Murder, mystery, intrigue, small town secrets!!! Not Quite Dead Yet focuses on the brutal attack of Jet Mason which left her with an aneurysm that will kill her by the end of the week. And her one goal for her last week is to solve her murder. There are plenty of liars and fraudulent activity going on in this small Vermont town which means there are plenty of suspects.

This book is touted as the author’s “first novel for adults”; however, even though the characters are adults, it still has a very “teen book” vibe. Many of the characters can be immature and selfish. I do appreciate Jet’s sarcastic humor when the situation is serious. It was a quick read, and I did enjoy it, despite its “young” feel. It would have been nice to have the narration done by some of the other characters as well as Jet to truly understand the motivation behind their actions. 3.5 stars! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam and to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I'm so.. numb right now, I'm feeling way too many emotions from this book.

The writing and narration were phenomenal, this is Holly Jackson's best book yet. The way all the characters and their very varying motivations were tied in was devastatingly perfect. So many dark sides and plots and pasts came to the light within the one week this book was set in, and Holly Jackson was absolutely brilliant in setting it all up. There was not even a single loophole.

Jet and [redacted] have my whole whole heart, I will never recover from this ending 3

Now excuse me, I'm gonna go and cry my eyes out ..

(please skip the TWs below if you don't want spoilers)
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TWs - aggravated assault, murder by aggravated assault, arson and almost death, death by drowning, cheating (past, secondary characters), attempted murder by poisoning, death by brain aneurysm (including all the symptoms of slowing losing one's functionalities due to the same), gun violence, abandonment by parent

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Absolutely loved this book. It was my first Holly Jackson book and since finishing, I have read two more. I think my favorite thing about this book was the different personalities. Jackson wrote the characters dialogues and mannerisms to consistently fit with how we, the readers, know the character to be like. This to me, is important for making the characters well rounded and appear realistic which really sucks you into the story.

I think it is also important for me to note that Jet's dark and sarcastic humor was done perfectly and the other character's reactions to the things she says is so organic that I would totally catch myself smiling at some parts.

Not Quite Dead Yet has a great premise, a twisty and interesting mystery to untangle, and that all-important mystery-thriller energy that will keep readers glued to the pages as they desperately search for answers and revelations. With all that being said, I am not sure if I loved this as much as Holly Jackson's previous book A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, which is odd as all the parts of this story should work for me. The premise is incredible: our protagonist Jet is 'murdered' early on in the book, but the killing doesn't quite take, so with her remaining time left on Earth she decides to solve her own murder. The mystery is full of wild plot twists, surprising characters, and everything I like in a thriller. If I had to guess, my problem probably is with Jet herself... she just doesn't read as an adult? While I understand that with her rather, uh... privileged upbringing she could perhaps be a little stunted in some ways, she did fully read more like a teen than an adult. I've liked how Holly Jackson writes her teen characters in the past, but I wasn't expecting to see it here which may have thrown me off a bit.

Overall though, this is a good mystery-thriller and fans of Jackson will not be disappointed in this story!

I so loved this book! It was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump. We have a giant who done it but the trick is the victim hasn’t died yet. Loved it! I wanted more at the end!

I think it's officially time for me to stop chasing the high of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, because I haven’t connected with any of Holly Jackson's releases since, and unfortunately, Not Quite Dead Yet continues that streak.

This is Jackson's first "adult fiction" novel, and the premise is admittedly interesting: a 27-year-old woman suffers a violent attack that leaves her with a fatal brain injury, and with only seven days left to live, she tries to solve her own (attempted) murder. But for a thriller that hinges entirely on urgency, it lacks any sense of momentum or suspense. There are so many repetitive moments and overly detailed side quests that it often feels more like reading a scene-by-scene breakdown of a film than an actual novel. And I hate to be so literal but the MC's behavior is implausibly energetic given her condition.

I'm also surprised that this is marketed as adult fiction when it reads very much like Jackson's YA novels. The narrative voice leans way too young for adult fiction, made worse by the MC living with her parents and interacting exclusively with childhood friends. It's a YA protagonist who is aged up on paper rather than actually adult.

The mystery itself isn't terrible--there are a couple of solid twists, even though the story never really engaged me. Overall, although I'm sad to say it, this just didn’t work for me.

