I love a good holly Jackson book. Who doesn't? The plot was so well done and so well fleshed out. I was gasping at every turn, and if that wasn't enough already I was so enamored with the characters. Jackson's writing has never done me wrong and I honestly don't think it ever will.

3.75 stars! I loved this concept and could not put Not Quite Dead Yet down. I found Jet to be an incredible FMC whom I was rooting for until the very end, and appreciated how the book managed to keep things lighthearted and fun for the reader through Jet’s charm, despite knowing she would be dead by the end of the book. My heart was broken at the ending, even though we were told it was coming from the first chapter. Holly Jackson’s voice is ever-present, and I know I’ll keep reading whatever she puts out. My one small qualm is that I wish we had seen more of Jet’s family dynamic through scenes with them, rather than it just being spelled out for us, especially given their relevance to the ending. If you love Jackson’s previous works, or are just looking for a thriller you won’t be able to pry yourself away from, Not Quite Dead Yet is 100 percent worth the read.

"In seven days Jet Mason will be dead." Talk about grabbing a readers attention! This book had me from the very first page and never let go! Secrets and lies are the name of the game in this book! My first book by Holly Jackson was a hit! Jet is horrifically attacked and the outlook is grim. Her doctor has diagnosed her with an injury caused deadly aneurysm and she does not have much time left to live. With only a few remaining days, she enlists her childhood friend, Billy to help her find her killer!

Yes, this was a new one. Knowing that your horrific head injury would result in your death in a few days! In all of my reading, I have not seen this before! Intrigued, I dove in and along with Jet and Billy, tried my best to figure out whodunit! Man, this one sucked me in. I was rooting for both Jet and Billy to find the individual who attacked Jet.

Jet could have easily fallen apart but she has grit and determination and wants to know who attacked her and why. She is one tough cookie but is also human and I loved the scene where she is vulnerable with her friend and expressed her feelings. She is resourceful and dedicated to not let anything stop her including her failing body in search of her killer. Billy is her loyal and sweet friend who is by her side, doing his best to be supportive and throws himself into helping her figure out who attacked her.

As the book progressed, I could feel the tension, dread and sense of time jumping off the pages! The clock is ticking and my anxiety was piqued as the sand slipped through the hourglass so to speak. I felt the sense of urgency to solve the case before it was to late.

This book kept me guessing and fully engaged in the plot. I loved the twists and turns that this book took. I kept thinking 'how much can one person take' but also kept turning the pages and overlooking the fact that Jet survived massive head trauma and was able to get around and investigate what happened to her. Her family also seemed a little laissez faire to me about her remaining days. I would be glued to her side trying to do whatever it took to spend as much time with her as I could if I was her family member.

As the book got closer to the end, I had whittled down my suspect list as minor bread crumbs began to fall into place. There were many possible suspects and even though I did guess whodunit before it is revealed in the book, I marveled at how Holly Jackson brought everything together. This was my first Holly Jackson book and I look forward to reading more of her books!

Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, and hard to put down

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

5 stars

I really really really loved this! I’m not sure I could love Jet any more than I do. I went into this blind and was glad I did. This had me HOOKED from the beginning. I love Jet and Billy’s story, I love Jet’s humor (especially in her circumstances).

This is NOT an adult book. Sorry!! Adding a bunch of F bombs does not make you an adult writer. The writing is extremely chaotic and all over the place — I would have DNF’d after the first chapter if it wasn’t an ARC.

This book is going to get a lot of hype because it’s Holly Jackson, but it is going to be just a bunch of stans. I’m a huge fan of Good Girls Guide, but this was tragically bad. Jackson seems to be a one trick pony, and this branch out to adult from YA did not compute.

Jet is a twenty something, college drop out who had to move back home because her life didn’t pan out the way she wanted. She gets attacked right from the start and finds herself solving her own murder with a timeline. Sound interesting? Well, it could have been.

However, the characters, plot, and voice are flat out immature and stuck in YA land. The whole time I was reading this I had to remind myself that it was an adult novel. It didn’t help that Jet was stuck living at home with her parents and caught up in family drama. And don’t get me started on the far fetched (bottom of the barrel) “romance” reach. The whole thing was extremely juvenile. There was no complexity to the writing. No depth. It was surface level and so much tell and not show.

At best this novel is new adult, but quite frankly, it should have never been published. This is coming from someone who reads a lot of YA and adult thriller/mystery novels — finishing this was absolute torture. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

⭐️4.5 Stars ⭐️
Not Quite Dead Yet marks a sharp and satisfying departure from Holly Jackson’s YA roots, delivering a darker, more mature thriller that blends grim humor with gripping suspense. Jackson wastes no time pulling you into a story packed with unexpected twists, morally grey characters, and a tone that’s both sinister and slyly funny.

