First, thank you, NetGalley, for trusting me with this ARC. I requested it right away because I can't wait to dive into the new world Holly Jackson created.

I was hooked the moment I started, and obviously it never fails to amaze me how Holly Jackson pulls you into the story with her words. I became Jet (the MC) in an instant. Yes, that's how I feel every time I'm reading an H.J. book.

This has a whodunit theme. This is about a 27-year-old woman who was murdered on Halloween night, but luckily she survived, but when her doctor told her that she only has a few days left to live due to complications, she's on a mission to solve her own murder. She's on a hunt for her murderer.

I didn't connect with the characters like in her other books (special mention to AGGGTM), but I also did not have a hard time following who's who. I didn't love Jet like how I love Pip. In fact, I kind of compare her and her best friend (yes, she has a boyfriend too) to Pip and Ravi. But Jet has her own identity and characteristics that I like. She’s relatable.

I thought I guessed who the villain is because of the obvious clues and things pointing to that person, but I failed. The plot twist took a wild turn at the near end. Not as deep compared to her other books, but still it pulled me into the "wtf," "omg," "whaaaaat???," "really," and "I knew it" hole.

What I love about this book is the original aspect of the FMC solving her own murder. It's giving girl/woman power! It's UNIQUE.

I almost predicted the twist, but H.J. always has this way of letting you think that you guessed it, but you're really not. Because that's not it. There's more to it. Holly Jackson is a thriller genius.

It was a wild ride of a story that will keep you awake if you're reading it at night! Holly Jackson did it again!

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller suspense book.

I can't wait for this book to be released to the world, and I'm looking forward to more book releases in the future from Holly Jackson. I want more, more, more.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Jackson's writing has a way of making the reader keep turning the pages so they can find out what the heck is going on! I loved the overall concept of this book but struggled so much with the FMC, Jet. While she was supposed to be 27, she was so immature and I had to keep reminding myself that she was an adult and not a teenage girl. For that reason, I feel like this book reads more like a YA, novel. I did speed through it and while not my fave book by Jackson, I'm glad I read it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Holly Jackson has proven herself time and time again to be a master of creating both compelling characters and suspenseful plots, and this was no exception. The premise, that a woman has to solve her own murder before she actually dies, is so unique and intriguing, and I ripped through this book in under three days (a real feat for me). It was fast-paced and had a lot of twists, everything that I've come to learn to expect from Jackson. Jet was a flawed and complex character who I enjoyed getting to know, and I loved her dynamic with Billy. My only complaint for the entire book is that it read a lot younger than I think i was supposed to - this is Jackson's adult debut, and the only thing that differentiated itself from her YA books is the age of the characters. Jet in particular read exactly like the other brooding teenage main characters of Jackson's previous work - she didn't feel the same as them, she was definitely her own character, but she seemed like a teenager to me in this book as well. But overall, I really liked this book, and would recommend it to anyone who needs a fast-paced, well-written mystery to devour.

Loved this! No, seriously. This book was so good!

This was the first Holly Jackson book I read. Why is that?! All I know is this book makes me want to read all of her books!

When the book started, I thought it was going to be a garden variety mystery. It quickly ramped up in a very big way and I was completely hooked.

I thought right away that there was an obvious killer but…it couldn’t be that easy. So watching Jet try to find her killer was not only interesting but oh so compelling. However, that wasn’t all that drew me in, it was only the beginning.

Advanced reader copy provided by Ballantine and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Very predictable. I guessed the ending twist even before the halfway mark. But I still enjoyed it. The premise was unique. It was entertaining and good as a palate cleanser . If you are new to thrillers or murder mysteries I am sure you will enjoy it much more than I did and not find it as predictable

ARC Review – 5/5 ⭐
Okay… I loved this book. Honestly, Not Quite Dead Yet might be one of Holly Jackson’s best.

The whole premise is wild—in the best way. Jet is trying to solve her own murder… while she’s still alive (barely). She’s been attacked and only has days left to figure out who did it before it’s too late. I was completely hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t stop flipping pages.

Jet’s voice is what really pulled me in. She’s hilarious in that sharp, sarcastic way I love, and somehow makes you laugh even while she’s literally dying. That humor gave the story so much heart and made the heavy parts hit even harder.

