Introduction
Published in July 2025 as an ebook and authored by the beloved Holly Jackson, Not Quite Dead Yet is a standalone murder mystery where the victim is trying to solve the crime that has killed her before she succumbs. Unlike any other thriller, it’s a must read for fans of the genre.
A Summary
Jet is twenty‑seven and stuck in that strange limbo where life feels like it’s happening to everyone else. Then Halloween arrives, and everything tilts. An attack she never sees coming leaves her with a head injury that’s quietly counting down the days she has left. The doctors give her a week. Maybe less. As her body starts to slip, Jet refuses to. She leans on Billy, the one person who has known her since scraped knees and after‑school secrets, and decides she’s finally going to follow something through. If time is running out, she’s going to use what’s left of it with purpose.
Jet isn’t waiting for answers anymore. She’s going to track them down herself. And if the universe insists on giving her only seven days, she’ll spend every one of them uncovering the truth about the person who tried to end her life.
Writing Style
This book takes place mainly in a singular POV and takes place over the course of the final 7 days of Jet Mason’s life. The chapters are quite short and this novel is a very fast read due to it’s YA style.
My Thoughts
Firstly, the plot to this book is so unique and something I have never really read before, and that made it incredibly special to read. However, I think Jackson’s typical YA writing style really dampened the potential for the plot. Throughout the story, there wasn’t really a point of calm for the reader to think and ponder over the facts; instead it was very one directional. When one dead end appeared, another clue appeared almost immediately, but in the very small interim between the two, it would be filled with Jet spiralling over her murder. I think Jet’s feelings were good to include but it just felt completely cyclical throughout the whole novel and only appeared in between these very small lulls. I wanted a more visceral reaction from her or something to show how much this was affecting her, but the closest we got to that is one scene of her simply saying she doesn’t want to die and then going to sleep. This is my main gripe with the book, but putting that aside, I loved the choice to have Jet die before she finds out the truth. It was such a jarring experience to read that scene and accept the fact that she died not knowing, and it also put Billy in the limelight enough to make his character feel fully rounded.
I will say, I did guess the majority of the plot twists and mysteries but that is simply because I know how Holly Jackson writes by now. If there is one character who is somewhat involved but seemingly has no flaws, they are the culprit typically.
Recommendation
Overall, this was a solid read, and I would definitely recommend it to those who do like a YA writing style as opposed to a darker adult thriller style.
