HOLY MOLY. I was in tears for the entire duration of the last 20% of this book. Lore drop after lore drop that gave me full body chills, had me taking deep breaths, and re-reading the words to make sure they were true. This book absolutely gutted me in the best way possible. A twisty thriller with time ticking down that has you second-guessing all the way to the last seconds…

Holly Jackson knew what she was doing. The acknowledgements literally start with “…And breathe. Sorry, I know that was intense.” SHE KNEW. She knew she had crafted an absolutely unputdownable and intense thriller that would have us gasping for air at every turn.

This book also had a wonderful and unexpected hopeful undercurrent (despite all the trauma), that warmed my heart while ripping it to shreds.

A 5 star book. It’s a no-brainer (is that pun too soon?)

This written review was published on my Goodreads on Sunday, May 25 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7588725706).
My video review was published on my TikTok account on Sunday, May 25 (https://www.tiktok.com/@bookswithjm/video/7508422628261072170).

Thank you to Random House for providing me an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Woah. That was… a rollercoaster. Fast paced, lots of twists, sad (of course) and exciting. I don’t want to say too much to give anything away- but I guessed 8 different killers throughout this book and didn’t figure it out until 10 pages before the reveal. (And honestly was proud of myself for finally figuring it out!)

5/5 stars, excellent read. If you like her previous books, you will love this too.

Jesus Christ. How heartbreaking. I was hoping, praying, for a better outcome for our girl. Maybe some freak last minute Hail Mary. Such a great read. Cannot stop thinking about it.

A nice who dunnit with a twist. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the twist. There things that the main character did that I don't think was possible with her condition. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue.

*** Thank you NetGalley & Bantam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also, really really thank you to the big HJ ***

Whew. Okay.

Not Quite Dead Yet is somehow exactly what I thought it would be, and also the exact opposite. A funny, intense mystery about a spunky girl solving her own death, and simultaneously a powerful, poetic ode to a dying girl.

As usual, Holly Jackson knocked it out of the park. I love everything she writes, and this new adult mystery from her satisfied everything I want from an HJ novel: a tenaciously lovable MC, a side cast of complicated characters, and a mystery that will both shock and satisfy you every time. She never pulls punches, and she definitely didn't this time.

If you love HJ, please read. If you love intense and funny mysteries, also please read.

My oh my. I just wanted to read a little until I’m tired but suddenly it’s 5am and the book is finished. Easy 4.5 stars for me! Can’t lie, I even cried a bit at the end.

The build up, jet’s character it all was just so fun to read about it even though it extremely hurt as well. The story pulls you immediately in and you feel like you’re part of the duo solving the mystery. I didn’t want to stop reading at all. I wished the ending would have been a bit different especially as I just adore Jet so much. She was relatable because cmon I think we’re all a bit lost with life and want to make our parents proud right?

I absolutely recommend this if you love some nice mystery.

Wow. What started as an interesting, if somewhat cliched, premise turned into a story that truly delivered.

Jet thinks she has all the time in the world. But this belief is broken when she’s attacked with three hard hits to her head. Suddenly, she comes to in a hospital bed. All will be okay, right? Well… it turns out her brain now contains a ticking time bomb in the form of a shattered piece of her skull. She could get surgery, but her odds of survival are only 10%. Jet decides she’d rather use the time she has left solving her own murder.

Jet is a witty, sarcastic character who I loved. She copes by making jokes, which is something I do too. It makes everyone else really uncomfortable, but Jet remains unapologetically herself until the end.

This book brought me to tears twice, and it’s been a long time since a book has done that. Especially the letters section at the end, which had me sobbing. Great—but tragic—book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I love Holly Jackson’s young adult thrillers and I was so excited to find out she was writing an adult thriller. This was DARK. It is not easy to read a book from the point of view of a person who knows they have a week to live. The banter between Jet and Billy does help and the plot line stays exciting. There are several twists and I didn’t see a lot of them coming. I feel like some elements were left unresolved but overall it was a great read.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! This book is absolutely amazing! It took me on an emotional rollercoaster in the very best way. I adore Jet, she's such a relatable character! Her story is heartbreakingly beautiful. My jaw was on the floor with the amazing twists and turns. If you like mystery thriller books that suck you in and leave you questioning everything, this book is for you. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved the concept, the pacing, Jet! Please make more adult novels, I’ll devour them. Thank you for the ARC!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 22, 2025
📖 400 pages

🧠 She'll Solve Her Own Murder
🏠 Dark Secrets
📒 Affairs + Blackmail
🕸 Found Family
✨️ He's in Love, She's Clueless

I enjoyed this one so much. The premise is so unique, the characters were well-developed, and the constant twists and turns made it impossible to stop reading! Everyone had their own dark secrets, and Jet and Billy wasted no time uncovering them. Jet's growth in her final days was amazing, and I definitely cried a couple of times.

If you're looking for a snarky FMC who solves her own murder, a cinnamon-roll bestie who's head over heels for her, and unexpected twists galore, Not Quite Dead Yet is perfect for you!

Thank you so much, Random House Publishing, Ballantine and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

#NotQuiteDeadYet #NetGalley

wow. my emotions were all over the place while reading this, but i loved it. i loved jet, and it was very interesting and fun to follow her through her crazy story. i did think that this felt more like YA than adult, but i still enjoyed every second of the book. i also think that maybe i’ve just read too many mystery and thrillers, because i did somewhat predict the ending, making it a little less exciting than what i had hoped for. i may update this review in the future, but i’m leaving it as is for now to avoid spoiling it for anyone :)

Listen, I will read ANYTHING that Holly Jackson writes.

