Not Quite Dead Yet: A GMA Book Club Pick

All i’m going to say… I’ve never loved a main character so much.. no matter how wild she could be😭

I loved this book, but I definitely think it wasn’t her best. But I’m also just obsessed with Five Survive and The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I just love that you can never tell “who dun it” in her books but I figured this one out pretty early on. Still one of my top two favorite writers, up there with Karen McManus.

3.5 stars, interesting adult novel from a well-known YA author.On Halloween night, 27-year-old Jet Mason is attacked and left for dead. She survives, but finds out that she's a ticking time bomb--a piece of bone has broken off and will cause a deadly aneurysm within a week. Jet joins forces with her childhood friend Billy in order to try to solve her murder before she's gone.Although this book skews a bit young, I still enjoyed investigating along with Jet. She's in an unimaginable position and is very determined to figure out what happened to her. Unfortunately to me she was one of the reasons I liked rather than loved this book. She is just so immature and honestly if I didn't know she was 27 I would have thought she was a teenager. Maybe that's because Jackson is so used to writing teenage characters, but it took me out of the story.Overall though, I thought this was a fairly fast paced mystery that kept my interest throughout. The writing is strong and the ending made me cry. Those letters. 😭I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

The twists were twisting in this unique thriller! Jet has seven days to live… on Halloween evening, she was attacked and left for dead. She wakes up with a terrible head injury and doctors telling her by the end of the week she will have a fatal brain aneurysm unless she has an extremely risky surgery.Jet forgoes the surgery, and decides to try to solve her own murder. With the help of her lifelong friend Billy, they try piecing together the clues from that fateful night and examine all the people close to Jet.I love how secrets and indiscretions slowly unfolded, and things around Jet are a lot messier than at first glance. I was hooked onto the premise from the beginning, and thought the medical diagnosis was very unique (while also being extremely sad)!I did think Jet seemed a bit immature for her age (27 but seems more like she’s 20), but it didn’t take away from the overall premise and story. There were so many suspects for Jet to go after, and she aggressively did.There’s a lot that gets uncovered in this story, especially near the end. The story wasn’t just a thriller, but had sad moments too, and oddly hopeful moments despite all of the darkness. There was a realistic side to the craziness too, where not everything will go as planned or as you think it should.This was my first Holly Jackson read, and I’d definitely love to read more of her stories. Her unique premise on this thriller will keep readers guessing until the end!

Spoiler free synopsis: 27-year-old Jet lives in a privileged family in small town Woodstock, VT. She has always lived in her sister's shadow. A sister who dies 20 years ago. Jet feels she has never accomplished much. This all changes on Halloween when Jet is attack in her home. Her injury is nearly fatal and produces a brain aneurysm that is predicted to rupture in a week's time. Jet decides she wants to try to amateurly investigate the crime against her. She enlists her childhood friend Billy.I was reawlly taken with this concept even though the plot was far-fetched. The book was fast paced, and I was anxious following her investigation and diagnosis. I couldn't help laughing at Jet's darkly funny remarks sprinkled throughout the novel. Jet's playful exchanges with the other characters were engaging and there was a slow burning tension with Billy that left me craving more (the romantic in me might have expected a bit too much). The side characters really riled me up. Most of them were terrible humans and honestly, I would have liked more payback for them. Or maybe there was...who knows....The book really caught me off guard with now emotional it made me! I found myself sobbing multiple times --who knew a thriller could hit so hard? Mainly I was triggered by the relationship and parts involving Jet/Billy. What beautiful souls.I'm about 80% satisfied with the wrap up. The author tried to convey hope through a certain character, but I didn't quite catch that feeling. Instead, I was left feeling hollow and crushed. It was a roller coaster of emotions--suspense, doleful, humored, then a bit dazed. I was sad because of my emotional investment--so all the readers who crave sad books here is your chance!

