Reviews with content warning for Body horror - As Good As Dead

Reviews tagging Body horror

As Good As Dead, by Holly Jackson

20 reviews

chloek608's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I recommend this book if you like:
-the first 2 books (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Good Girl, Bad Blood)
-an amazing, intricate, well thought out thriller
-YA mystery

This book plot was insanely good! I cannot recommend enough! I actually think this third installment of the trilogy is the best out of the three and they were all fantastic. This has easily made my favourites list.

Pip has a stalker, a potential serial killer. But he's locked up in prison, right? So is she imagining things? Looking for clues that aren't there? Pip isn't the same girl she once was, before the previous two books. She's seen things, heard things, been through events that are tough to forget, impossible to leave in the past.

Spoiler

Pip received messages, who will look for you when you disappear? Pip wasn't sure at first but comes to an answer during the book; her boyfriend Ravi, her family and friends.

She gets abducted by the Duct Tape (DT) Killer. She goes through a horrific experience of being tied up and left in a work garage. Pip manages to escape, climb shelving, break a window and get to the forest before Jason Bell returns to kill her.

Pip makes a choice, she returns to the garage to finish him off, takes a hammer to his head nine times; overkill. But now she's the murderer.

Here comes the mind blowing, detailed plan on how to get away with murder. Slow down rigour mortis, delay the time of death and then get an airtight alibi. All which she achieves with the help of her boyfriend and friends. She uses a cars air con then heater to artificially control the effects of death on the body.

It goes one step further. Implicate and set up Max Hastings, the local drug dealer and rapist. Plant evidence at the scene to make him go down.

It all nearly unravelled due to a stray pair of headphones found in Jason Bell's bedroom. A trophy he had stored to remember his 6th victim to be. But thankfully Ravi stepped in with an explanation which was believed.

Pip moved away from home and went to uni and had to cut contact from all her friends and Ravi. In case the trial didn't go the way they planned, she needed to ensure the ones she loved didn't get into trouble.

After a long wait, the trial ended and Max was found guilty. Ravi immediately messaged Pip. That's where the story ended.

Pip thought right and wrong was so explicit. Black or white. She discovered first hand that there are many shades of grey and that sometimes the truth should stay hidden.

Content Warnings

brileyreadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I found the beginning to be long and boring, but the book quickly picks up into something your super involved in.

Content Warnings

isaacharris's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Spoiler
the only thing that bothered me about this was the ending. pip clearly has a tendency to blame herself for things and tends to see distancing herself from the people she loves as the only option. however, she is constantly reminded by ravi and others that there isn't always only one grim way out, and yet it still ends with her refusing to let people in. obviously she's a purposely flawed person, but the drastic actions she takes at the end make her appear to have made no personal progress.

this was what slowed down the book for me in general. when she would spiral on the same old thoughts; although this is very true to how a real mind works, playing on the same old thoughts and getting nowhere, it made the book feel repetitive and somewhat undeserving of the 500+ pages.

there is a major chunk of this book that never seems to end and is relentless, but it's so fascinatingly-explained that it manages to keep your attention, just about, for the entire time. in fact, it allows you to appreciate what the character must be going through, this endless to-do list where there's always one more thing. and that has always been this series' strength; while i didn't care too much about the emotional aspects nor the romance as i am heartless, jackson's strength is in her plot-writing. the story chugs along at such a readable pace, each element unfolding in good time, allowing you to learn a little more each time and simply demanding you don't put the book down.

i hope she writes more!

Content Warnings

elthechameleon's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Spoiler

I don’t buy that Pip didn’t immediately guess that Jason Bell was the DT killer, but the rest of this book made sense.

.

I’m in shock after this book. I felt very ambivalent and was screaming for a 4th installation until the last 30 seconds. I hope Holly Jackson turns this into an even longer running series. I think she could have. This character is interesting and hard, and the full circle narratives and the continuous pointing to patriarchy as the root of problems is really poignant.

I didn’t see this plot coming at all, and that’s why I’m both angry and impressed. This is not a satisfying book, but it deliberately takes a plot path that is harder and less explored. It dives headfirst into the gray zone with a traumatized Pip, and I found every minute of it well planned.

I’m so sad to say goodbye to the people of Fairview. And the audio narrator, who has given one of the best performances I’ve listened to this year in this series.

Definitely will read anything else Jackson puts out.

Content Warnings

mommarex1221's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

No, not Holly Jackson writing a literal guide on how to get away with murder?! 🙈

An excellent closing to an excellent series. Despite the few times I almost threw this 3rd installment across the room, I thoroughly enjoyed it... might've gotten a bit distraught over our Pip and her actions, but I'll forgive her in a day or two. 😅

Content Warnings

oliverjordan's review against another edition

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dark funny informative mysterious

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

4.5

The entire series is for sure 5 stars. I had to keep taking moments of appreciation for the plot and how well it was strung together.

What a brilliant ending. Jackson is seriously a genius, how a person created such an intricate plot with so many twists, turns and connections is beyond me. It’s such a fascinating and thrilling read. I consumed this book in one sitting because WOW.

For this novel, I loved Pip’s darkness and the entire plot. The middle to the end wigged me out but I saw it’s necessity. Personally,

Spoiler

the ending was great but fuck me TWO YEARS, I wished we had more adorable Ravi and Pip content. They’re amazing. I wish we got to see an ending but I like that I can believe all is well in the end

Another thing I liked about what this novel slightly hints at is the justice system and the issue of victim-blaming. The quote “They always got away with it. Him. Max Hastings. Above the law because the law was wrong. A legion of dead girls and dead-eyed girls left behind them” sums it up quite nicely.

This books dives into heavy stuff and definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. But the read (and the series) are truely exceptional and it really does come “full circle”

Content Warnings

honeybunchesofoats06's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

amandah1019's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

4.75

Content Warnings

thumbeleia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

binreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

First off, I have sincerely enjoyed this series so much. And I sobbed when this book ended. That last page man…I felt the emotion building but it all hit me at once. I love Pip. I love Ravi. UGH!

I will say, this book was much more stressful, mature and delve deeper into Pip than the first two. I honestly had to prepare myself to read because I was so on edge with Pip. But I loved it every step of the way.

MAJOR spoilers ahead!!!

Spoiler

A BIG F U TO JASON BELL AND MAX HASTINGS, YALL FINALLY GOT WHAT YOU DESERVED.

Pip was going through it this time around I felt so bad. This book definitely had a darker vibe than the others, I felt it right away. I am still losing it over everything that happens.

Jason Bell man. Ya wanna know how I KNEW this man was evil? In the first book, when they find out about Mr.Ward and Pip sees the Bell’s in their car…Pip mentioned how Jason looked like he showed no emotion or something along those lines, while his wife was crying. It was such a small detail, that probably meant nothing but I had a feeling he’d come back. He didn’t deserve Andie, Becca, his wives, any of them. Pip did not deserve to be his new prey. I can’t believe she killed him. And then got away with murder.

But she did it. She got away with it. A nice ode to the books title A Good Girls Guide To Murder. I love how full circle it was. I love how everyone whom Pip helped, helped her. I love Pip and Ravi’s relationship so much I CANNOT TAKE IT.

I haven’t cried at a book in so long. I can’t believe it’s over. Loved every second of it.

Content Warnings

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