Reviews with content warning for Sexism - As Good As Dead

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

55 reviews

margaretwaltemath09's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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chezler24's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

This was quite the finale for such a gripping series! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. Pip was in such a rough spot at the start of the book (and continued to stay in this rough spot throughout the novel); I just wanted her to be free of it all, but I suppose *this* was the best way for her to process her pain while utilizing her skill set. After the second book, I was wondering how Holly Jackson was going to up the excitement factor, and she delivered in some unexpected ways! I was practically screaming at Pip's decisions during several key scenes in the book. I don't want to spoil too much in this review, but Pip's skills were pushed to their limits to carry out justice and solve a few remaining mysteries left in the town. The ending almost devastated me, but the final page secured me some remaining threads of hope.

Thoroughly enjoyed this series and getting to know Pip and the other characters along the way.

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lemons_and_uwus's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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firelordmomo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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fanboyriot's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

♡ Cold Case

♡ Feminine Rage

♡ How to Get Away with Murder

Wow, what a roller coaster this book was. The most tense out of the series for sure. I got through the first part then quickly worried how everything would come together by the end. Which I’m super happy with how this ended. Everything came full circle and it was so satisfying to read even if some parts were anxiety inducing. Pip really slayed with her last case (pun may or may not be intended).

And yes, this book also has stunning formatting with all the extra details in the design of the book. I absolutely loved this series and highly recommend it.

Spice Level: n/a

POV: First Person

Release Date: 28, September 2021

Rep: BIPOC (Main and Side Characters)

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3mmers's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

My review of the previous book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy was that it was more of the same but with more frustrating characters and a less good plot. Well here we go again because As Good as Dead has the same good ideas and great presentation but this time with poor pacing in addition to the characters and plot.
I’ll be candid: I hated this. I hated it so much it made me question why I ever liked the first one at all.
One of the things that had really impressed me about the first book was its excellent pacing. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a case study plotting that sees protagonist Pippa discovering a new lead or a breakthrough in the case at the exact moment she exhausts the last one. This was still present in the sequel, in spite of a much more challenging premise. By the conclusion it’s like the good pacing never existed at all. This book is way too long. Basically nothing happens in its first half (and the character choice of Pippa fucking losing it has escape the typical quarantine zone of the climax to infest this section too). At the halfway mark we see the midpoint twist , which is, in fairness, pretty good. I enjoyed about a fifth of the book around here.
Unfortunately this improvement lulled me into a false sense of security and As Good as Dead ends with the worst trope out there:

the ‘I had to abandon/lie/isolate myself… to protect you!’ Brother EWWWWWWW. It’s a condescending, manipulative, and shitty thing to tell someone, and it never convinces me that it would be more effective than the characters teaming up.

The thing I liked about the first two books was the way they subverted the trope of the teen detective going it alone by showing how Pippa’s communication with others was a key part of her personality and her mystery solving technique. Without that element, without the good pacing and interesting character choices, what is there left for me to like?

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