Scan barcode
A review by plumpaperbacks
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
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
4.5
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.
Representation
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.
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.
Representation
- Indian-American love interest
- Nigerian-American side characters
- sapphic side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death and Sexual assault
Injury detail: blunt force trauma to the head. Mental illness: PTSD. Gun violence: references to a past murder where the weapon was a gun, and frequent mentions of sounds sounding like gunshots. Drug use: protagonist buys Xanax from a dealer to help with anxiety and inability to sleep. All things tagged moderate occurred prior to the story but are mentioned in some level of detail; sexual assault multiple times but briefly/vaguely, animal death only once but in explicit detail. (It was intentional, to hurt the protagonist; her family’s dog was drowned. This occurred in book one.)