When Jet's sister tragically passes away when she was just a kid- it was ruled an accident but, as she got older she always felt like there was more to the story. At 27 she is trying to find her place in the world with a rare kidney disease she feels like she is on borrowed time. When she returns home one night- someone attempts to murder her. When she unexpectedly survives the attack she must find out who murdered her. With her long time childhood best friend Billy they set out on an investigation. This was absolutely phenomenal and had me on the edge of my seat the entirety of this book.

The premise of this book is great, but it fell flat for me.

—The pacing is terrible. Soooo slow for this to be a murder mystery. There is so much detail that doesn’t matter to the plot and it’s not even red herrings. It’s just fluff. The book didn’t capture my attention and I had to force myself to finish it.

—I couldn’t suspend my belief that Jet would be doing all the things she was doing with a massive head injury. She lost loads of blood and was wearing head bandages—no way she’s running (literally!) around and not sleeping and lifting things and generally being so active. I couldn’t get past it.

—The plot was predictable. The misdirects were obvious and the final twist wasn’t really that twisty.

The only thing I really liked was the main character’s ending. It felt fitting.

Overall, this is a 2/5 for me. I finished it, but I wouldn’t read this again and I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Bantam for the gifted digital ARC!

I have loved everything I've read by Holly Jackson, and Not Quite Dead Yet thankfully also gets included in that list. Jackson has what I would consider a "formula" in her books, but that's not a bad thing for me. If it works, why mess with it?!

I loved our FMC, Jet, and what an interesting premise for a non-paranormal book: solving your own murder. I was completely hooked from the plot alone, but then I got to know Jet, and the mystery completely sucked me in, and I was completely unable to put this one down. If I'd had the time to devote to finishing this in one sitting, I absolutely would have. Also, I was not prepared for it to emotionally destroy me. So, that was fun.

You're likely going to see reviews alllll over the map for this book, and I completely understand why, but I absolutely LOVED it, so take that for what it's worth!

Not Quite Dead Yet pub date is July 22.

3.75⭐️ rounded up.

I was really interested in the premise of this book – Jet survives her attempted murder, but it results in a brain injury and she is only given one week to live before an aneurysm finishes her off. During her final days, she is determined to solve her own murder.

The story felt high stakes and kept up a quick pace, which made it easy to fly through. But one thing that grated on my nerves the entire time was how often word “sniffed” was used. (88 times to be exact, I checked.) Characters seemed to be sniffing on every other page and once I noticed it, I couldn’t un-see it 😵‍💫

The majority of the characters were pretty unlikable. Jet could be annoying at times, one of those characters who tried to hard to have an idgaf attitude, but she only had one week to live so I can’t really blame her, and she grew on me. Then there’s Billy… poor, sweet Billy. He is the epitome of a golden retriever, which always gives me the ick because I like my men to have a backbone, but he played the part well and redeemed himself slightly at the end. As for the side characters – Dianne? Sophia? See you next Tuesday! Luke? Please learn to chill. Scott, the dad, actually seemed like a good guy and I wish we would have seen a bit more of him. The LEOs fit the stereotypical overused cop molds

I figured out who the murderer was toward the end, BUT did not see that final twist coming. I love some vigilante justice. I felt kinda meh about the first half of the book, but it did keep me hooked. The second half was much more exciting, and I even found myself tearing up while reading the handwritten letters.

Overall, it was a good read, I enjoyed it, but I’ll likely forget about it in a few days.

Ehhhhh…. This really flopped for me tbh 🥲 would’ve been like a 2.5-2.75 star
I’m so sad about this 😭 I was so excited-

Loved this book, though the cover made it seem like a thriller and it’s actually a classic mystery story. The clues are there to solve the story, though red herrings will make it difficult.

Jet was struck by a series of blows to the head, and due to a previous condition, this injury this will kill her within a week. She begins to count on her childhood friend, Billy, to help her solve this crime, and it’s easy to see Billy is in love with Jet. We have a great mystery with well-drawn characters, and even a little bit of love thrown in, and everything needs to be cleared up in 7 days, when the main character dies . Well done!

Wtf Holly. This was lifetime movie level dramatic especially the last 50 pages. wtf.

Ok. I'm down with an author sticking to their guns and just doing the thing. iykyk. Like this was so corny but also so emotional and sad. But hella corny and overdramatic af.
Also, there were some parts that lean more YA especially the first chapter and the "letters" but I get why the decision was made for it to be an adult book.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you liked “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson, then you’ll love her newest book. It has the same vibes, but a little more grown up. Jet is violently attacked in her home and has one week to solve her own murder before her aneurysm ruptures. It is a wild ride full of mystery & twists. I did have a hard time with the female main character for a lot of the book, but I did finally come to understand her by the end and liked her.

I went into this thinking it was going to be like Groundhog Day/Happy Death Day vibes but as per usual I just didn’t read the whole synopsis. Also just to clarify - not mad it was not like that at all.