Thank you Bantam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions

In seven days Jet will be dead. After an event on Halloween, Jet is attacked by an intruder as she enters her home. She gets hit in the back of her head and when she wakes up in the hospital, she is told she has around seven days left to live.

She is determined to use these seven days to solve her own murder. As she discovers more about the incident, she also finds out more and more about her own friends and family.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. It was a mix of scary, funny, sad and happy. I really enjoyed reading this book which is not a big surprise since Holly Jackson is one of my favorite authors.

I rated this book 4.25 stars.

Thank you, ballantine, @netgalley, and @hojay92 the gifted ARC!

Rundown:
✨️attacked and left for dead
✨️seven days to live
✨️inoperable aneurysm
✨️reconnects with childhood best friend
✨️determined to find killer
✨️complicated web of secrets

Synopsis ✒️
Jet has seven days to live after being hit in the head and left for dead in her home. An aneurysm forming in her brain is inoperable, and she decides to spend what little time she has reconnecting with her childhood best friend to solve her murder before it's too late.

Thoughts 💭
This one takes you on a crazy ride. This had a similar feel to some of Holly Jackson's other novels because of the constant twists and turns that keep you guessing and the determined-to-get-things-done-at-any-cost main character. What initially drew me in was the unique premise that the main character knew she was going to die from the start. What seems like a straightforward task of finding a murder reveals a web of secrets and lies that is even more complex than I originally thought. This one started with a bang, ended with a bang, and had so much action in between that I was never bored. Some of the characters like Billy were really lovable and a great foil for Jet's harshness. Other characters were pretty terrible and only got worse. There was so much to unpack here that I'll be thinking about this one for a whole. As usual, Holly Jackson doesn't disappoint!

4.75/5 ⭐️


This!!!! I can never get enough of Holly Jackson’s thrillers. On the edge of my seat like I can’t BREATHE ugh so good!!! Please, please pick up this adult debut—or at the least, walk it back to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

“It wasn’t a stranger. It wasn’t a robbery gone wrong. It was someone I know. And they came here to kill me.”

3.5⭐

Congratulations on Holly Jackson’s first adult novel👏🏼

The story follows Jet who survived a murder attempt but only temporarily because of a resulting head injury that will kill her after a week. Jet takes it into her own hands to find who murdered her before her time is up.

I enjoyed the investigation parts of the book because a lot of these potential suspects have their own reason why they would want Jet dead. I loved how one thing would get discovered only to open another can of worms. These people’s lives are messy!!!! The real killer was someone I did not even see coming, but maybe that’s just me and my easily fooled brain.

I would’ve rated this higher if it weren’t for Jet. I know that this is classified as adult but despite being twenty-seven, Jet read like a teenager or someone in their early twenties. I understand that this is Jackson’s first adult novel so it must’ve been something she was adjusting with but that affected me somehow.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible! My fav work of this author so far! I read a lot of thrillers and this one takes the cake!!

oh the plot had me hooked from the very beginning, as someone who doesn't read thrillers, I feel this was the perfect book the start my journey. I loved how the characters were developed and how the story was carved out.

This one was a bit of a rollercoaster. The premise was cool, and I usually enjoy Holly Jackson’s twists, but this one didn’t totally land for me. The beginning felt a little chaotic with too many characters introduced too quickly, and the dialogue didn’t always flow naturally. The pacing dragged in spots, and I had a hard time connecting with the main character. Like, I could not stand her. She was obviously stunted in several areas and for many reasons, but ugh. Everything about her pissed me off. There were a few moments in the book that made me laugh because they felt so outlandish (The police chase comes to mind). It is Holly Jackson’s first adult novel, but it didn’t really feel much different from her YA books. I still finished it, but it wasn’t a favorite. However, all that said, I didn’t hate this book and I think you should read it if you like wild and messy stories with insufferable characters.

