Not Quite Dead Yet: A GMA Book Club Pick

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.

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.

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

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!