I loved this book! It was a new spin on a thriller and definitely was on my seat until the end! Any one that’s looking for a new thriller, this is a good one!

This was such a unique ride that captures you from the first chapter until the very end. I loved the hand written notes and the dark humor, as well as the tangled back story and POV from a “dead” person. The only thing that didnt come together for me was motive. Killing Luke’s dad would have achieved the goal way better than killing Jet. Also Luke and Sophia suck and I would have loved to see some justice there. Other than those little gripes, such a good book.

First of all, I would love to thank Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for this arc! I am truly thankful since Holly Jackson is one of my favorite authors!

This book started and ended with a banger. I was hooked to this book and just like a Good Girl’s To Murder, I could not guess the plot. It was so well written, and I love the main character. She reminds me a lot about myself. This books was amazing. 4.5 stars!

Jet Mason has seven days to live. After a violent attack on Halloween night leaves her with a head injury that’s expected to trigger a fatal aneurysm, Jet becomes desperate to uncover who targeted her—and why. As her time runs out, she begins to suspect that someone close to her wants her gone for good.

The premise grabbed me right away, and I was looking forward to a dark, twisty mystery with an adult tone. But the story never felt like it stepped fully into the adult space it claimed. The opening chapter, set at a Halloween festival, introduced a tangle of characters all at once and gave off strong YA vibes despite being framed as a thriller for older readers.

The clipped, fragmented writing style was especially tough for me. Conversations and narration were made up of incomplete thoughts and one-line observations that read less like a novel and more like someone had scribbled ideas on post-it notes and called it a day. One example:

“Not as annoyed as Jet. Couldn’t sleep for hours, worried about running out of time, then slept in till eleven, forgot to set an alarm. Didn’t forget, actually. Didn’t have her phone.”
This kind of structure appeared frequently and eventually wore me down.

I kept pushing forward because I wanted to see who was behind it all, but I had a strong guess by chapter five and getting to the reveal felt like a slow march rather than a suspenseful ride. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the characters, and I found little payoff at the end. That said, I can see this landing better with fans of fast-paced YA thrillers or readers who already love Holly Jackson’s earlier work. This one just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed Holly Jackson’s books, so I was excited to see a new release by her on netgalley, and I jumped on Not Quite Dead Yet so fast! Jet Mason is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, VT, and has always had an “I’ll do it later” mindset—that is until she’s attacked on Halloween and suffers a catastrophic head injury that leaves her with 7 days to solve her own murder. Conceptually, I loved this, and I loved Jet. She’s rough around the edges and snarky and sarcastic. She has so much heart and won’t be walked on. And her childhood friend Billy helping her was so endearing and fun! I loved their relationship and how it evolved as time went on! Their banter is so good and I loved the mystery of it. I had my guesses, and one did end up being right—unfortunately, it was the one I was feeling like if this is who did it, I won’t love that—but I thought the execution of it all was really well done and the suspense of it really kept me guessing! Still a really strong thriller and great characters!

I wish more than anything I could give this a higher rating. 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

First off, Holly Jackson started off my obsession with reading when I binged AGGGTM last year!

The concept of this one was very, very cool but frankly, fell a bit flat. When I was actively reading, I was invested, but when I put it down, I didn’t think about it much.

I feel like I should’ve been sobbbbbing the last few chapters, but I just wasn’t emotionally connected enough to the characters.

Would I recommend? Yes
Am I still buying it when I have an electronic copy? Also yes.



Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley this eARC.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This was pretty good! I liked the concept of the main character solving her own murder before she dies. It was fast paced and although I didn’t love the main character completely, I really liked Billy. I also cried reading Reggie’s letter.

Would recommend though I don’t think I’d read it a second time.

