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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
I love a good Holly Jackson book, she's had me hooked on her writing style since I couldn't put Good Girl's Guide to Murder down. I love how sluethy her mysteries feel, like you're slowly arranging the puzzle pieces along with the main character. That being said, the theorizing in this one made the puzzle feel a bit messy and less satisfying than some and I'd have tweaked something in the end personally, but overall I still got hooked listening to this. I loved the added urgency we got from her only having so long to survive and solve this too, it added a whole other element and I was surprised to find myself tearing up a bit at one point. I already can't wait for Holly's next book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
This book is incredible!
First of all, I LOVED the main character Jet. She is feisty and sarcastic and has always felt like she isn't good enough for her mother and has been living in her dead sister's shadow. When she is attacked in her home and given only a week to live, she knows this is the biggest thing she is ever going to do: she's going to solve her own murder.
The plot of this novel is so unique but also insane and I loved how it feels like a classic murder mystery but has a brilliant spin as the victim wants to solve it herself. She partners up with her childhood best friend, poor sweet Billy and they make a great team uncovering each clue and slowly getting closer to the answer. There are lots of shocks and twists in this novel, some connected to the murder and some not and each one made me gasp with the reveals.
This book may be quite long but I flew through it, loving the narrative and the characters and needing to know myself who killed Jet and why. There are also some emotional scenes as Jet gets closer to dying and Jackson does a fantastic job of portraying Jet's emotions of not wanting to die and I have to admit some scenes did bring tears to my eyes!
I absolutely loved Jet and Billy's (re)developing friendship throughout the story as poor sweet Billy's feelings for her were crystal clear and he would have done anything for Jet and I loved how they still managed to have fun and sincere moments together even though they both knew what was coming.
This is a truly incredible thriller that will not only have you on the edge of your seat during the tense scenes but needing to grab a tissue during the emotional moments. I loved the Good Girl's trilogy but I genuinely think this is Holly Jackson's best yet.
First of all, I LOVED the main character Jet. She is feisty and sarcastic and has always felt like she isn't good enough for her mother and has been living in her dead sister's shadow. When she is attacked in her home and given only a week to live, she knows this is the biggest thing she is ever going to do: she's going to solve her own murder.
The plot of this novel is so unique but also insane and I loved how it feels like a classic murder mystery but has a brilliant spin as the victim wants to solve it herself. She partners up with her childhood best friend, poor sweet Billy and they make a great team uncovering each clue and slowly getting closer to the answer. There are lots of shocks and twists in this novel, some connected to the murder and some not and each one made me gasp with the reveals.
This book may be quite long but I flew through it, loving the narrative and the characters and needing to know myself who killed Jet and why. There are also some emotional scenes as Jet gets closer to dying and Jackson does a fantastic job of portraying Jet's emotions of not wanting to die and I have to admit some scenes did bring tears to my eyes!
I absolutely loved Jet and Billy's (re)developing friendship throughout the story as poor sweet Billy's feelings for her were crystal clear and he would have done anything for Jet and I loved how they still managed to have fun and sincere moments together even though they both knew what was coming.
This is a truly incredible thriller that will not only have you on the edge of your seat during the tense scenes but needing to grab a tissue during the emotional moments. I loved the Good Girl's trilogy but I genuinely think this is Holly Jackson's best yet.
I’m sorry book club, I tried. But the combination of this poor writing style and awful narrator is too much for me.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Ballantine for the early review copy and PRH audio for the ALC. both formats are great!!!
5 stars for the sheer held my attention when few books have grabbed my attention this way in quite some time.
Holly Jackson’s latest had me breathless from the very first chapter, a relentless and heartbreaking thriller that refuses to let go. Jet Mason, only twenty-seven and told she has seven days to live after a brutal attack, decides to spend her final days solving her own murder—and the result is as devastating as it is electrifying. The ticking-clock premise alone is chilling, but what gripped me most was watching Jet wrestle with her mortality while uncovering secrets, betrayals, and the fragile bonds of loyalty that tether her to life. Her bond with Billy, the childhood friend who saved her, brought warmth and aching humanity to a story otherwise steeped in paranoia and dread. Jackson layers sharp twists and clever misdirection with moments of surprising humor and tenderness, crafting a narrative that is both suspenseful and deeply moving. The ending may leave you gutted, but it’s also the kind of conclusion that ensures you’ll be pressing this book into the hands of every reader you know.
5 stars for the sheer held my attention when few books have grabbed my attention this way in quite some time.
Holly Jackson’s latest had me breathless from the very first chapter, a relentless and heartbreaking thriller that refuses to let go. Jet Mason, only twenty-seven and told she has seven days to live after a brutal attack, decides to spend her final days solving her own murder—and the result is as devastating as it is electrifying. The ticking-clock premise alone is chilling, but what gripped me most was watching Jet wrestle with her mortality while uncovering secrets, betrayals, and the fragile bonds of loyalty that tether her to life. Her bond with Billy, the childhood friend who saved her, brought warmth and aching humanity to a story otherwise steeped in paranoia and dread. Jackson layers sharp twists and clever misdirection with moments of surprising humor and tenderness, crafting a narrative that is both suspenseful and deeply moving. The ending may leave you gutted, but it’s also the kind of conclusion that ensures you’ll be pressing this book into the hands of every reader you know.
emotional
tense
medium-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
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5 ⭐️
I loved this one! Not so much a thriller as it is a mystery. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I finished it in (almost) one sitting. Swearing doesn’t bother me, but if it bothers you, the first 1/3 of this book is full of it.
The premise of this plot was very unique. I thought it was clever and very fun to read. There were a lot of scenes that were completely implausible, but I just let it happen and didn’t let those details consume me.
I didn’t expect the emotional aspect of the book. I smiled and I cried. Like, ugly cried at the end. I felt very attached to the main characters, Jet and Billy. Billy is the golden retriever version of a best friend, and I would love a book just about him.
There were a lot of twists and turns. I didn’t have it figured out until the last two chapters, which I really appreciated. This is the perfect book to read around Halloween. Such a fun ride!
I loved this one! Not so much a thriller as it is a mystery. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I finished it in (almost) one sitting. Swearing doesn’t bother me, but if it bothers you, the first 1/3 of this book is full of it.
The premise of this plot was very unique. I thought it was clever and very fun to read. There were a lot of scenes that were completely implausible, but I just let it happen and didn’t let those details consume me.
I didn’t expect the emotional aspect of the book. I smiled and I cried. Like, ugly cried at the end. I felt very attached to the main characters, Jet and Billy. Billy is the golden retriever version of a best friend, and I would love a book just about him.
There were a lot of twists and turns. I didn’t have it figured out until the last two chapters, which I really appreciated. This is the perfect book to read around Halloween. Such a fun ride!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
sad
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:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence