Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Not Quite Dead Yet

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

62 reviews

astoriareader's review against another edition

3.0

mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

SYNOPSIS

-Jet Mason is 27, rich, and kind of just… existing.

-On Halloween night, she’s attacked in her family’s mansion and suffers a head injury that’s basically a ticking time bomb.

-Doctors say she has a week to live before a fatal aneurysm takes her out.

-So Jet decides to do something, finally: figure out who tried to kill her before she dies.

-It’s a one-woman murder mystery, with help from her childhood friend Billy.

———

MY THOUGHTS

-The premise is genuinely cool. Someone solving their own murder, with a clock running out? I was in.

-But the execution just didn’t hit. It dragged. I kept waiting for it to click, and it never really did.

-Definitely a slow burn, but not in a satisfying way.

-The ending was kind of a letdown. Felt anticlimactic.

.Still had that YA vibe. I actually like Holly Jackson’s YA stuff a lot, but this didn’t feel like an adult debut. Just a slightly older main character and some extra cursing.

-Also, I know this is petty, but the name Jet? I couldn’t get past it. Every time I read it I cringed a little.

-All characters felt pretty surface level.

———

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Loved the idea, didn’t love the follow-through. Definitely readable, just didn’t leave much of a mark.

———

THANKS: Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Bantam and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on July 22, 2025.

Content Warnings

kathywadolowski's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I LOVED Holly Jackson’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” (though I have my gripes with book 3), and just love the way she puts together a story. So of course, I was beyond excited to get my hands on her debut adult novel “Not Quite Dead Yet.” And as I expected, this one did not disappoint.

The premise was unique enough that it made the book feel fresh, while retaining classic murder mystery elements that also made the book a perfect genre fit. I really enjoyed the characters’ layered and complex relationships, and the more I found out the more I felt compelled to keep reading and unraveling allllll the secrets. It was more of a melancholy who-dun-it than most, but if you love the genre like me then I think you’ll appreciate this interesting twist on the concept.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for an advance reader copy of this book!]

Content Warnings

francineh98's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ARC Review - Releasing July 22, 2025

My Rating: 4 ⭐️

“Jet is going to solve her own murder.”

Yeah, I was hooked.

This book was a total page-turner — I couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing it in a day. The central mystery, Jet’s race against time to solve her own murder, pulled me in from the start. While some twists were predictable, it was still compelling to watch everything unravel. That ending? Did not see it coming.

Following Jet and Billy on their chaotic, week-long investigation was both satisfying and heartbreaking. Watching their friendship slowly mend was emotional, especially knowing how limited their time was. Jet’s “nothing to lose” energy brought tension and urgency to every scene, and Billy? An absolute sweetheart. Their dynamic really carried the story. I was happy, sad, and just a little furious by the end.

Jet’s character arc was tragically beautiful, but I’ll admit she sometimes felt more like a teenager than a 27-year-old — especially in her early interactions with other characters.

There were also a few moments that stretched believability, particularly as Jet’s condition worsened. I can’t speak from experience, so maybe that’s just me.

My only real complaint? The ending felt a bit incomplete. I wanted more closure, especially from the side characters and their reactions to the final reveal.

Still, if you want a murder mystery with friendship and a few tears, this one’s for you. Perfect for a suspenseful October/November read — and yes, bring tissues.

---

A huge thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Content Warnings

hollabills8's review against another edition

3.5

I read this in one sitting, and man I haven't done that in so long. I fear I don't read a lot of thrillers, so I don't have much to compare this to, but I definitely enjoyed it. There was a unique mystery, family drama, droplets of a romance and solid plot twists. I didn't really come to love our main character, though I am grateful for that because the ending is so sad even though you know it's coming. This book is also definitely not YA which I did not know going in, so im intrigued to hear what people think of an adult thriller from Holly Jackson.

Content Warnings

gabr7ellereads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Not Quite Dead Yet took my breath away... Literally, when I sobbed through the ending I knew was coming, and the ending I didn't. My partner woke up to me losing it first thing in the morning on my birthday in a panic.

Him: "What's wrong?!"

Me: "My book... it's (snot) soOo (hiccup) good."

Him: *Laughs in relief*

I've been insufferable since this book was announced, and even more so when I found out I was lucky enough to get to read it early. And let me tell you... it did NOT disappoint.

Jet has seven days to live, and she chooses to spend them solving her own murder. Once she starts digging up decaying secrets and razing her relationships, everything she thought she knew about her life is flipped on its head. There are twists that will keep you guessing at every turn and the pacing is (MUAH 🤌🏻) perfect.

Despite what might seem like heavy subject matter— what with the imminent death of a loved one and Jet's loss of ability to control her deteriorating body— this book was quick-witted and hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing at the dark humor Jet used to make light of her horrifying situtation, and that made the book all the more poignant and emotional. On top of that, it was tragically romantic. The dynamic between the main two characters is to die for (...no pun intended). The headstrong, ambitious, and brave girl who would do anything it takes to solve her case paired with the doe-eyed guy who's been in love with her since they were kids and who'd follow her to the ends of the earth... yeah. I can't say any more or I'll start crying again.