I really enjoy Holly Jackson’s books so I was not surprised that I loved this one too. When I started heavily reading again a few years back, AGGGTM was one of my favorite series that I picked up. I have made sure to pick up Holly’s new releases every time since then. (Side note, I didn’t love Rachel Price as much, but enjoyed this a lot more!) I didn’t plan on picking this arc up until next month but I’m so glad I did. I was feeling a bit slumpy and this pulled me right out. I actually flew through this book.

Holly’s writing is intriguing and grips you from the start. We start Not Quite Dead Yet already mostly knowing how the story will end but the journey to get there is twisty and captivating. Our FMC has only 7 days to solve her own murder which I thought was SO unique in a plot. There are twists galore and I loved the pairing of our two MC’s. They were funny, witty, and sweet and I really appreciated the way the relationship unfolded all the way up to the end. This definitely does not end like your typical thriller but I think that made it all the better.

While I don’t like the thought of spoilery reviews as it is, I definitely don’t like them in thriller books as that takes the mystery right away so I’m not really going to dive into the plot. BUT, I will say that I was actively guessing all the way up to the very end on this one but I think it tied up nicely. I’m never a huge fun of info dumpy explanation endings which is just a me preference and that’s where my rating suffered.

Otherwise I really loved this unique plot, the fun MC pairing, and the murder mystery. The ending was twisty, bittersweet, and a little bit wild. Really enjoyed this!

A big thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the netgalley arc!! As always, all opinions are my own.

4.25 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing me with an eARC of Not Quite Dead Yet in exchange for my honest review!

What a way for Holly Jackson to execute her adult novel debut. What a way! I've been a fan of her writing for years ever since A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The ways in which she lays out her twisty tales with such utter grit and darkness that we get to explore alongside endearing and flawed protagonists—it's a true talent of Jackson's. Now this continues to flourish in Not Quite Dead Yet, which captivates my attention right away with its premise. Come on, a murder victim who's still alive, but will officially leave this mortal realm in a week thanks to a fatal head injury, so this pushes her into a dogged quest to uncover her killer—that's such an interesting foundation to build a story off of. Coincidentally, I recently read Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons, which had gone down a similar route, except that sci-fi thriller wove in cloning technology.

Then we have Margaret "Jet" Mason, whose determination, sarcasm, fear of commitment, and confrontational attitude get me invested in her character. It's funny, because her inclination to act in ways that irk and unsettle the people around her—whether she's doing it for dark fun or she's doing it in order to accomplish her mission—reminds me of the behaviors that Pip and Bel deployed in AGGGTM and The Reappearance of Rachel Price, respectively. They're all ultimately separate human beings who have their own different baggage to wrestle with, of course, but I can feel this same sharp spark in all of these protagonists that Jackson has crafted. It's the sort of thing that helps me connect with such characters, and this certainly applies to Jet as she tries to solve her the mystery of her own murder and as she wields a wickedly grim sense of humor to process the daunting fact that she only has a few days left on this earth. Elements like the messiness of her dysfunctional family and the dynamic she grows with her old friend Billy further flesh out the wrinkles and the complexities of this world that she's lived in for a bit over two and a half decades.

As the mystery progresses, let me tell you that I keep piecing together potential theories as to what's really happened, and I actually end up predicting one specific aspect after entering the third act. The ultimate truth is a heavy one to contend with, and it matches up with how emotional and tense the conclusion becomes. Once it's all over, I'm left giving Not Quite Dead Yet an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding up to the full 5 stars. This is a thriller that guides me through its twists and turns, that touches my heart, and that gets me releasing some uneasy laughter over Jet's supply of morbid jokes. I'll keep highly anticipating Jackson's books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Review: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson has done it again — and this time, she takes us on a jaw-clenching, heart-pounding ride that blurs the lines between life, death, and everything in between. Not Quite Dead Yet is smart, sharp, and exactly the kind of dark YA thriller that makes you question every character and motive until the very last page.

The premise is wild in the best way: a girl wakes up after being declared dead. What follows is a race to piece together what happened to her, who wanted her gone, and why she was never supposed to survive. The pacing is lightning-fast, the tension deliciously high, and the twists? Chef’s kiss.