The pacing is a real strength. It’s fast enough to keep the tension high, but never so rushed that it loses emotional impact. The main character is flawed, sharp-witted, and thoroughly engaging. Given just days to live, she sets out to accomplish one last thing: uncover the truth behind her own attempted murder. The central question—will she run out of time before finding her killer?—drives the plot forward with determined momentum.

Jackson proves she’s just as capable in the adult thriller space as she is in YA.
Highly recommended for fans of dark comedies with a thriller edge.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Bantam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

If you could have 7 mores days to live or a surgery, now, that you only had 10% chance of surviving....which would you choose?

Jet Mason isn’t going down without a fight—or at least not without a fabulously chaotic investigation first. Not Quite Dead Yet is a ticking clock and a heroine who is spicy, sharp, and absolutely done with everyone’s secrets. Jet has seven days to solve her own murder, and trust me, she makes every minute count. Everyone is shady, everyone’s got something to hide, and Jet? She’s here to burn it all down before her aneurysm does. Holly Jackson has done it again—this was twisty, clever, and totally unputdownable.

Thank you Holly Jackson, Random House, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#notquitedeadyet #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

When someone hits Jet over the head, leaving her with a wound that will lead to a fatal aneurysm in the next 7 days, she decides to spend the time solving her murder. The premise of this was so interesting to me, yet I almost DNF'd after the first chapter. The writing style felt choppy and chaotic. This resolved itself by chapter two, which really left me feeling like the first chapter just wasn't polished enough. It took me a while to let go of the negative taste it left in my mouth, especially because Jet takes time to grow on you. She's immature and contradictory of herself, but she becomes more tolerable throughout the book. Still, a lot of the characters felt very YA to me, which makes sense considering it's an adult debut. I felt as though this story was only written as an adult thriller because of Jet's prognosis because there was nothing else that particularly differed from the author's previous work. I did guess pretty early on who killed Jet, but I didn't pick up on the motive until later in the book. The book does move quickly after Jet is attacked and it kept me interested, but some aspects definitely fell flat - especially the romance aspect. This unfortunately did not feel organic to me at all. Between the constant one liners from Jet and the pining from Billy, it was clear the author was setting readers up to be devastated by Jet's fate. I enjoyed working through the mystery and I liked Jet more by the end of the book, but all of the characterization left something to be desired especially in a thriller where the primary question is motive. 3.25⭐️

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have been having a hard time writing this review, because I have so many thoughts and feelings about this fantastic book, that I can’t seem to put together a coherent thought about it. Plus, it is hard to write about without giving anything away, but I am going to try.

If this book is not already on your TBR, you really need to add it. It is a well thought out murder mystery, with fantastic characters, an emotional punch at the end and lots of nice twists to the mystery. I just adored this book and think it is Holly’s best book yet.

The story is told through Jet’s point of view and she is such a great character. You start off not liking her very much. She is abrasive and sarcastic, and not very nice to her family, but as she struggles with trying to discover who murdered her before she dies, you really start to feel for her and even like her a little bit. I loved her ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude and her gallows humor, they gave the story some much needed comedic moments. But this story wasn’t all about solving the murder. Jet spends time redefining her relationships with her family and friends, discovering some family secrets while finding herself.

Billy was such a sweet and endearing character, I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be ok, even though we both knew it wasn’t. I loved his determination to help Jet, even when it involved a little rule breaking. He was also a pretty smart guy and was able to help Jet figure some parts of the mystery out. There were some slight moments when I thought maybe he did it, but I pretty much suspected everyone, so that wasn’t a huge surprise. But that passed pretty quickly because I knew he just couldn’t have done it.

If you have read any of Holly Jackson’s books then you know how well she writes a story. This was a fast paced story that I pretty much raced through. It was really hard to put it down as I felt the urgency to figure out the mystery as much as the characters did. There are a lot of suspects, but the final twist was a bit of a surprise. Jet’s family was not the most functional, but some of their secrets were quite surprising. The ending was a bit rushed, but had such an emotional impact on me that I was ok with the rush. My only wish is that we got maybe one more chapter that related what happened to some of the characters, Billy mostly, but some of the other ones too.

Fans of Ms Jackson are going to love this. If you have never read any of her YA books, you can’t go wrong with starting with this ‘adult’ murder mystery. This is a one of a kind murder mystery with compelling characters and a heck of an ending.

All Holly Jackson books lean adult so I was very excited for her first adult novel. It did not disappoint. Jet was both realistic and so likeable. I read 70% of the book in one sitting and lost myself in the novel. This might be Holly's best work yet, which is saying a lot.

