Between Onyx Storm, and Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, this year has been big for book lovers. And now, New York Times bestselling author Holly Jackson has released Not Quite Dead Yet, her debut into adult thriller.
I had very high hopes going into this book, having read Holly Jacksons’ A Good Girls Guide to Murder book series, a few years ago and really enjoying that, and Jackson did not disappoint.
In Not Quite Dead Yet, the audience follows Jet, a 27-year-old from a wealthy family who always says “I have time” in response to when she is going to do something with her life. But Jet is attacked on Halloween night, leaving her with a fatal head injury that doctors predict will kill her in seven days. Determined to make something of her life, Jet is determined to solve her own murder, and no one is ruled out as a suspect.
Most adult mystery books contain disturbing topics (well, more disturbing than murder), so this novel was a welcome change. Jackson’s writing style made this book feel fun and exciting, but kept the tension.
So much of this tone comes from Jets charming personality. Sure, she has flaws, but when faced with her situation she laughed, and it helped break down the walls with us, the readers.
Unlike with other books, if a thriller’s premise does not immediately hook me, I find it hard to stay in the world of the book. I was immediately hooked by Not Quite Dead Yet’s premise (even before it was released), and continued to stay hooked until the very end.
Since Not Quite Dead Yet has a unique plot, I was worried about how the novel would be paced. Jackson surpassed my expectations, with the exposition feeling like getting caught up on the latest gossip with your friends.
Another thing I love is the way Jackson wrote the dynamic between Jet, and her childhood friend, Billy. Billy was the one to find Jet after the attack, and he is the only one Jet feels she can trust. The relationship between these two reminded me of Ravi and Pip from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
One negative thing I will say about Not Quite Dead Yet is, despite how fleshed out Jet and her childhood friend, Billy, are, Jet’s family, the powerful Mason family, are not. Almost any mention of them is Jet telling us what their dynamic is, instead of Jackson showing us.
Overall, Not Quite Dead Yet gets a four out of five in my book. I had to take off one star because of the flatness of Jet’s family, but other than that this book was phenomenal.