Holly Jackson writes my absolute favorite thrillers, it’s just something about her writing style. She keeps you guessing the entire book but she adds in some great comedic relief. So while obviously her books are life or death the stakes feel slightly lower (not that they actually are). She also includes romance subplots and i’m a romance girlie at my core.

I will admit that Jet was not my favorite character at the start but she really grew on me. I found her a bit rude and haughty but as you read you realize that’s more of a defense mechanism and a result of her parents more than anything - mostly her mom.

The premise of Jet solving her own murder was done so well. At first I was worried this would just be her working WITH the police but so glad that wasn’t the case. While her methods weren’t the best she was working against time so I think that definitely gives her a pass. I also loved her teaming up with Billy.

Billy was a gem of a character, he was so awkward and shy around Jet but realizing it was all because of his crush made it so endearing. Jet and Billy together were such a great duo and I was dreading ending the book because she is supposed to inevitably die within the week. Like the bar scene?? SO GOOD UGH

About halfway through the book I came up with (what I thought) was an unhinged theory that did end up being right which I’m so sad about. Like it was a theory I had in the beginning but brushed off. When I came up with it for real I was praying I was wrong but unfortunately I was not. But props to Holly Jackson because she really did that plot twist so well. And while I did guess the killer, she really kept you doubting quite literally every character. The way she revealed their secrets and wove them all together into the final motive and reveal was done so well.

I ate this book up so quick and whenever I wasn’t reading, I would sit and theorize about what I think would happen. I truly had such a great time reading this. If you loved any of Holly Jackson’s books then I think you’ll enjoy this one as well!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review ◡̈

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and NetGalley for this eARC.

I was so excited about this advanced e-book. THE Holly Jackson; the mastermind behind AGGGTM has finally dipped her toes into Adult Fiction? The premise behind this book is so incredibly interesting. Someone has been murdered... but not quite yet. An injury that will ultimately lead to death, allowing the MC to try go find her killer? I mean, come on. So incredibly original. Jet is a very strong, in all the ways that a character can be strong (mentally, physically, ect.) female-lead. But some of the aspects of this read lent themselves to be almost too unbelievable. The amount of badassery that shakes out, I just can't imagine being able to come to fruition with this type of injury.
I know that HJ is a YA writer and unfortunately, that's how this work felt. I constantly had to keep reminding myself that Jet (MC) was 27-years-old. The voice and actions of this MC feel more like a 17-year-old. Her self-deprecating and more often than not politically incorrect humor made me cringe more times than I would like to admit.
I did work out the "killer" pretty early on in the read. But, I did not see the twist coming. And I also was not anticipating the ending. That came straight out of nowhere.

I think, for me, this could have used a bit more work. It was good. But I was wanting just a little bit more from it.

Holly Jackson moved pretty seamlessly into adult mystery with another story about a small town with secrets that come unraveled. I enjoyed the characters (Jet and Billy) and of course the mystery was twisty and fun.
I took a star off because I did feel like something was missing at the end, I’m not sure what, but it felt a bit rushed to me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Jet Mason has seven days to live. Seven days to prove to herself and her family that she can follow through with something—that something being solving her own murder while avoiding her guilt-tripping mother. Over the course of the next week, Jet uncovers secrets she never could have imagined existed. No one in her family is who she thought they were and neighbors seem just a little bit shadier than before, but who hated her enough to murder her?

This book was difficult to put down! Jet’s search came with twist after twist, some connected directly to her murder and some not but all just as shocking. Honestly, at first, I found Jet’s character to be somewhat unlikeable, but by the end, I was beyond invested in her story. And Billy, do not get me started.

If you are looking for a quick, engaging thriller, this book is the perfect choice! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Not Quite Dead Yet!

Not Quite Dead Yet was darkly funny, fast-paced, and filled with the kind of morbid charm that only Holly Jackson can pull off. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-ARC 🖤, I’m not kidding when I say I squealed when I got the approval!

The story follows Jet, who’s just survived a murder attempt only to be told she has exactly one week to live due to a head injury that’s triggered a ticking-time-bomb aneurysm. So what does she do? She teams up with her best friend Billy to solve her own attempted murder before the clock runs out. Jet’s voice is hilarious in the most cynical, dry, morbid way possible. Even amidst the looming threat of death, I was laughing out loud more times than I can count. That said, I did find Jet’s narration to feel very YA at times, almost eerily similar to Pippa’s voice from the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. I kept forgetting that Jet is in her twenties because her tone and inner monologue felt younger, which threw me off a bit. Maybe it’s just me, but if you’re familiar with Holly’s earlier YA characters, this might stand out to you too.

Holly’s signature writing style is as addictive as ever as I devoured this in just two sittings! I loved Jet and Billy’s camaraderie, which brought such a warm and real dynamic to the story. Their banter and low-key romantic tension were perfectly written and didn’t feel performative like some forced romance books do.

