adult classification, but my fav book of jackson’s previously was the finale to the agggtm series which was definitely the darkest of her books.

like i said, i binged this in 48 hours which i think is the tell of a good mystery. i enjoyed it thoroughly, it kept me engaged the entire time —- but i do wish i didnt guess the killer and felt like there was obvious signs pointing to them, and i just really was hoping to be knocked off my socks and completely wrong. alas, the finale was still great — there were so many deeper layers i couldn’t have guessed and i loved seeing how it all unfolded.

i just loooove how holly jackson writes thrillers. also some of the relationship dynamics, even the dynamics with reggie the dog, reminded me so much of agggtm in the best ways possible. i’ll read whatever she comes out with next and will definitely be recommending this !!!