Not Quite Dead Yet is Holly Jackson at her best. It's a phenomenal thriller I'll be thinking about fondly for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Content Warnings

randirush's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

as always, holly jackson’s writing is just so addicting! i was immediately sucked into the story and was super intrigued by the mystery and where it was going. i did think a few of the twists came somewhat out of left field, and the ending felt a little rushed. i wish we had like 1-2 more chapters to flesh out the reveal and/or that it wrapped up in a slightly different way.

i surprisingly enjoyed jet as a main character. she can definitely be unlikeable, but she without a doubt had reasons for that and was actually very kind when she wanted to be (her will was so thoughtful, i loved that part). and billyyyy, i loved him. he’s just the sweetest man ever and i feel for him 🥺

thank you to netgalley and random house for the arc!

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

3.5

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson to review! This is Jackson’s adult debut, so I was interested in checking it out. She is known for her twisty YA mystery/thrillers, and this one definitely still fits that bill.

I will say, this is a pretty unique premise for a book. Someone who was violently attacked, alive long enough to solve their murder. Because of the premise, this is a fast-paced book with twists that (probably) won’t see coming. There were a couple that also surprised me, and it’s not always easy to surprise me. Jet ends up unveiling dark secrets that her small town might have wanted to keep in the dark.

While the driving mystery definitely keeps you reading, the writing felt bumpy from the beginning. There are also not a lot of likeable characters in this, which isn’t always a bad thing, but I’d like to at least like some of the side characters. There’s also a little bit of a romance, which I honestly could have done without (but it did add more emotion overall to the story).

All in all, I still think A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is Jackson’s best book, but if you’re looking for a dark, twisty mystery to pick up this summer, definitely try this one when it comes out at the end of July!
---

Review to come!

Content Warnings

deb_reads_books_'s review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The clock runs out on July 22nd, 2025.

Jet Mason will do it later. Whatever it is. Later.

Halloween night changes everything. An intruder breaks in and bashes Jet’s skull in, essentially murdering her. To everyone’s surprise, Jet wakes up in ICU. She suffered a catastrophic injury, and combined with a preexisting illness, its a death sentence. She’s alive, but “not quite dead yet”. Jet decides to make the most of the time that she has left… about seven days. She’s a ticking time bomb. Her plan? To solve her own murder. Now, because there is no more later.

Jet teams up with her childhood friend, Billy, because he is the one that saved what is left of her life. Jet and Billy set out to uncover her murderer’s identity, leaving no stone unturned. Everyone looks guilty, from her own family members, to prominent members in her town. Jet uncovers a tangled web of lies and secrets kept by the people closest to her.

Can Jet fit an entire lifetime of living for herself, and not in the shadow of her family, AND solve her murder in 7 days? She’s willing to die trying.

HOLLY JACKSON DID IT AGAIN. I could NOT put this book down. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next? Another bombshell. Another twist, another turn. Holly Jackson brilliantly built this story up with a fresh and unexpected storyline, a problematic FMC with a wicked sense of humor, a splash splatter of love, and a story of finding your purpose before its too late.

Not Quite Dead Yet is the unhinged MUST READ thriller of 2025!

Content Warnings

kdickerson38's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Holly Jackson’s first adult novel (and it did not disappoint!)

Tropes/themes:
- Ticking clock
- Complicated family dynamics
- Self-empowerment
- Justice and revenge
An amazingly clever plot that was so intriguing.
It was kind of hard to keep everyone straight in the beginning and then the writing style still read as a YA book a little bit so it took me a good bit of the book to stop forgetting that the characters were adults.
Loved the MC and her wit and sarcastic banter
Great execution and character development
So intricately designed
Never knew who to trust and it had me constantly theorizing
Very hard to put down
The end was bittersweet and the final twist was amazing- I just wish it wasn’t all revealed so quickly (in only one final chapter) because it felt rushed.
HIGHLY recommend
Content warnings:
- Death/murder
- Child death
- Gun violence
- Suicide
- Blood / gore / injury detail
- Fire / Fire injury
- Medical content
- Medical trauma
- Abandonment
- Alcoholism
- Grief
- Infidelity

Special thank you to Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine Books / Bantam, Holly Jackson, and NetGalley for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Releases 7/22/25!

Content Warnings

arireadsitall's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Holly Jackson’s adult debut certainly did not miss!! The second half and specifically the last 100 pages had me SHOOK!!! This book is about Jet who has seven days to solve her own murder before she’s dead. If you think this is a wild premise just wait. Holly Jackson is known for her strong sassy female protagonists and you can add Jet to the list!! Definitely recommend for a summer thrill that feels fresh! Thanks @bantambooksuk for the gifted arc! This is out 7/22!

Content Warnings

More...