I really enjoyed the plot. It was fun trying to figure out who did it and the culprit was a surprise twist. I did notice a few issues that were a little jarring as a reader. For example, a lot of characters are "sniffing" in this book. I suppose the author prefers "sniffed" to "said", but there's a lot of sniffing which implies a dismissive vibe that is at odds with several scenes. There are also a few clunky sentences that could be worded better. The character development was pretty well placed. I had an issue with Billy's mother as I felt her character was not necessarily relevant for the characters or plot, but was used as a trope to buoy Billy's character development. For example: it is never really explained why Billy's mother left him behind. Both Emily and Billy's Mom feel like tropes added to give the M.C.'s a bit more tragic depth.

Not Quite Dead Yet was definitely a different, but unique story. Our main character Jet is hit upside her head causing a brain fracture. Miraculously, she survives, however within one week, she will succumb to her injuries due to an aneurysm. So Jet decides she’s going to solve her own murder. Honestly, I did have some of the twists figured out as some of the characters were sketchy as hell. However, the main final twist I DID NOT figure out and had me going WHAT?! Holly Jackson is an auto buy author for me and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was so good but also totally bonkers. The twists were INSANE which is something one can always expect with a Holly Jackson novel. All in all...the description on the back fits the story.

Jet has been putting off living her life. It is a constant sore spot between her and her mother. But now that someone tried to kill Jet, she has no choice but to live. At least to live long enough to solve her murder. Because that's what happened, someone tried to kill Jet, it's just taking a little longer than they expected. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, making it a fast read. I think fans of Holly Jackson's YA titles will enjoy this. It did feel a little juvenile compared to other adult thrillers. Almost like I forgot I wasn't reading about teenagers. I still liked the book and think it will find a wide audience.

Holly Jackson worked her magic again. This was a perfect debut for her entrance into adult thrillers. The premise of this book was so fascinating that I was hooked right away. I couldn't stop reading and was absolutely kept guessing until the very end. And of course, as is usual with Jackson's books, I audibly gasped at the big reveal! I can't wait to recommend this book to people upon its release!

I wasn’t sure Holly could top A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, but Not Quite Dead Yet was PHENOMENAL! What would you do if you could solve your own murder? I am not sure I ever thought about it but Jet sure did inspire me! If you’re looking for a book filled with courage, mystery, what to do in your late 20s quarter life crisis, messed up families and even a little love - this one is for you!

I was all over the place on this one. I sort of loved Jet and sort of found her annoying. I sort of loved the premise and sort of thought it was ridiculous. I was super engaged at the start, but then found myself wanting it to be over, but then was sad it was over. I don’t know.

I did consistently love the red herrings - I thought I had it all figured out a bunch of times and was wrong!

This wasn’t my fave by Holly Jackson (AGGGTM will forever be in that slot), but I liked this *much* more than Five Survive. I’m already excited to read whatever she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Fast read. Interesting use of humor by the main character, Jet, as she attempts to solve her own murder. Believable emotions ranging from displaced blame, jealousy, friends to enemies, friends to friends, and more.

I’m still uncertain about the ending, which normally would bother me. But the book wasn’t about an ending; it was about living. Learning to live fully and make yourself happy, Using humor in dire circumstances. Realizing that true strength comes from love, not anger or power. And that a week can actually hold a lifetime of memories.

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author.

In seven days, Jet Mason will be dead. The 27-year-old heiress from a powerful Woodstock family has always believed she had time to start her life until Halloween night, when she’s brutally attacked and left with a fatal head injury. Doctors warn that a deadly aneurysm will claim her within a week. As her health declines, Jet begins to suspect those closest to her; her family, her ex, even her former best friend turned sister-in-law. With only days left and the help of her childhood friend Billy, Jet is determined to do the one thing she’s never done before: take control and solve her own murder.

Thank you NetGalley! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller!

After being attacked on Halloween, Jet Mason has seven days to live, so the race is on to solve her own murder - before she dies. In this fast paced mystery, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is as it seems. Is the murderer a stranger? Someone from her past? Someone in her own family?

Holly Jackson's first adult novel is a hit! It follows Jet, a 27 year old girl, who is brutally attacked and left for dead. She lives but is told she only has about one week until an aneurysm in her brain bursts, meaning her attack will soon be a murder. She decides to use this last week of her life to solve her own murder. I loved the twists and turns of this novel, and the relationship between Billy and Jet. I thought the big reveal was wonderfully executed. My only complaint was that at times it felt like a bit too much was happening. I also didn't love Holly Jackson's writing style on this one, though I understand why she chose it. All in all, this was an excellent first adult title for Jackson.

This was okay. Holly Jackson writing an adult thriller was something I was really looking forward to, but unfortunately this was just as outlandish as her YA. Her writing is always quick and entertaining regardless of the plot though.

Holly Jackson never disappoints and this one was no exception. Not Quite Dead Yet was actually her first adult thriller, and while it did lag a bit at times, the concept was so unique that I couldn’t put this book down. Even though it is labeled as adult, I will definitely be adding this one to my high school library.

As an adult reader of YA and a huge fan of Holly Jackson's AGGGTM series, I was so excited to read Not Quite Dead Yet. Keeping in mind that I'm not generally a big reader of adult murder-mysteries, here is my review:

The Good: The pacing of this book was really well done. Just enough red herrings to keep you guessing, and always forward movement on the plot. After all, Jet doesn't have a lot of time to mess around. She's only got a week to solve her own murder.

