Hello beautiful people! Welcome to a new review! A personal first for author Holly Jackson, we dive into one of her newer releases, Not Quite Dead Yet. A super interesting book navigating through family dynamics, grief, and the struggles of life and growing up, all tied up with a riveting mystery at the center.
Main Characters:
Jet: Has her life turned around when she is attacked in her family home, due to a genetic condition and the brutalness of the attack, Jet is given one week to live before as rapid growing aneurysm takes her life. Desperate to take some control of her life back, Jet sets out to spend the last week of her life solving her own murder. With her best friend Billy at her side, and the emotions of the past and present affecting both her and her family, the question becomes whether she can complete her dying wish before time runs out.
Billy: Jet’s childhood best friend, who found her in her family home the night of the attack. Forcing his grief to the side, Billy sets out to help Jet figure out what happened and also tries to protect her along the way.
Luke and Sophia: Luke is Jet’s brother, who is desperate to prove himself to the family, even if it hurts others in the process. Sophia, his wife, was Jet’s close friend growing up, and after she started a romantic relationship with Luke, the relationship became strained between the two.
Sergeant Finney: Billy’s father and an officer on the local police force. Can help Jet on her journey.
Detective Ecker: The lead detective on Jet’s case, who often butting heads with her along the way as the two clashed for information.
Emily: Jet and Luke’s sister, who passed away when they were younger, from a drowning incident. Is a painful aspect for the family, and her passing is brought up emotionally again with the impending death of Jet.
My Review
Going into Not Quite Dead Yet, I didn’t have much of an idea of how it would be, given that I haven’t read Holly Jackson before. At first, I thought it might be a bit gimmicky, a woman racing against time to solve her soon-to-be murder, but it was written in a really interesting and dynamic way, and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. Outside of the mystery, which was interesting on its own, I found myself being really pulled into the relationships of the characters and the rawness of the different emotions of everyone in the book. The struggles of Jet and her family to accept what’s happening, and Jet putting herself in a position that could lessen the short amount of time she already has. I really enjoyed following Jet on the story. There were a couple of aspects that I didn’t enjoy as much, but overall it was a great book, and I’ll be checking out this author again for sure. All in all, I landed on rating the book a 7.5/10.
After an attack in her family’s home, Jet is left in a position that no one in her life ever could have predicted. The attack and an already long-standing genetic condition have left Jet in a vulnerable position, which ultimately will kill her in a week. Desperate to prove she can do something with her life, Jet vows to solve her murder before she dies, no matter the outcome or consequences. As she investigates, she’s forced to confront not only the danger ahead of her, but also long-buried secrets within her family and past. With the clock ticking down, Jet pushes herself to uncover the truth while trying not to leave anything unresolved before she’s gone. A mystery mixed with grief, family dynamics and historical pain, and some humour and love tossed up with it all.
The premise of this book immediately hooked me because it’s just such an interesting concept. Knowing your death is coming and trying to avenge yourself before it happens? That’s such a strong setup for a mystery, and overall, I think the book handled that tension really well. There’s this constant feeling throughout the story that time is running out, and I liked how that pressure shaped not only the investigation, but Jet herself. She’s not just trying to solve a mystery, she’s trying to make peace with her life, her relationships, and the things she may never get another chance to confront.
That emotional aspect really worked for me. I especially loved how Jet starts digging deeper into her family and past along the way. It made the story feel bigger than just the central mystery and tied really well into the overall theme of not wanting to leave stones unturned before you die.
And Jet as a character? Really enjoyable to follow. She feels raw and realistic while still bringing humour and personality into the story, which keeps things from becoming overwhelmingly heavy. Easily the strongest part of this book for me. She feels incredibly real, messy, emotional, funny, stubborn, and tough all at once. Considering the situation she’s in, her reactions and behaviour felt very human. She carries the emotional weight of the story really well while still keeping the book entertaining and engaging.
Her friendship with Billy was another standout. It brought a softer, emotional side to the book that balanced the suspense really nicely, and honestly, some of those moments ended up being my favourite parts of the story. One of my favourite relationships in the book. His friendship with Jet adds so much heart to the story, especially with everything hanging over them. Their dynamic feels genuine and emotional without becoming overly dramatic.
As for the mystery itself, I did end up guessing the ending, but not super early on. It was more toward the end when the pieces started falling into place, so it didn’t really hurt the experience for me. And even though I suspected it, the way everything unfolded was still satisfying and interesting to read.
I will say, I expected the story to be a bit more twist-heavy than it actually was. There are definitely surprising moments, but it leans more emotional and character-focused than nonstop shocking reveals. The pacing overall was good, too, although there were a few sections that dragged slightly for me. Nothing major, just moments where the story slowed down a bit more than necessary.
Overall, this was such a unique and engaging read. Emotionally suspenseful and built around a premise that feels genuinely fresh.
I hope you enjoyed this review. Thank you for checking it out! Feel free to subscribe to the page to be one of the first to know when I release a new review.
Baddie Book Reviews 