This is her first step outside of Young Adult and it was such a good step. This story was insane, incredible, and most importantly original. I absolutely loved the concept of someone solving their own murder before they die. It kept me on the edge of my seat, especially at the end.
I loved all of Jet's remarks to her death and absolutely loved the relationship between her and Billy. Now I did put a couple of things together before the big reveal, but that didn't take away from how much I enjoy the book. 10/10 recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group!

No book will be loved by everyone. This one wasn’t for me. Although the main character is an adult, she acts like a bratty teenager. This read 100% like YA to this reader. I skimmed a good portion of the book just to finish. I did enjoy the unique premise, but it was a real struggle to connect with any of the characters who were all very unlikeable. And the plot was so unrealistic that it was difficult to finish. I’m sorry I don’t have better feedback for this one. 2.5 stars rounded up. I hope others will love it.

Meet Jet, a 20-something women who is the title character, assaulted early on in this mystery and left for dead. Trouble is, she has a chronic kidney disease that will kill her. within a couple of weeks after her assault. She sets out to find her almost-killer and along her madcap journey we get introduced to her dysfunctional family members, including her younger sister that is accidentally drowned as a teen. Jet's family is intricately tied to her neighbors, the father being a policeman who helps to investigate her "murder" -- as Jet refers to the event. This elaborately plotted mystery held my attention up until the big reveal at the end, and kudos to Jackson for taking the time and the effort to pull this off and provide the details that fill in the family's oddball relationships as Jet tries to figure out what happened to her leading up to her assault. I highly recommend this book for these reasons.

4.5 ⭐

This book gave me emotional trauma 😭😭 I'm not ever forgiving Holly Jackson for what she did to me 💔

I've read this book in one sitting; start... Cry... Bam Finished! I simply couldn't put it down.
I loved Jet and Billy so much 😭😭. The plot?..... Unpredictable, the suspense?..... Top tier, the thriller?..... made me on the edge of my seat.

And the ending? Yeah..... we're not talking about the ending 😭 😔

It's heartbreaking that nearly no one is innocent 😭 I believe this is what man's ego and ambition lead to.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!..... Did I just read this right???? I got approved 😭😭😭 thank you so much Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine 💙

Phenomenal! Holly Jackson brings her trademark character-driven, twisty mysteries to the adult space. I fell in love with the characters-- especially Jet, who is just so much fun to read. Definitely her most emotional book to date-- have tissues ready!

I do not have enough words to describe how much I loved this book.

Not Quite Dead Yet, follows Jet, a 27-year-old girl who is attacked on Halloween night, leaving her gravely injured. Due to her injuries, in 7 days Jet will suffer an aneurysm that will kill her. With her life having a sudden expiration date, Jet must solve her own murder and discover the truth behind her attack before her time runs out.

I have read every book that Holly Jackson has written, and this one is fighting for a spot as my favorite. As her adult debut, I was not sure what to expect, but in true Holly Jackson fashion, this ended up being a pulse pounding, emotional, and amazing mystery novel. I could honestly rave on and on about this book because there were so many things I loved, but I’ll keep it short.

The plot was so incredibly unique and unlike anything I have ever read before, and it was executed perfectly. There were high stakes, plot twists upon plot twists, a wonderfully written friendship/romantic subplot, and of course an ending that had me clutching my heart.

I loved reading about Jet, this woman who was sarcastic, always cracking dark jokes, and had a fire in her that was so engaging to follow. You couldn’t help but root for her and cheer as she stepped into the role of detective as she tried to solve her own murder. On the opposite hand, we also had soft spoken, sweet, Billy. The perfect sidekick and balance to Jet’s impulsive and headstrong personality. Reading about these two was so fun, and it really felt like these were real characters that I couldn’t help but fall in love with.

The writing was great, the full circle moments were so satisfying, the ending was genuinely impactful and had me reflecting on my own life, and I couldn’t help but want to read the book all over again the second I had finished.

If you love mystery/thrillers and are looking for something that will keep your mind racing, have you laughing, crying, and looking at life through a new lens, definitely read this book. You will not regret it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine – Bantam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc

Firstly I need to say that I’ve come to the conclusion rewind it back put me in a bit of a slump so nothing is sounding as interesting to me right now
So this felt like the perfect book to pick up, mistery ya, fast paced, short chapters. And it really was a fast read and interesting enought that kept me reading. It’s probably my favorite from Holly Jackson, but something about it didn’t scratch the entire itch for me, but then again I think it might be my slump talking for me, cause I can’t pinpoint anything that actually bothered me about this
Definitely recommend! If you enjoy hollys writting I’m sure you will definitely devour this

Omg. This book was suspenseful, heartbreaking, page-turning perfection.

Jet was such a likeable FMC, her funny one liners and her don’t care attitude was so fun while trying to solve such a serious issue, her own murder. Billy was an amazing sidekick and I loved their dynamic! This was my first @hojay92 book, but now I’m definitely going to check out “A Good Girls Guide to Murder” because I loved her writing style.

This book comes out July 22, and if you are looking for a suspenseful book that will rip your heart out, make sure you mark your calendar!