⭐️⭐️⭐️3/5

This was my 2nd book by Holly Jackson.

I thought this book started off very strong but went on way too long. But Honestly this book was just ok. The plot had so much potential— but it never really did anything and the ending left me unsatisfied.

I wasn’t really invested in the characters. (Although felt bad for jet the FMC) They all seemed immature and clueless. This mystery of who attacked her did keep me going..

I know Holly Jackson is typically a YA author. Can’t quite put my finger on what it was but it felt very YA to me. I think if it was labeled as YA and I knew that going in it would have hit better.

I will continue reading her books.

Thank you for the ARC!

A clever premise and a twist in the plot made this a good read. Jet is determined to uncover the identity of the person who has effectively murdered her in the seven days she has left to live. SO many possibilities but which one hated her so much and why? Know that Jet is very privileged and may well seem immature to you (she did to me) but she's one determined woman. Secrets. lies. and a sad love story add to the mix. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good popcorn book.

I throughly enjoyed this book! 5/5 stars for Holly Jackson again!! Thank you NETGALLEY and penguin house for the ARC. This book follows a young women with a week to live as she solves her own murder. The twists and turns in this book are well done and you emotionally connect with the main character on such a deep level.

“Best week of your life, huh, Billy?”
“You said it, Jet.”

So Holly Jackson is a mystery/thriller genius to me. This book is INSANE! The twists, the drama, the characters. So good. Also deeply upsetting. I would advise against rooting for a main character with an expiration date looming over her head, but it is seriously impossible not to love Jet. And poor sweet Billy. Oh how I loved him. Their story was so sweet and so depressing. I unfortunately guessed the murderer after they found the murder weapon, but the plot kept me on my toes for about 90% of the book. That’s impressive! If you’ve enjoyed Jackson’s other books, this is right on par. You’ll love this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantom for the ARC! This was by far the coolest and most exciting one I’ve received yet.

This book has one of the best premises ever. Woman is injured in a way that will kill her in seven days and she uses that time to solve her murder. The execution was pretty well done. My biggest gripe has to be the main character Jet. For the majority of the book she acts like a bratty teen. I paused reading to make sure I was remembering her age correctly. She does have a good growth and redemption arc before the expected end. I am also a little conflicted about the ending. After all, the entire book is based on finding the killer and the ending was abrupt. I think all fans of Holly Jackson will enjoy this book.

As always a FANTASTIC read by Holly Jackson. She can do no wrong in my book!

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

While a little predictable, this was a binge in one setting book!

(Thank you NetGalley for the advanced read!)
I would say this was between 3-3.5 stars for me. I liked how it reminded me of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in that it was a duo trying to solve a crime in real time and it had good intensity in the pacing for the main character. It was also an interesting concept for having a time crunch as the main character tries to solve her own murder. However, I did get bored between 25%-75% of the way through with being strung along of “could it be this or that”. I also (personally) don’t like where main plot points and answers are given in the very last few pages and then everything is rushed faster-to where it also opens up more questions and less closure for characters, but that could just be me.
All in all, I like this author so I did enjoy her latest read but it wasn’t as thrilling as other reads of hers.

I know this is Holly Jackson’s first foray into adult fiction so I was thrilled to read this. I’ve been on a roll with thrillers lately so my expectations were high. Majority of the characters were unlikable and so I had a hard time becoming invested in the story itself. This premise reminded me a bit of the show School Spirits. I thought it dragged a bit but ultimately I was pleased with the big reveal. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

✧ Twist on a murder mystery
✧ Quirky main character
✧ Family secrets
✧ Chronic illness/disability rep
✧ TWs: death, murder, violence

This was such a unique concept, and I think it really paid off! Having the main character solve her own murder allowed us to really get to know her as a person, not just as a victim. I really enjoyed Jet as a main character – she was messy and flawed, but also so funny and real. I loved the discussion of purpose and the difficulty of figuring out what you want to do with your life as an adult. (I can definitely relate as a recent uni grad…) Outside of Jet, the other characters were a little archetypal for my liking, playing their specific roles to surround Jet as a main character, without much intrigue of their own, in my opinion. That said, I don’t think that side characters in the mystery/thriller genre necessarily need to go beyond this, so I’m not mad.