And oh my god… the last 10%? I can’t say much without spoiling it, but just know I was full-on sobbing. I did not see any of it coming. Holly Jackson really knows how to tear your heart out and leave you speechless.

The pacing was perfect, the twists were smart, and the whole thing felt totally fresh. I really hope Holly writes more adult thrillers because she nailed it with this one.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC—I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The premise of this was fascinating, but I never got used to the writing style or Jet’s personality. I unfortunately clocked nearly everything that was going on here which is never what you want in a mystery/thriller book, and I disliked almost all of it (including the ending). Also I’m sorry, but there was no need to use the F word 150+ times in a 400 page book

I've enjoyed Holly Jackson's previous thrillers, but this was a miss for me. Knowing her writing style I expected more plot development. This book was a very slow burn that lacked suspense. The ending was rushed and absurd.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holly Jackson is a thriller genius! While I did not expect anything less, this may be my favorite of her books to date. The characters were relatable and had personality for days. I found myself drawn to the villain of the story, and was completely sucked in. Let me tell you, this book had a grip on me! The ending, you will never see coming. This is a MUST read.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine and Holly Jackson for the eArc.

I wanted to love this but I got pretty bored. Probably my least fav read by this author but I’m sure some others will enjoy!

If you're trying to get into the mystery genre, then this book is for you! It has a great whodunnit theme and the gore level is pretty low. I wasn't sure who the killer was for a while because Jackson was throwing me for a loop but I'm proud to say I figured it out before Jet. One of the things I've noticed in Jackson's books that I don't particularly like is that all her characters seem to be copy and paste to each other. The female leads have all blurred in my mind and are basically the same exact person at this point. Another thing I didn't like in this book is that it tries to include too many major plot points. Solving a murder and running out of time left to live mixed with romance didn't do it for me. There was so much going on yet nothing seemed to happen in the whole murder mystery side of things. It was an unfortunately boring mystery book compared to others I have read. It lacked the suspense I need. Overall it was a chill read and I'm excited to see what Jackson has planned next! Side note, Jet's letter to Reggie broke me. I cried. I almost never cry while reading but wow that hurt. A big thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

As someone who absolutely loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I was beyond excited to see that Holly Jackson was coming out with an adult thriller. I was even more excited to be offered the opportunity to arc read this title!

Jackson is an expert at writing stubborn, but determined women. Jet was no exception. Many times throughout this novel, she reminded me of our beloved Pip. Both are headstrong, unafraid to take risks, and willing to do whatever it takes to solve the mystery at hand. The only downfall to this was where these characteristics made Pip seem mature, they managed to make Jet rather immature at times. In truth, I found her character to be a bit unlikable. By the end, I had grown fond of her and her quirks, but we certainly had a rocky beginning.

Now for the plot itself - I really enjoyed the aspect of Jet solving her own murder. It was original and added an exciting unique layer to this novel. However, I found nearly all of the twists to unsurprising and predictable. I think if you are not yet familiar with Holly Jackson’s writing, you may not have the same outcome, but simply due to my having read agggtm previously, the tells were very clear for me.

***SPOILERS***

As mentioned, this book is being sold as an “adult” thriller. The only difference between this book and the rest of Holly Jackson’s young adult novels was an increase in swearing. I feel that this was a road left unexplored, and it hurt the novel a bit. You mean to tell me that Jet had one week left to live, was living with a man she found attractive and was falling for, and she proceeded to not get laid? Girl…

I don’t believe that every “adult” novel needs spice, but this story absolutely would have benefited from even a closed door scene. It would have made the relationship between Jet and Billy less juvenile because for them being in their late 20s, it was exactly that.

Perhaps the most upsetting aspect of this novel was that Jet’s dying wish was to solve her own murder and then she proceeded to die minutes before they would have figured it out. Her death was unavoidable, but to not have her achieve the one thing she set out to do was extremely disappointing. I would have much rather preferred her and Billy figure it out together and Jet tell Billy he needed to avenge her in some way. The current ending is sadly a let down.

I firmly believe that many readers will adore this story and I’m saddened that I did not happen to be one of them. I think if the characters were aged down, I would have enjoyed it a bit more, as the writing remained too close to young adult.