This book is so unique! I really shouldn't be surprised at how amazing this story is. I have loved every book by Holly Jackson and she is a master of unique storytelling, but I truly haven't read anything like this! In Not Quite Dead Yet, the murder victim works to solve her own murder while waiting for it to happen, and not in a time travel or magic premonition kind of way. The main character is attacked, finds out she will die from the brain injury, and stubbornly decides to solve her own murder. It sets up a very emotional and very depressing story, but the twists and turns along the way were insane and I couldn't put it down! This is a must-read for any fan of Holly Jackson or if you just love unique and twisty mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for this book in exchange for my honest review!

As a person who hates sad books was I stressed about reading a book that ends in tragedy? Yes. But honestly this book was entertaining while remaining appropriately level-headed about the whole thing. Our main character Jet is attacked while home alone, but survives the attempt on her life… temporarily. Unfortunately, due to a complication stemming from a preexisting condition, the attack will cause a fatal aneurism in about a week. Sick of never finishing anything in her life (relatable), Jet decides she’s going to solve her own murder with the help of her childhood friend Billy.

For the most part I liked the characters. Yes, Jet makes plenty of jokes about dying and uses that fact to make others uncomfortable, but I honestly think it’s pretty realistic if you have that sense of humor. Billy seems a little too good to be true, but what do I know about men. Honestly Jet’s mother really irritated me bc she felt like a charicature, but I’m sure there are real moms like her out there too. The writing style was good, and though it took me a minute to get into the first chapter, the pacing was much better than Holly’s last book imo. It didn’t really drag at any points and was a quick read. I did think her previous YA books were a little “who is allowing these children to do this,” but this being about adults makes more sense. Jet is kinda a mess and acts younger than her late 20s, but girl I’ve been there too.

The only small downsides for me were the loose end feeling and ending. There are some points with Jet’s sister in law that felt unfinished, as well as with Andrew/Nina. Not plot holes, just things I would’ve liked a better resolution to. The ending was also just kinda wild. No spoilers, but idk if I liked it. Seemed overly dramatic for no good reason. Also seemed like it was going in one way, then completely switched it up on the last 2 pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed the interesting take on a small-town murder mystery. Character development was well done and kept me guessing until the end.

Wow. This one was a roller coaster. Someone tries to kill Margaret “Jett” Mason on Halloween night. Due to an underlying medical condition and the extent of her injuries, Jett will almost certainly be dead within a week. She becomes determined to solve her own murder before her time is up. She inevitably uncovers many dark secrets amongst friends and family alike, keeping me guessing as to who the real killer is. I couldn’t figure it out. Every time I thought I did, things would change. What a ride. Definitely a page turner!

Rating: 4 ⭐️

Jet, our main character is a procrastinator and has no other choice but to finish something she has started QUICK, because she only has 7 days left to live and must find out who tried to kill her.
I am a huge fan of the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series so I was super excited about this release.
You are being thrown into the action right away and there are quite a few characters to keep up with - everyone is a suspect and everyone has secrets! Jet, our main character is a witty and very relatable character. The writing made it a breeze to read through the story and I read about half the book in one sitting.
Holly Jackson did a great job researching for this book, because once I was finished with it I thought I was about to graduate from medical school!
If you are looking for a fast paced mystery and family drama - this book is worth checking out!

Thank you netgalley for the arc! i really enjoyed this!! It actually had me tearing up towards the ending. It was definitely a wild ride and I had so many guesses as to who the killer would be but I did not guess it in the end!! I really wish Jet would've lived, especially with the budding romance between her and Billy but I knew it was inevitable. :/ It was a super easy read, like all of Holly Jackson's books and I'd recommend it to any and everyone. Even though it's her first "adult" novel, I feel like the only reallly "adult" thing about it was the language. Lots of cussing, but I didn't mind!

What a wild ride this book took me on! Did I cry? Was I completely hooked? Absolutely. I was instantly drawn in by the concept of a woman racing against time to solve her own murder with just days left to live.

I thought I had figured out the twist early on… but I was wrong! The story kept me guessing, and I was pleasantly surprised by where it actually went. I also really appreciated that it didn’t follow the typical HEA formula. Still, the ending felt right and Jet got the justice and closure her story deserved.
It also raises a powerful question… What would you do if you only had a few days left, would you live for yourself or focus on making an impact for those you love? Such a gripping, emotional thriller that sticks with you long after the last page.

*Thank you to Holly Jackson, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.