This was an unexpected book. I love Holly Jackson's books and this one is no different. This is a different writing style for Holly and it absolutely did not disappoint. I have never read a book as fast as I read this one.

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. She’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until, on the night of Halloween, Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic brain injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, she’ll suffer a deadly aneurysm.

Jet never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her ex-best friend turned sister-in-law, her former boyfriend.

She only has seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murde

This book gets what makes a thriller unforgettable. It’s smart, relentless, and laced with that signature Jackson edge. If you want a story that will keep you spiraling long after you finish, this is it.

I just finished Not Quite Dead Yet and my heart is racing. Jaw on the ground. I have loved everything that Holly Jackson has published, and while I wouldn’t say that this one is my favorite, it is one that is going to stick with me for a while. Not just because the plot was gripping and I guessed the ending completely wrong, but because it’s a reminder about the concept of time, and how much of it we really don’t have!

And side note, I absolutely adored Billy. What an incredible character.

I recommend this book to anyone who needs quick mystery read, and is ready for an emotional journey from beginning to end.

What a thrill ride! This book is absolutely unputdownable. I had to know what happened and was glued to these pages. Jet made me question my own intelligence because there was no way I'd be able to live through this

Not Quite Dead Yet was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

3.5 stars

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. She’s 27 and a member of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont, but on Halloween night she’s viciously attacked by a home intruder. She suffers a massive head injury and doctors only give her a week to live.

Now she looks at everyone with suspicion - her family, her former BFF turned sister-in-law, her ex. The only one on her side is the person who saved her life, her childhood friend, Billy. Can the two of them use these seven days to solve her murder?

I know that Jackson is a really popular YA writer and I believe I have read at least a couple of her books…and I’ve honestly not been too impressed (I guess I could see why some young people might like them but I’ve always felt that the real test of YA greatest versus goodness is whether a YA aficionado like me, an adult, likes them too. Pretty self-serving, I realize, but it’s my test, so what the hell!

Anyway, I think this is her first book for adults and I liked it. The writing is not Steinbeck (heck, I don’t know if it’s Bombeck) but it was tightly plotted and I was happy with the way it all turned out and glad that I read it. 3.5 is exactly the right rating for it, but I guess I liked it more than giving it just three stars, so rounded to a four it shall be. If you’ve enjoyed Jackson at all in the past I think you’ll really like this.

I really enjoyed this book by holly jackson! I thought it felt on par with her other books! The mystery of jet and solving her own murder was a good premise, although I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that she didn’t “find a cure” in the 11th hour

Could not put this one down! Given one week to live, a young woman decides to find the person whose assault has actually killed her via time-release. Filled with wrong turns, unexpected twists, this book leads the reader to wonder what dark secrets might be hidden within their own family. highly original!

Live, laugh, love Holly Jackson. She is true perfection. I will read anything she writes, and I am so glad that she is trying out adult mystery!

I wish I had buddy read this with someone. I needed to talk things through. It was dark and I kept wondering if I was going to finish. It left me with a feeling I can’t describe. Loved other books by the author more.

HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD: BEWARE!

I have read every single book Holly Jackson has blessed the world with, and I have devoured every single one!

This one is just as high stakes as you'd expect from a Jackson novel. It's her first adult novel, but it's still easy to read like her YA fiction. This was definitely a fun read!

My issue lies with the ending. This is the first Holly Jackson book I've read where I actually guessed the ending. By chapter 3, I had a hunch I knew whodunnit. So I was happy that I guessed right, but also a bit saddened by it. I love being proven wrong and it being someone I never would've expected! Also....HUGE SPOILER ALERT!!!!
I dislike that Jet died before solving it. Like, yes, I understand she was going to die. But it still made me sad :(
I hate that she passed RIGHT AFTER thinking Billy did it. I know she realized at the end that it wasn't him, but dang it. I wish she had solved it, not Billy.

Overall, it was still a super fun read and I blasted through it. Her writing style is always so quick to read through! I just wish Jet got her happy ending <3

Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc!!

Every book I’ve read from Holly Jackson has been a 5 stars.

But I’m actually a bit disappointed with this one when I compare it to her other works.

It’s the first Holly Jackson book where I could guess the ending, killer, motive, etc. before the resolution, and it didn’t have the “wow” shocking effect that the reappearance of Rachel price had for me for example.

I felt like it didn’t have this thing Holly’s other books had. It left me frustrated as I felt some characters were left unpunished.

The ending was a good one but also a rather blunt one, it was quick (too Quick ?). There was a good build up but I expected the resolution to come in another way.

This book could have been longer.

And finally, i feel like for her first adult mystery, she could have taken the liberty to go even darker with the themes, especially since we know she can have great ideas with her precedent work.

It felt as if Holly struggled to leave her YA style behind for this good but I actually appreciate a lot when authors are brave enough to try things out of their comfort zone !

I want to say a lot more but don’t want to turn this review in a spoiler ! I’ll definitely buy a physical copy when it comes out.