I did start to guess the ending partway through, but it didn’t take away from the suspense. The final reveal was satisfying and everything wrapped up in a way that made sense and hit the emotional beats just right.

Also, can someone check on Holly? Why is she constantly targeting couples like this?! 😭🫣

Read this if you love:
🕵🏻‍♀️ Slow burn thrillers
🕵🏻‍♀️ Civilian sleuthing à la A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
🕵🏻‍♀️ Morbid humor with emotional depth
🕵🏻‍♀️ Unfiltered, messy but lovable characters
🕵🏻‍♀️ Holly Jackson’s classic twisty storytelling

Not Quite Dead Yet is equal parts emotional, hilarious, suspenseful and a must-read for fans of Jackson’s work and anyone looking for a thriller with a sharp edge and a lot of heart.

Not Quite Dead Yet - Holly Jackson
Pub Date - 5/22/25
Rating - 4.5/5
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Holy cow- this book was WILD. I went into it pretty blind, not knowing what was going on. Initially, the story is slow, but when it picks up, I found myself racing to the end. It was very well written - with a great mix of sarcasm that makes me want to be friends with Jet. I enjoyed Jackson's Good Girl's Guide to Murder series as well. I do think that this book reads like a YA novel, but the addicting writing style that Jackson has kept me going and I was stressedddd outttt till the end. Beautifully written! Can't wait to read more by this author.

That was amazing!!!!! I'm so sad it's over. There was such an insane amount of plot that gradually got all tied up into one happy little bow! It took a while but I eventually pieced it together. I loved Billy's little sililoquy at the end that really tied up all the pieces! It was clever, gut wrenching and beautiful masterpiece. My only problem is that I did not love Jet as a character. She grew on me and it made sense to the story but Jet was just not my favorite character ever, in fact none of the Masons were that great including Sophia. But Billy made up for that ten fold!
Spoilers ahead:
And I loved the stories of the side characters so much with JJ and Henry and Andrew and Nina (though I wish we got a little more backstory on her, like imagine if Dianne actually killed her so she wouldn't tell Billy's wife and her husband that they had an affair.) And you forgot to tie in the fire bit and the photo of the truck into the soliloquy.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. I will be buying a copy upon release!!!

⭐️⭐️/5

• great premise (what a tagline!)
• strong FMC
• mixed media

This is the author's first novel for adults, but, to me, it still reads very YA (which I do typically enjoy). Ultimately, it was way too long and slow paced for me with an unsatisfying execution. I can definitely recommend the AGGGTM series!

🗣 Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

This book had me guessing until the very end! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advance readers copy. All opinions are my own. Publication date July 22, 2025.

Jet, was attacked one night after the Halloween fair. It was a violent attack that left a bone floating around in her brain giving her one week to live before an aneurysm would kill her. She is determined to solve her own murder and uncovers several hidden secrets within her family.

I have read a few of Holly Jackson's book in the past but haven't really enjoyed them in the past. I can't say the same for this one. Not Quite Dead Yet was a solid 4 star for me based on the character Jet alone. This thriller is definitely not about the twist or the end, it is more about the journey.

I absolutely loved the sarcasm and dry humor Jet had throughout the book despite her having a week to live. I was laughing out loud at some parts. Holly Jackson has an addicting writing style where I just NEED to know what happens next even though when I do find out what happens, I feel unsatisfied. I loved the characters but also hated a lot of them too. Holly does a great job in building character traits that give them more complexity and I haven't seen this in her other books. Compared to her other works, I would put this book in the middle in terms of ranking. It is not her best work but not her worst either.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. As I mentioned earlier, don't go into this book thinking that it's a great twisty thriller. It's not, I felt like the "twist" was underwhelming but I loved the journey of Jet trying to figure out who murdered her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publish Group- Ballantine Bantam for this complimentary e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson is a standout thriller that blends mystery, dark humor, and heartbreak in a way that feels entirely fresh. The concept is bold: a woman survives an attack and is told she has a week to live—so she spends that time solving her own murder.

The pacing is steady, with a few well-placed twists that genuinely surprised me. Jet’s voice is distinct, and her arc is especially moving as the book shifts from sardonic humor to something much deeper and more introspective. The final quarter of the book hit hard emotionally—I found myself tearing up more than once.

The writing is straightforward and clean. It doesn’t try too hard to be literary, and that works here. The real power lies in the story, characters, and structure. If I have any critique, it’s that I didn’t fully feel emotionally invested until the final stretch—but once it hit, it hit.

I really can’t say how I’m feeling right now, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but this was a great book. It's definitely worth the read. Like other reviewers said it does start a little slow, but that’s necessary to set the scene. Keep going!

The story follows Jet, who is brutally attacked on Halloween night. She survives, but the news from the hospital is grim: she has a brain aneurysm expected to rupture within a week, and there’s nothing doctors can do to stop it. With her time running out, Jet makes the decision that she’s going to spend her final days solving her own murder.

The book really went in many different directions and all my predictions about the ending were wrong. Great read! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.