Jackson writes teens with believable voices and messy emotions, and she keeps you teetering between shock and suspicion the whole time. If you loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this one kicks the suspense up a notch with a slightly darker, grittier tone.

Read this if you love:
🧠 Clever female leads
⚰️ Near-death mysteries
📓 Twists that make you gasp
👀 Unreliable allies
🕵️‍♀️ Dark academia energy with a thriller pulse

Holly Jackson is queen of the plot twist, and Not Quite Dead Yet proves she’s nowhere near done shocking us.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review- wow. This was quite a book!
Jet is hit on the head and left for dead on Halloween. She has a terrible head injury that could trigger an aneurysm. She has 7 days to discover who tried to kill her and why. From searching on the cameras, chasing leads, and almost getting killed numerous times she’s hoping to find the answers.
But can she do it?

Um wow okay, this book was actually insane😳

Not Quite Dead Yet is a story about a twentysomething woman who gets attacked. She survives, but when she wakes up, she finds out she only has a week to live. And what is she going to do with that week? Solve her own murder.

I was immediately drawn in by this premise, and this book really did have me on the edge of my seat and I was STRESSING near the end. Holly Jackson is truly masterful at crafting mysteries with lots of intricate details and surprising twists. I thought Jet had great character growth throughout the story, and I loved Poor, Sweet Billy - he really was so sweet. I did enjoy the romance subplot between Billy and Jet (though I did delude myself into thinking that the one thing that we were told from the beginning - Jet would die - wouldn’t actually happen, so that did make me sad🥲 Holly Jackson, can we have a couple in one of your books that actually get a happy ending please??😅) Anyway, I really did enjoy this thrilling mystery, and it might just be my favorite Holly Jackson book yet!

Content Notes: No spice. Frequent use of strong language (way more f-bombs than I prefer or think is necessary). Semi-detailed descriptions of an attempted murder, as well as serious medical issue symptoms. Mentions of death of a child, parental abandonment, and adultery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing early access to this ebook in exchange for my honest review. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

I’ve become a big fan of Holly Jackson’s writing, and this might just be my favorite book of hers yet. ☺️☺️Her ability to craft tension and keep readers guessing is unmatched. Jet’s story was gripping and refreshingly unique—I was completely hooked from the first chapter. And despite all my theories, I still didn’t figure out who the killer was until the very last chapter!

The premise is chilling:
In seven days, Jet Mason will be dead.😵

The daughter of one of the wealthiest 💰 families in Woodstock, Vermont, Jet has always believed she had time—until she’s violently attacked on Halloween night and left with a catastrophic head injury. The prognosis? A fatal aneurysm will take her life within a week. 🏥

With the clock ticking and her condition worsening, Jet begins to question everything—and everyone—around her: her powerful family, her former best friend who’s now her sister-in-law, and the ex-boyfriend she can’t quite forget. Her only ally is her childhood friend Billy. But she won’t let that stop her.

She’s going to solve her own murder—before it’s too late. 🕵🏻‍♀️

This book is a thrilling ride full of twists, emotional depth, and razor-sharp suspense. Highly recommend for fans of smart, fast-paced mysteries.

This was such an interesting concept where the main character is solving her own murder since she doesn’t have much longer to live. I liked the character development the main character Jet had since she wasn’t very likable in the beginning and changed as the book went on. The twists surprised me and I liked how the ending played out.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC.

How far would you go to solve your own murder? Jet Mason has seven days to live after suffering a brutal attack on Halloween night that leaves her with a head injury and a ticking clock—her doctor warns a deadly aneurysm is inevitable. Suddenly, the 27-year-old, who’s spent her life putting things off is forced to take action, and fast. With the help of her childhood friend Billy, Jet sets out to find out who wanted her dead, looking at everyone in her life through a new lens including her family, her ex, even her former best friend….I LOVED this book! Holly Jackson’s first adult novel has all the stars in my book and is such a fresh take on the thriller genre. I was rooting for Jet while she was trying to solve her own murder. I got so attached to her character and especially loved with how sweet her relationship with Billy was. I flew through it, was completely hooked, and honestly think this might be Jackson’s best yet!