I figured out who the killer was about two chapters before the characters once all of the information had been laid out, so I wasn’t really shocked at the last chapter’s reveal. And I still feel pretty conflicted about the ending…I’m getting sick of the villain and hero monologuing at each other in the final chapter, but I can’t seem to escape it in mystery/thrillers anymore. I also think that the killer’s motivations for attacking Jet were weak, and I didn’t really feel it when they explained themselves in the end – which made me pretty sad because I’d gotten attached to Jet, only to find out that she died for kind of a silly reason (in my opinion). The saddest part, though, was that (SPOILER: Jet had to die without knowing the truth. I guess most (if not all other) characters who are murdered never know who killed them, but I was rooting for her to figure it out!)

Aside from these gripes about the ending, however, I really enjoyed the journey this story took us on. I flew through this book, as if I were on a time crunch just like Jet. If you like Holly Jackson as an author and are looking for a unique mystery/thriller, I’d recommend picking this up!

Jet Mason was murdered and in seven days she’ll be dead. This book had me in an absolute choke hold. I read it in two days because I HAD to know who did it. My guess was completely wrong. Jet is determined to finally finish what she starts by figuring out who attacked her in her home that will eventually lead to her death in seven days. I can honestly say that I hate quite a few characters in this story, they’re truly awful people. Holly Jackson has a way of bringing her characters to life that keeps me up reading well past my bed time.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

4.5 Stars
It's rare for me to rate a thriller more than 3.5 stars, but Not Quite Dead Yet was so good! I read about 3/4 of it in one night. By the time I hit the halfway mark, I couldn't put it down. This was my first book by Holly Jackson, and I'm definitely interested in reading more now.

I usually think that thrillers and mysteries start slow, but I was hooked pretty quickly with this one. Following Jet and her hunt to find her murderer in her last days to live. I love it in a mystery/thriller when they give you enough to figure out the answer, but not until right before the reveal. So most of the book you're coming up with theories, but not having enough to be quite confident in any of them until just before the character has it. That's what happened for me with Not Quite Dead Yet. Highly recommend.

I received a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⁀➷--↠ 4.75 ★ Thank you to NetGally and the author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🩸🔪🧠🌲🚙

✧Spoiler free✧

I fell in love with Holly Jackson's writing the first time I picked up AGGGTM and it's obvious from this masterpiece that she continues to deliver intriguing, exciting and emotion-packed books.

Nobody, and I mean nobody writes a fun dynamic murder-solving duo like HJ.

Jet (the main character) and Billy (the sidekick) band together to solve Jet's murder. These two characters with hearts of gold were forceful and demanded your attention on each page. There was nothing I loved more than Jet's sarcastic personality offset by Billy's gentle heart. The plot occasionally dragged but these two goofballs really carried the story fr.

On the topic of goofballs, sometimes Jet's speech and mannerisms seemed a little juvenile. Like her character was tip-toeing the line between YA and adult. Her frequent middle fingers and overly morbid humor was hilarious and entertaining at first, but around 40% it started getting annoying. Her constant jokes about dying and death quickly got old. Like we get it. You're going to die in a week! Now let's focus on solving this murder. On a positive note, I think many young people will read this book because of the popularity surrounding agggtm, and the dark, slightly manic humor will really speak to them and they will enjoy it immensely.

I'm not going to talk about the ending 'cause spoilers duh, but I will say that the ending had me in tears and had me shocked to my very core. A true roller coaster ending. The very best kind. Holly Jackson you are a genius and I will definitely be re reading this one.

I had previously read A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder and I enjoyed that book but I have to say this one I didn’t enjoy as much.

For the pros, the premise is really interesting. Basically the main character Jet gets attacked and finds out that she only has days to live due to a medical condition that was caused by that attack and in that time she decides she wants to solve her own murder and find out who it was that did it.

These are the cons that I found:

I know this is listed as an adult book but honestly, I have to say it did feel more like a young adult novel and I’m not sure why. I had to keep reminding myself that the main character Jet was an adult and not a high school kid.

Jet as a main character was a bit insufferable. I tried to understand that maybe part of her action were due to the fact that she had been attacked, but the story started before her attack and she was insufferable then so I will say Jet as a character wasn’t very likable to me.

Also, the book felt a bit long to me. Some of the details could’ve been taken out and it wouldn’t have changed the context of the book and I think they should’ve done that because it was really drawn out.

With all that being said, It was OK. I just didn’t find it extremely interesting and at times I did have to push through to finish it.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Not Quite Dead Yet is an emotional, twisty thriller with a tender love story and propulsive plot.