The Bad: First off, the first chapter is objectively not good and I cannot pin down why except that everyone was so unlikeable. I very nearly DNFd before I hit the murder scene, which improved the pace significantly. Second, Jet's determination to solve the case without telling the police anything she finds out made no sense - they are a bit bumbling but not ill-meaning, as far as she knows. And third, I can't take Billy seriously. It seemed like while Jet had moved away from home and not evolved much emotionally, Billy had stayed in their hometown and not evolved at all, whatsoever. He read like an 18-year-old; as if he and Jet had been friends as children and she left for ten years and came back, and he remained frozen in time, awaiting her return.

The Meh: This really read as YA for me. The language, the (belated) coming-of-age, the innocence of Jet and Billy's relationship, and Jet's relationship with her parents really felt like themes that belonged in a YA book. The adults are all insufferable, and the young people are hardly any more redeemable. I realize that Jet needed to be an older character in order to make some of the decisions (and have some of the regrets) that she did, but her life experience felt as depthless as a teen's. In a way, particularly in the beginning of the book, it felt like an excuse to swear a lot, which doesn't bother me usually but somehow felt incongruous in this title.

3.5 Stars, rounded down, because while I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I have marinated on it a bit and the things that have stuck with me most are the things I was annoyed by.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book

I have yet to read a Holly Jackson book that I didn’t love! No exception here. This book is sad and funny and thrilling and all the feels wrapped up in one. The main character is a strong female lead and her witty banter kept me pulling for her to the very end. You’ll get hooked in the beginning and stay turning the pages to the end! Great read! Highly recommended!

Thank you Holly Jackson!
Another great book by this author.
4.5 starts from me.
Jet (FMC) has limited time to solve her OWN murder. Yes - that is typed correctly, her own murder.
This plot is well structured and the pace is something of my dreams for a thriller/mystery.
I had a hard time putting this book down and I am still sitting here wishing I could read it again for the first time.
I love Holly Jackson, and I have to say... this might have moved into the spot of my favorite book from her.
Characters were very well developed. Instantly connected with Jet and I felt like I was right with her emotionally! The banter - so funny. I was a detective and right with Jet trying to figure this out! And BILLY! Sweet Billy... ugh! I can't say enough about this book!
There are twists and turns and I was left audibly say, "OMG WHAT?!", multiple times while reading this book.
This book was so dynamic, so thrilling, and heart-breaking at the same time.
I have tried so hard not to give any spoilers but it is so hard because this book is one of my favorites of this year!
Immediately add this to your July 2025 TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House for the opportunity to read this uncorrected ARC for a review!
Happy Reading!

Jet's motto has always been, "I'll do it later," which is the last thing she says to her family before ditching them at the fall festival and heading home, where she is attacked. Upon waking in the hospital, Jet discovers that she has two options: go in for a risky surgery now to remove the splinter of bone dangerously close to her brain, or die in seven days from an aneurysm. Obviously, Jet chooses the latter, determined to find the person who "killed" her. Alongside her longtime friend Billy (who is clearly in love with her), Jet starts investigating in the living-on-the-edge manner she's lived her whole life.

Jet was an intriguing protagonist, very much doing things her way and not the way any rational human being would. There were a lot of suspects and secrets that kept me on my toes. I really liked the slow burn romance between Jet and Billy. Overall this was a fast-paced thriller with a solid mystery - even though I thought I had solved it super early on, the twists at the end turned all that around.

This is such an interesting idea!! I really love this concept, and Holly Jackson's writing keeps the tension high. I didn't love Jet as a character (though I do appreciate how prickly she is), and still don't 100% understand her initial decision no skip the surgery (I was on her mom's side!), but overall this was a great read.

The book was decent overall, but a few elements left me confused. The ending, in particular, felt unclear—I didn’t fully understand the killer’s motive or how it all tied together. That said, I really enjoyed the countdown structure leading up to the day she died; it added tension and kept me turning the pages. I also appreciated that the author chose not to give Jet a miraculous cure, which made the story feel more grounded and real. However, the frequent use of the F word felt excessive and took away from the experience a bit. With a bit more clarity in the ending and toned-down language, this could have been a stronger read.

When a killer leaves a contentious and obnoxious 27-year-old woman for dead, one would imagine the list of suspects endless. Surviving the attack, Margaret “Jet” Mason learns a deadly aneurysm will claim her life in seven days. Determined to solve her own murder, she uncovers a wealth of heinous secrets, the most monstrous involving those she trusts most.

"Hansel" Jackson (as I’ve come to call her due to the strategic little breadcrumbs she drops along the way) has penned a clever little murder mystery with plenty of whiplashing twists and turns certain to satisfy finicky readers.

Although the MC has a vocabulary largely consisting of four-letter words and a disposition that repels the more civilized, Jackson allows glimpses of a damaged soul seeking acceptance and tosses in a devoted companion to sweeten the pot.

While it’s fair to say portions of NOT QUITE DEAD YET require occasional detachment from reality, and even though Jet often comes across as flippant when contemplating her impending mortality, for the most part, the novel is a gratifying read. Much appreciation to Holly Jackson, Bantam, and NetGalley for the ARC.