Pub day is July 22, 2025!

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this for a review!

I love Holly Jackson books and this one did not disappoint. The story is about a girl named Jet who on Halloween is attacked and ends up in the hospital with a brain aneurysm. Jet only has 7 days to live and uses this time to find out who tried to murder her. This book has so many twists and turns.that you will not want to put it down.

I felt all of the emotions with this book. I love holly Jackson, so I was excited for this ARC. It was heart breaking but SUCH a good read. This is one of those books I wish I could read again. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

It's no secret that Holly Jackson has been one of my favorite authors for years. I will read anything this woman writes. So maybe I'm a bit biased when I say this, but I enjoyed this book so much. I always count down the days til a new Hojay book and immediately started this when my ARC was approved. The dynamic between Jet and Billy was the best part of this book for me. You could feel the connection and familiarity between the characters, and it never once felt forced. Holly has always been great at that. Establishing connections and relationships with the characters.

The plot itself was so intriguing, and I knew that Holly would make this land like a gut punch. (I sobbed. Thanks, Holly xx.) Giving Jet the task of solving her own murder with only about a week to live was something so insane that only Holly could pull it off. I rarely had a moment of peace when reading this because, just like Jet, time was at the back of my mind. This book is quite literally a race against the clock, and as horrifying as it seemed, it does work for this.

But as much as I love Holly's writing, I do have a small list of issues with this story. First off, it felt very YA to me instead of Adult. I think making Jet and Billy a bit more in their early twenties would have helped Holly make the transition from YA to Adult. Jet did not feel like a twenty-seven-year-old woman to me, and sometimes remembering her age threw me off. I do think this is something Holly will improve upon if/when she writes more Adult characters.

My second and also last issue is the ending. This is something I've noticed with Holly's other standalone books, and it's the endings that feel rushed. I understand wanting a crazy third act, but sometimes it feels like too much all at once. The more I think about this ending the more questions I end up with. There are so many plot lines to wrap up and some of them felt like an afterthought. I think if Holly started wrapping things up around the 50-60% mark of the book, then it all would’ve been stronger by the end. Although I had my issues with part of the ending, I do think Holly wrapped it up beautifully with those final letters.

Wow! I talked a lot. Can you tell I love Holly Jackson? Don't worry, I'm wrapping up now. If you're a previous Holly Jackson fan, then you should absolutely read this book. And if you've never read a Holly Jackson book before but you're a fan of mysteries, then give this a try! She's a brilliant author, and she's never let me down with one of her stories. I can't wait to see what she writes next, aka how she traumatizes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Intriguing story! Love the concept of getting to solve your own murder. After being brutally attacked in her home on Halloween Night Jet wakes up in a hospital and told that she has a traumatic brain injury that will result in an aneurysm that will take her life in seven days. In the time that she has left she decides to team up with Billy, her longtime neighbor and childhood best friend to find her killer. The book is fast paced and had enough twists and turns to keep me turning pages. This book was Jackson's leap into adult fiction, but I felt that Jet and Billy came off more like teenagers than in their upper twenties. I also would have liked a little more interaction between Jet and her parents. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed that the word sniffed was greatly overused but I found it very distracting. All in all, it is a great mystery with a shocking ending. I loved the small-town vibe and the digging up of secrets. If you love Holly Jackson and mysteries, then you won't be disappointed in this book.

Wow!!! That's the best word to describe this book. From page 1 to the end, this book was a non stop roller coaster. Full of twists and turns, this book had me constantly guessing who the killer was. The plot of Jet trying to solve her own murder was genius. I loved the intrigue and the mystery page after page. The ending left my jaw on the floor. 5 out of 5!!