Reviews with content warning for Death - As Good As Dead

Reviews tagging 'Death'

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

735 reviews

emmavincent's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I find this book to be my second favorite in the series, not as good as the first but better than the second. I personally think that Pip has grown less likable as the series goes on, she makes a lot of decisions that don’t make sense to me; I guess that’s part of the character growth but I just personally don’t find it enjoyable. I also don’t really get her obsession with Max Hastings. I do understand the severity of the things he’s done, I don’t like him and I have no sympathy for him but I think Pip is close to having an obsession with him and his case. I also don’t know how I feel about the end of the book. It feels satisfying but it also doesn’t, I don’t like Pips choices at the end of the book,

her choice to completely distance herself from her family and Ravi doesn’t make sense to me. Her being around them wouldn’t change the course of the trial.

This is the also the only book I found predictable. I figured out who the main antagonist of this book was pretty quick and I wasn’t able to do that with the other books in this series. But I am satisfied with how the trial went and the last pages of the book. I did find this book a lot more interesting than the last still, Pip’s thought process in specific scenes was very interesting to read about. I definitely recommend reading this series all the way through.

Content Warnings

jenny_redgate's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

i read the first book in this trilogy just after it came out in 2019, and let me tell you this book was worth the wait. i put off reading it for several months after it came out dude to not wanting it to end, but when i finally picked it up and read i fell back in love with crime fiction and thriller books once again. the characters are even more loveable - even though Pip is in another situation i could not even imagine myself in, her thought processes and reasoning behind actions make her one of the most realistic and relatable teenage characters i have read about.

i could not recommend these books enough.

Content Warnings

ellas_escapism's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

HOLLY JACKSON WHAT WAS THAT - oh my god this book is incredible!!!! So dark, so creepy, so thrilling and intense and high-stakes - honestly the perfect finale to an amazing trilogy. I need a spin-off for Pip and Ravi when they're older, please and thank you.
The book took such a dark turn, and I am HERE FOR IT. Murderous but still loveable characters? A murder that needs covering up, so they use a twisted justice to fix it? The most amazing romance that is implemented into the main plot? YES PLEASE. When I tell you this book had me holding my breath and on the edge of my chair!!! I literally read this book in one sitting.

For the love of books, please read this trilogy - you WILL NOT regret it!!!!!

Content Warnings

katieedwards's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional 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

Content Warnings

charlottereadss's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

MY FAVOURITE BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!

i loved this book so much, the story was just as amazing as it was in a 'good girls guide to murder' and 'good girl, bad blood'. i fell more in love with the characters and i cried so much at the end as i didn't want to let them go - it being the last book in the trilogy. i think about this book 24/7 it's my absolute favourite. it makes me wonder if holly jackson had everything planned out from a 'good girls guide'. a must read if you enjoy murder mystery books!! read the first two in the trilogy before this one though as there are links to the previous books you probably wouldn't fully understand without reading the first two.

Content Warnings

truffletree's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

olivialandryxo's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional 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

I’ve never known what to expect from the books in this series, as each one has been a wild ride from start to finish, full of twists I never could’ve dreamed of. Each one has also been darker than the last, and this finale was not exempt from either of those statements. Not only was it an eerie thriller with a compelling mystery, but it was also a deep-dive into the effects of severe trauma on mental health.

Pip is suffering after witnessing a death firsthand and nearly dying herself, and now, instead of being able to focus on a summer with her family and her boyfriend before going off to college, she’s forced to take on another case, this one much more personal because her own life is at risk. The perpetrator is striking in ways that seem inconsequential, easily explained away to everyone except Pip, leaving her fraying at the seams more than she already was as she tries to figure out who’s targeting her and why. When I read the first book two books last year, I didn’t really care for Pip, and that opinion only slightly began to change, to improve, as I drew nearer to the end of the second book. This time around, I found myself sympathizing with and truly concerned for her, both of which signs that at some point unbeknownst to me, I began to care for our protagonist.

And then of course there’s the golden boy, the cinnamon roll, the very best character in the trilogy that doesn’t have four legs, Ravi. Him, on the other hand, I’ve loved from the beginning, and I’m not about to stop now. He’s sweet and funny and considerate and supportive, and if I wasn’t ultra gay, I’d be jealous that Pip got to date him. But I am ultra gay, and honestly, I’d be happy to just have Ravi as a friend.

Characters aside, the story was more of a whirlwind than I ever expected, somehow managing to outdo both of its predecessors, which I wasn’t sure was possible. Props to Holly Jackson for being able to write a trilogy of thrillers without losing momentum, repeating tropes, or getting sloppy. Each of the mysteries is intricate and intriguing; in book two, Jackson created an entire true crime case to use in her story, and in this one, she upped the ante further by creating a serial killer. This wasn’t even a horror, and yet both nights I found myself reading late at night, by myself in my room with only my cat for company, I had goosebumps up my arms and startled at every noise my cat made. This is not only a well-crafted thriller, but also a very atmospheric one.

Also, that halfway point twist? Cheese and rice, I did not see that one coming. It was much more intensity much sooner than I expected it, and even though the second half was, technically, slower-paced, it was still a tumultuous time. I also did not expect to be quite so stressed out, especially by the final quarter of the book, but I was. I wracked my brain trying to think of how this could all work out favorably, since this was the series conclusion, and kept coming up blank.

Pip and Ravi’s breakup broke my heart. Pip thinking about how hard it was to leave him in the forest, sobbing because he didn’t want to go through with it but knew it was the best choice… ouch. I don’t know when I became so invested in these two, especially since I didn’t even really ship them when I started this book, but here I am. Although I would’ve liked a proper epilogue, that final text was enough to make me feel better, feel all warm and happy inside. The fact that Ravi waited nearly two years for Pip, that he texted her not even five minutes after the verdict reveal, which means he remembered their promise and waited to go through with it… he’s an absolute sweetheart and I can’t express how much I love him. ❤️

Overall, I can definitely say I’m satisfied by this conclusion, and pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this trilogy. I never expected to say this, but I love Pip and Ravi, and I’m rooting for them. I also never expected to feel so many emotions while reading this book, but I did, and that’s one of many reasons it’ll stick with me.

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