I devoured this one. The characters were well-developed and compelling, especially Jet and Billy. The romance between Jet and Billy was achingly beautiful, making this story unexpectedly, deeply romantic. The pacing was excellent, complementing the twisty and engaging plot. I adored the twists and reveals, and the ending was brilliant and emotional (I cried). Holly Jackson’s prose was immersive, delivering a captivating adult debut. I highly recommend this spectacular story!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

On Halloween night, our MC Jet is attacked and murdered by a catastrophic blow to her head. The catch? As the title states, she is not *quite* dead yet. Her injury will prove to be fatal and she is given at max 7 days to live. With her remaining time, Jet sets out to solve her own murder.

What a premise, amiright?! After loving Holly Jackson’s YA thrillers including the AGGGTM series, I was so excited for her adult thriller debut! I went in hoping for an unputdownable read. Unfortunately, that is not quite what I got :/

Jet as a character is difficult to like. She is abrasive, she is snippy, and she is rude. Because of this, I felt like it took me some time to settle in and adjust to being in her head. And her family and nearly everyone else in the story? God they suck!!! Now I don’t read a thriller for the warm and fuzzies but man… this cast is a doozy.

The plot was also much more medically focused than I anticipated (though now looking at the cover and the depiction of a brain, this is likely on me, whoops!). I’m sure those with a stronger stomach will be fine, but the detailed discussions describing Jet’s injury were nooooot for me. In fact, they made me quite squeamish. Once I realized the level of detail we were going to discuss, I braced myself for the remainder of the book, especially as Jet’s symptoms progressed.

My largest complaint (and the biggest bummer for me) was the pacing. I feel like the storyline could have been tightened up and shortened. I struggled with feeling bored and not super compelled to pick the book back up (which is not what I want in a thriller!!). That is until the 75% mark. Then we’re flying! Shit is hitting the fan! I cried???? (I was shocked too lol). I didn’t guess the twist, which normally I would be cheering over, but it and the ending didn’t land for me so I am left sitting here feeling very womp womp womp.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballatine) for the early advanced copy of Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson. I really liked Jet’s story. I’ve never read a reverse investigation, but this was really good. The pacing and writing were well done, and I was engaged until the end. Jet, the protagonist, had really good character development. It’s just a shame that her being able to come into her own could only happen after she was murdered. I loved her snark and that she was willing to get the job done even in her last breath. Billy was the sweetest guy. The Watson to Jet’s Holmes, and I hated that they couldn’t build a life with each other. That was really tragic, but that made the consequences all the more real. I hated that some of the most innocent characters got caught up in the manipulation of other characters, thereby putting them through so much sadness. One thing I didn’t like was the songs in this: I always hate singing in books. If you enjoy snarky protagonists, amateur detectives, and small-town mysteries, this is an engaging read.

This one starts out with a bang! The main character, Jet, is attacked and told she likely has only a week to live due to a brain aneurysm caused by a bone fragment lodged in her brain. She decides to spend her final days tracking down her “killer” but in the process, she uncovers so much more. There are plenty of great surprises and twists along the way. This was such a fun and fast-paced read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

The arc gods definitely blessed me with this one! I devoured this book from start to finish. I have never read a thriller quite like this one and I absolutely loved the premise, especially because I went into it completely blind.

On Halloween night Jet survives her own murder and with seven days to live she decides she is going to solve it before she dies. This book was filled with family drama, tension, and lots of betrayal. The ending? Immaculate. Perfectly tied up into a neat little bow. This has been and will probably stay my favorite thriller of 2025.

Thank you for the chance to read one of my most anticipated reads as an arc. When this hit my email I was gasping and jumping up and down. I cant wait to buy my physical copy for my shelf!

5⭐️s - Buckle up for this fast-paced, twisty thriller! So first of all, I loved this author’s series: A Good Girls Guide to Murder. Super fun and enjoyed reading those so when Holly Jackson announced this one, I definitely had to read it. I was lucky enough to receive the ARC and loved it! The characters were awesome and just loved the main character, Jet, and her spunk and determination. I did not see the twists coming there at the end and got me! I had to take a deep breath for that fireworks and heart pounding conclusion! So good! This one comes out this month and a fun summer thriller! I pre-ordered a signed copy so can’t wait to add to my collection!

Expected release: 7/22/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

Well this is hands down my favorite Holly Jackson book. I absolutely loved the plot of this one. I very much enjoyed our characters even though I found the mother to be so unlikable. Jet trying to solve her own murder, while still being alive was a really good premise to me. Seeing how the people in her life played a role in what happened to her was really well done. I didn't feel like there were a bunch of side characters coming out of the wood work. And while you may guess some pieces of the story, the parts coming together was well done.

Jet's story was perfectly paced, the characters all had the proper roles, and the ending was very satisfying.