Readers of Holly Jackson will be excited for her adult debut novel, and those familiar with her know they are in for a trip. It's not every day that a victim gets to solve their own murder, and the stakes are higher than ever. The clock is ticking for Jet and no matter the outcome of her investigation... she's a dead woman walking.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and Bantam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Not Quite Dead Yet opens up with a fast paced mystery - Jet, who seems like a relatively shallow waiting to launch young woman, is attacked in her home and wakes to learn that she is going to die. Yes, she survived the attack, but due to the hit to her head and a pre-existing health condition she can either get surgery to try to save her life (unlikely to succeed) or wait about a week for that fate to catch up with her. Jet decides that she’ll end her life actually doing something rather than waiting as she has done all her life. That something is no easy order though - she’s going to find her murderer.

Teaming up with her friend, the sweet and good as gold Billy, the hunt for her murderer is twisty and full of pretty shocking discoveries. I loved seeing Jet’s growth, and the ending (really, what felt to me as both of them) was the perfect one given the intriguing start. I’d pick this book up when you’re in the mood for a mystery that goes deep and is unlikely to be guessed.

Ok, I need a minute to catch my breath. I have to admit I was a little unsure about Holly Jackson trying her hand at an adult mystery/thriller. What the heck was I thinking?? She nailed it!

Let’s say you get violently attacked in your own home. You were found in time to get to the hospital but you find out your injuries are life threatening and you are given about a week to live. What do you do with that time? Spend it with your loved ones and make every second count? Work on that bucket list? Nope! Our fearless protagonist has something else in mind. She’s going to solve her own murder. With the help of her childhood friend, they set off to find out who would want her dead while uncovering some damaging secrets along the way.

If you want suspenseful, heartbreaking and twisty, look no further. Not Quite Dead Yet is the page turner you need to get your hands on.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

Ms. Holly Jackson can do no wrong for me and Not Quite Dead Yet brings all the drama and emotional damage you expect from her with a propelling and deadly countdown to the end!

On Halloween night, Jet was murdered, but she's not quite done fighting. Given seven days to live after getting her head bashed in by a mysterious attack, Jet teams up with her childhood friend to solve her own murder before time runs out, but the trail might just lead her back to the ones she loves and trusts the most. I got about 90% through this book and then had to momentarily put it down to go to a class and when I tell you that was the most infuriating hour of my week. This is such a fun premise and I deeply relate to Jet because if I only had a week to live I would also exclusively joke about my death and cause problems. As usually with Holly Jackson, I had no idea where the plot was going and stayed pretty oblivious until the final moments. All around amazing as I've come to expect. My only note is that I'm not sure what makes this an adult novel other than a bit more swearing than usual. It's pretty YA-friendly otherwise.

Exactly what I wanted it to be as always. Holly Jackson remains my only auto-buy mystery/thriller author!

Thank you to Holly Jackson and Bantam for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

Jet, a 27 year old law school drop out lives at home with her parents and lives life with the motto of "she has more time". She blows her friends off, takes every day for granted, and never seems to finish what she starts. All this changes in a blink of an eye when she is near fatally attacked on Halloween night. As she wakes up the doctors tell her she has less than a week left to live before a major brain aneurysm kills her.
For once in her life, Jet decides she is going to finish something out and solve her own murder and seek revenge on the person who killed her.

Freakishly good for all the thriller lovers out there who are tired of the same story plots written over and over. Finally, Holly Jackson delivers us something new that you just CAN'T PUT DOWN! This book will give you a roller coaster of emotions and is already on my favorite book list for 2025.

5 out of 5 stars! Thank you Netgalley and Holly Jackson for the brilliant read!!

Holly Jackson not only raised the bar in the YA Thriller genre, she redefined it with books twists and plotting on par with the best authors in the adult genre. So, we’ve all been salivating over the idea of picking up her debut adult novel, and I’m extremely grateful for the early opportunity to do so.

I can say with confidence that, it more than lives up to the hype! I was utterly hooked from the premise alone and absolutely white-knuckled my way through every heart-pounding page. Electrifying, terrifying, and mesmerizing.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75

I have previously really enjoyed Holly Jackson's books (AGGGTM trilogy & Reappearance). So once I read the description for this one, I just HAD to read it.

At first I found the main character to be abrasive and maybe a little bit extra (but hey- no one is going to attempt to murder a kind/emphatic character- there needs to be some conflict), but as the story went on, my heart really went out to her.

I was curious how the author would set up the "this character is murdered but they aren't dead yet" situation & I do feel like that took just a little bit of suspension of belief (but also I probably didn't get a full grasp on the medical terminology used).

This book was tense and was set against a ticking clock. Every single character was so complex & it was very interesting to see all those complexities and dynamics come out.

It took me a bit to figure out the "whodunnit" but once I did, I knew!

The final confrontation seemed a touch dramatic and did end on a "okay, but what now?" There is still a lot left up in the air ion regards to how these characters all move on after this case (and everything it dredged up with it).

I definitely enjoyed it but do think some of the author's previous work is stronger.

Overall, this was a fast and easy read, and I do recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine) for a digital eARC of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Star Rating: 3.75

OH MY GOD, Holly Jackson has done it again and better than ever. This was such an interesting concept for a murder mystery - someone trying to solve their own murder knowing they are going to die from their attempted murder within a week's time. This book had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who did it along with Jet and Billy. And Billy. Poor, sweet Billy, such a pure and selfless character. This book broke my heart but was so hopeful all at the same time.