DNF did not care for this one, opening was boring and I have heard others that said it wasnt good, so I stopped reading

She does it again! Not Quite Dead Yet is Jackson's first adult mystery thriller and I am blown away. This story is both plot and character driven, and the plot twists had me up too late, just so I could finish the book! So many lovable characters, also some that are easy to hate, but there is such strong character development!!

eARC Review: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was my first Holly Jackson book and I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, so thank you to the publisher, Pengiun Random House!

Summary:
Jet, a 27-year old law school graduate, is attacked on Halloween and wakes up in the hospital with devastating news: a piece of bone is lodged dangerously close to a major artery in her brain. The doctors give her just seven days to live. With the clock ticking, Jet sets out to solve her own murder before it’s too late.

⚠️ Spoilers Ahead!

I had mixed feelings about this one. The premise was super intriguing, classic Holly Jackson twistiness with a morbidly thrilling countdown but I struggled a bit with the pacing. The opening chapters were fast and gripping, but the momentum dipped somewhere in the middle, then the ending went too fast again.

The shift to focusing on JJ as the primary suspect felt frustrating. The evidence against him felt too neat and convenient, so I never really believed he was the attacker.

I actually suspected Billy early on just because he was being too nice. But I quickly ruled him out once I saw a little romance starting to spark between him and Jet (which, to be honest, I really didn’t see coming). I wasn’t expecting a romantic subplot at all, especially with such a tight, tragic timeline but I appreciated the emotional complexity it added.

And then there’s the ending. Honestly, I kept hoping there would be a last-minute miracle to save Jet, but Holly Jackson really committed. I shouldn’t have been surprised she’s not afraid to make bold choices but I was still holding out hope. That finality hit hard.

Overall thoughts:
A unique take on the murder mystery genre, solving your own attempted murder while on a literal deadline but the pacing hiccups and slightly predictable misdirects dulled some of the tension. Still, I can see why Holly Jackson has such a loyal following, and I’m definitely curious to explore her other books next.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting. There was intrigue, mystery, suspense, a murder to solve, and even a few surprising twists. I did not expect it to be as emotional as it was. But I loved the premise Jet set; so unique and original. The beginning was slow and a bit awkward but this story really hit its stride.

This was twisty thriller full of suspense and clever turns. The beginning is a bit slow, and most of the characters—including the main one—come off as unlikable at first, often acting more like teens than adults in their late 20s or 30s. But as the story builds, the pace picks up and I found myself growing to like the FMC and getting pulled into the mystery.

In Holly Jackson's debut adult novel, 27 year old Jet is attacked on Halloween night and suffers a life threatening head injury. Due the injury, the doctors are certain she will suffer a fatal brain aneurism in 7 days. Determined to finally accomplish something, Jet sets out to solve her own murder with the help of her childhood friend, Billy.

The premise of this novel is very unique. I have never read a mystery where the main character is solving their own murder. Jet's insistence in figuring out who killed her reminds me of Pip from A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. They both are very stubborn and won't take no for an answer.

I was fully invested from the first chapter and really wanted to follow Jet's journey. Even though you kind of know how her story will end, I was honestly still shocked. I definitely didn't suspect who the killer was.

Holly Jackson's writing is just so captivating and binge-worthy. It is fast paced and has you constantly turning the page. If you liked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you will undoubtedly love this.


Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a thriller that really tears your heart out. The relationship that Jet and Billy form will ultimately make you sad in the last chapter of the book. The one kept me on my toes and ripped my heart out all in the same breath.

Holly Jackson is one of my favorite thriller authors! Not Quite Dead Yet is her adult debut and it did not disappoint. Because of the insane plot, this felt extremely fast-paced - I was dying to find out the ending and was routing for our main character, Jen. Also I did NOT expect a romance to be interwoven in this, so I was very pleasantly surprised!!!

I definitely recommend this! Thank you so much to Random House for the advanced copy!

4.5 stars - Long story short, Jet is brutally attacked in her home and is told she has seven days to live. So what will she do with those seven days? Solve her own inevitable murder, of course! This plot is so unique and honestly felt like a breath of fresh air. This story is so chock full of tension that I was literally biting my nails towards the end. Jet is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but she had me laughing out loud so many times. I love her sarcastic, dark sense of humor. Jet's childhood best friend, Billy, is hands down one of the biggest cinnamon rolls this inexperienced romance reader has ever seen. The juxtaposition of their personalities was pure gold in my opinion. The story starts out a little slow, but Holly Jackson knew how to build the tension. It was so well done. Very excited to read more from this author in the future!

I haven’t given a book 5 stars in a long time, but this one absolutely earned it. While a few moments felt predictable, the overall storyline kept me engaged and genuinely surprised me at times. It struck a great balance—realistic, yet still full of suspense, humor, and even a touch of sadness. Kudos to the author—this was a truly enjoyable read.