Jet was just murdered. After coming home from a Halloween fair, her skull is bashed in by an unknow asailant--but she's not quite dead yet. With only days left to live after the brutal assualt fractured her skull, Jet is determined to find who killed her. Alongside her childhood best friend, Billy, she searches for answers about who would want her dead--and why. There are plenty of people who hate her family, it turns out. Some of her closest family even have motives. But as Jet and Billy race against time--and Jet's worsening symptoms of a brain aneurism just waiting to rupture--it becomes clear that there's no one they can trust, maybe not even each other.

This was a wild ride of a book. The premise is so unique and works so well to heighten suspense. Knowing that Jet only has days to live and that her murderer could be anyone around her makes every scene taut with tension. It took me a minute to warm up to Jet, who can be a bit of a privileged asshole, but I also realized eventually that I was only seeing Jet as her dying self, someone who didn't need to worry about consequences. And asshole or not, I was sobbing my eyes out over her by the end. Not Quite Dead Yet sets up a truly unique premise and then delivers on it beautifully.

The second half of this book is incredibly propulsive-i HAD to know what happened and couldn’t stop until i did!!

However it lands at 3 stars for me for a few reasons:
1-this is not an adult book. It reads as YA, there’s nothing distinguishing it as an adult book. It’s very surface level and for a thriller very little “darkness”.
2-everything unfolds like a high school drama with so much suspension of disbelief and too much ease in unraveling the secrets. A woman with an impending aneurysm sledgehammers an entire concrete driveway enough to find a hammer and a phone? There’s so many convenient notes and laptops and clues? It all felt too easy

I have read all of Holly Jackson’s YA books and her first adult novel knocked it out of the park! What a great and interesting concept of having the main character solve their own murder! I will be recommending this book to everyone!

Can we talk about that cover first? Brilliant design that relates to the plot without being a giveaway! I love it very much, and kudos to the artist!

Onto the actual contents of the book:

This is an insane premise. I can’t say I’ve ever read anything like this, or even heard of it. I’ve seen books where characters “solve” their murders prior to the murder, but never one where the character is in two states like Schrödinger's cat, genuinely a dead woman walking. Holly Jackson gave us an insane plotline and I’ve got to say that she delivered. I loved this.

Jet is such a heartbreaking character. She’s a twenty-seven-year-old law school dropout who’s never really finished anything, but who relies on the idea that she has the whole rest of her life to accomplish something. She reads as a much younger character in some ways. Still, I completely understood why, as it seemed that her immaturity and dark humor were both results of her dysfunctional family life and circumstances. Jet is truly struggling with a situation behind comprehension, and she definitely reads like it. Her impatience, her desperation, her grief, all of it was devastating and fitting.

And Billy. Poor, sweet Billy. I adored him. Everyone else was a delight to hate and dislike. Jet’s familial dysfunction was practically a character on its own.

I actually liked the ending, and found it fitting for Jet’s character and the overall themes of regret, mortality, and a life cut short.

Many thanks to Random House Ballantine, Holly Jackson, and NetGalley for the ARC of Not Quite Dead Yet in exchange for an honest and fair review.

5/5 stars

Thank you netgalley and random house for the earc, all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this one at 46% due to some anxieties it was causing me. I wish there were trigger warnings beforehand just for the medical stuff.

What I did read though I was liking. My only gripe is Jet’s character. There were times when I liked her and times I could not stand her. I’m glad I gave this one a try though, it has a really interested premise. I just wish I could have gotten past the medical stuff.

I loved this book! Holly Jackson had me guessing throughout the book. I could not read fast enough, when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the book and how I wanted to be reading it. The main character Jet was great and I loved that she found humor in her situation.

Not Quite Dead Yet was an entertaining thriller that I devoured in less than 24 hours. While I found most of the characters to be immature and irritating, I did enjoy the complicated family dynamics in this novel and it was one of my favorite parts. I also liked the relationship between Jet and Billy and thought it added a nice layer to the story.

I also appreciated Jet’s dark humor and laughed out loud quite a few times. Overall, I had fun reading this story but it’s not a new all time favorite. I’d recommend it to fans of Holly Jackson’s young adult novels for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads 7/7/25.

Review to be posted to Instagram on release week.

Holly Jackson's adult debut is BREATHTAKING. The concept sounded right up my alley, and even though I had a rocky relationship with her works after AGGGTM, I can confirm that she's back to being my favorite thriller author! I truly adored everything about this book: the tension, the plot twists, the spiraling... and I cannot wait to read more by Holly Jackson.