GASP! BANGER ALERT! I’m literally sitting here with tears running down my face as I smile with glee. Part action-packed thriller and part poignant family drama, Not Quite Dead Yet just made my list for best book of the year. With a mind-bogglingly brilliant premise, a downright perfect protagonist, and a fast-paced plot that sucked me right in, I was a goner from the very first word. I’m not exaggerating. You see, starting off with a set of attention-grabbing scenes, it was only outdone by the heart-pumping climax and tear-jerker ending. No, I won’t be getting over this one anytime soon. After all, the whole thing gave me a very Don’t Tell Me How to Die feel in all of its sublime 5+ star glory, even if the pace was way more propulsive. Ms. Jackson, you absolutely blew me away.The characters were just as equally brilliant as the hypnotic plot, though. Well-developed and startlingly relatable, each felt as if I knew them inside and out and upside down. Jet, however, was the best of the bunch. Sarcastic, brave, and realistically flawed, she had me in the palm of her hand from the moment I met her. Coming in a close second was the sweet-hearted Billy, so it was no great surprise that I loved the found family/romance between him and Jet. Rounding off the cast was a whole host of highly suspicious individuals who exercised my side-eye expressions more than you could know. Who attacked Jet? Friend, family, or stranger? Guess you’re going to have to read this one to find out. Lucky you. I only wish I could start it again fresh right now.All said and done, I’m now well aware that I need to go back and read Holly Jackson’s prior YA novels. I mean, if she was able to knock it out of the park this well with her very first adult thriller, then I’m sure her backlist is just as good if not better. With unforgettable characters and a plot that was as original as it was clever, the pot-boiling level of rising tension was only one of the aspects that had me flying through the pages at speed. Exploring love, friendship, and the lasting damage of trauma, not only did the dysfunctional family dynamics make me think, but so too did that mildly open-ended conclusion. Thrilling, addictive, and binge-worthy in the extreme, you need to buy this book now because you quite simply won’t be able to put it down. Rating of 5+ stars.

Love every book Holly Jackson has written and this one was no exception! Will keep you guessing and trying to solve the mystery throughout the entire book and the twist was perfect! Must read!

I enjoyed this book very much, it will keep you interested, you will keep turning those pages. The book is well written, with undeniable love, tragedy, thrilling, suspenseful and sad. I would have loved to see a miracle, but then the book would not have ended with the unforseen outcome. Well Done!PS. I would have given it 4.5 stars if I could.

Holly is exceptional. This book does not fall short, but exceeds. She is amazing in drawing us in and making us feel right there. And just wow. Wow.

Clever, smart, witty. And still creepy. Everything a good mystery should be.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I am a big fan of Holly Jackson's other books so I had high expectations for this book. Safe to say it did not disappoint!What I liked:-the pacing-the characters-the concept as a whole like solving your own murder??? thats coolWhat I didn't like:-the frequent f bombs, I am okay with cussing but it just seemed excessive-the references to pop cultureOverall this was another great Holly Jackson book! Billy was by far my fav character and I liked Jet for the most part. The ending, however expected, still made me cry...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Still a great read, just a little more predictable than expected.As always, I enjoyed Holly Jackson’s writing—she has a way of crafting strong, layered characters and pulling readers into the world of the story. Not Dead Yet had all the elements I’ve come to expect from her: suspense, twists, and sharp dialogue. That said, I figured out the “who” around 35% in and the “why” not long after. That’s much earlier than I’ve ever solved one of her mysteries before, which took a bit of the tension out of the rest of the book.Even so, the story stayed engaging because it gave us such a rich look into the main character’s life—her relationships with family, friends, and the community made the journey worthwhile even after the mystery felt mostly solved. I wouldn’t call it my favorite Jackson novel, but it’s definitely still worth the read.Holly Jackson has been and will remain an "auto-buy" author for me, I can't wait to see what she does next!#NotDeadYet #HollyJackson #YAThriller #BookReview #MysteryBooks #Whodunit #Bookstagram #BookTok #BookishThoughts #ReadersOfInstagram #ThrillerReads #YAFiction #HollyJacksonBooks #BookLover #BookCommunity #BookRecommendation #PredictableButGood #MysterySolvedTooSoon

📚 Not Quite Dead Yet✍ Holly Jackson📖 Mystery/Thriller⭐4/5📆 Out 7/22/2025!🙏 Thank you to Ballantine Books, NetGalley and the author for an advanced digital copy of Not Quite Dead Yet. All opinions are my own.◾🎯 What I loved: This was fast paced and was much more reminiscent of Pip's methods of unraveling a mystery in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder that Jackson's last few books have been and I was here for it! This story centers on a dysfunctional wealthy family (always entertaining to me) and a politicking small town with plenty of twists and turns. It landed a bit more emotionally than I was expecting it to but I really enjoyed the characters, the structure of the book- told over the course of 7 days- and the way every piece of this story strategically fit together.🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: The only thing that felt off about this was the age of the characters. Jet's character acted like a teenager to me in terms of her maturity and so much of this read like a YA novel but the main characters were supposedly in their late 20s. I didn't mind it but I think the story would have flowed slightly better had Jet and Billy been in their early 20s.◾Read if you love:*fast paced thrillers- this whole book takes place in 7 days!*obscure medical diagnoses*partners in crime solving a murder with reckless abandon◾See also: A Flicker in the Dark, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, One of Us is Lying

I have read every single Holly Jackson book and I am once again STUNNED. The thing I love the most about Holly Jackson’s writing is I am never capable of guessing who the bad guy is. I finished this book is less than 25 hours because I could not put it down! On the edge of my seat eating up all the words and trying to solve this mystery with Jet. In the first chapter I was set on trying to figure out who did it and per usual I guessed every single person the main character would guess and we were both wrong.Thank you Holly for writing another book that I could devour and not ever guess the ending! Please give us another book soon because nobody will ever hold a place in my heart like you do!

On Halloween night 27-year-old Jet Mason receives three blows to the head by an unknown assailant and is left for dead.Jet survives the attack, but only temporarily – the impact of the blows causes an aneurysm to form in her brain, and her doctor estimates that it will rupture in seven days, killing her.So, with the help of her childhood friend Billy Finney, Jet has a week to uncover who murdered her, and why…Not Quite Dead Yet was Holly Jackson’s (best known for writing the YA series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) first adult mystery novel, and in my opinion, her best to date, and definitely her most inventive. I settled on a 4.5 as the pacing was slow in a couple of places, but aside from that I absolutely loved it. This author always excels at the atmospheric, small-town setting. I could vividly picture the layout of Woodstock, Vermont, and having Jet and Billy running around town chasing leads, grilling potential suspects, and revealing its many secrets ramped up the tension and urgency of the situation.I must not have read the book blurb properly though, because I was under the impression that Jet would be in a coma after the attack – exisiting between life and death, piecing together her own murder through overheard conversations from her hospital bed, eventually waking once she’d solved the mystery. Now that I write it out, that idea does sound pretty lame. The actual plot was so much better – Jet fully conscious, racing against the clock with a literal ticking time bomb in her head, doing everything she could in her final days to see justice served.While I sympathised with the gravity and urgency of Jet’s situation (although considering I teared up on several occasions I must’ve been more emotionally attached to Jet than I realised) she wasn’t particularly likeable – she was spoilt and selfish, blunt and abrasive, constantly picked fights with everyone, was immature for someone in their late 20s, and lacked goals and direction. That said, her ‘water off a camel’s back’ personality and take-action attitude suited the plot – after all, this was a grim story about someone trying to solve her own murder, knowing they were going to die. A more compassionate character might have fallen apart, wallowed, chosen to spend her remaining days with family and friends, or tackle her bucket list, instead of chasing answers, taking risks, and skirting the law to catch her killer. The other advantage of a protagonist who ‘didn’t give a toss’ was that she came up with some wildly creative ways to not only get the truth out of people, but to uncover clues – leading to scenes that were equal parts intense, nail-biting, and unexpectedly hilarious. And, Jet had another major plus going for her – she loved dogs. She really did grow on me the more the book progressed.I was left feeling conflicted about the audiobook narrated by Alex McKenna, and ended up switching to the e-book a few chapters in. While I had no complaints regarding her narration overall, I did struggle with the way she voiced several of the character’s dialogue. Her portrayal of Jet was spot on and really brought the character to life. However, for several others – particularly Billy, Sophia, and Jet’s mother Dianne – she adopted a whiny, overly exaggerated tone that I found hard to take seriously. It pulled me out of the story at times and made certain scenes less impactful than they could have been.I was genuinely impressed with the sophistication, brilliance, and emotional intensity of Not Quite Dead Yet. Transitioning from writing for young adults to crafting an adult novel has its challenges, but Holly Jackson handled it with remarkable ease and skill.

The Mason family is one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Jet Mason, the youngest, is 27 and still waiting for life to begin. She knows she has time to figure it all out though.....that is, until Halloween night, when she is violently attacked and left for dead. Jet suffers a catastrophic head injury resulting in a massive aneurysm. When she wakes up in the hospital, the doctor gives her two options: 1. surgery, which will almost certainly kill her, or 2. Seven days left to live before the aneurysm ruptures and she dies anyway. Jet chooses option 2, and chooses to spend her seven days trying to figure out who killed her.I really enjoyed this one. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I had mixed feelings about Jet. She started out very self-absorbed and selfish, but as the week drew to a close she became much more likeable. I can't say the same for any of her other family members. The whole lot of them were terrible - especially her brother, and her sister-in-law/former best friend. I had trouble relating to the choice Jet made to spend her final days putting herself in danger over and over and running all over town chasing leads. That wouldn't have been how I would have chosen to utilize my time, but that is a personal choice. Overall, if you love a good mystery that will keep you guessing, you should check this out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC!Jet Mason, part of the wealthy and well-known Mason family in Woodstock, VT, has seven days to solve her own murder. On Halloween night, she’s attacked in her home, and due to underlying medical conditions, she's given just one week to live. The story follows Jet and her best friend Billy as they try to piece together what happened, only to uncover a web of secrets and lies buried deep in their seemingly quiet town.This book was a ROLLERCOASTER. There were so many twists and turns I never saw coming. The last 20% had my jaw on the floor - seriously, if you read this for anything, read it for the ending and then come talk to me about it because I’m still recovering.I adored Jet. Her self-deprecating humor and sharp comebacks made her incredibly likeable. At times, the writing gave off a bit of a YA vibe (which I personally enjoyed), and it made me feel like I was rooting for my best friend to solve her own murder.I would definitely recommend this book! It’s the perfect pick for a beach vacation - just know you might not want to put it down once you start.

“Not Quite Dead Yet” by Holly Jackson is a murder mystery thriller.Thank you very much Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).Opinions from this review are completely my own.Holly Jackson is an auto-buy/read author for me and I read all her books.So I am very happy that I was able to read this book early.What I like is that the premise for the book is original. Or at least I did not read any book before with a character trying to solve their murder.Jet is the daughter of a rich family and at 27, she thinks that she has all the time in the world to live her life.But on Halloween night she is attacked in her home and suffers a head injury that will cause a deadly aneurysm in the next week.There are so many potential suspects even if Jet was actually a collateral victim.The whole book is so intense and caused some anxiety.I understand that the idea is to live your life while you can, but Jet's story is heartbreaking.My favorite part is that she had help in her investigations.Billy is her childhood friend and the one that found her after the attack.He made the most of the time that she had and helped her with anything she asked.What I did not understand is her family's behaviour, especially her brother.There are many twists and secrets revealed and I did not except the ending.Still, some things were predictable, or at least I figured them out a lot faster than Jet.Overall it is a good book but is made me sad.

"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

Uhmm, I am definitely dead! WOW. I thought I was emotionally prepared, but by the end? I was absolutely wrecked, in the best way. This story is as hauntingly beautiful as it is heartbreaking. Every page pulled me in deeper, and I loved every single word. A stunning, unforgettable read.