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smolfrog 's review for:
As Good As Dead
by Holly Jackson
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
wtf.... 2.5/5 ⭐
This book begins frustratingly slowly, and just made me mad at everyone involved, but once the plot actually picks up (about 40-50% in...) and it got to be more of a thriller I couldn't put it down. The last half of this book is probably the most gripping part of the entire trilogy. Funnily enough I almost DNF'd this book around the 20% mark because nothing was happening and I was getting so annoyed with all the characters (especially Pip - I know this is supposedly still YA [even if this last entry is supposed to have "grown with" the readers], but I think Jackson's simple and repetitive writing style fails when she's trying to convey Pip's complex inner trauma). Anyway, I looked up a summary of the ending to see what I would miss and THAT'S what pulled me in - I read spoilers for the conclusion and was like "okay, I have to read how this plays out in detail". So that's both an indictment and endorsement of this book, I suppose.
Looking back on the series in retrospect now after having read the final entry, I would probably rate the first one 3/5 instead of 2, and the second one 2/5 instead of 3. Props to the author for tying everything together (assuming it was all planned out from the start), but I personally would have liked to see the series go a different way. A little more modern day Nancy Drew, a little less Betty Cooper from CW's Riverdale (only a spoiler if you've watched that show, and if you have, your brain is already melted, so oh well).
This book begins frustratingly slowly, and just made me mad at everyone involved, but once the plot actually picks up (about 40-50% in...) and it got to be more of a thriller I couldn't put it down. The last half of this book is probably the most gripping part of the entire trilogy. Funnily enough I almost DNF'd this book around the 20% mark because nothing was happening and I was getting so annoyed with all the characters (especially Pip - I know this is supposedly still YA [even if this last entry is supposed to have "grown with" the readers], but I think Jackson's simple and repetitive writing style fails when she's trying to convey Pip's complex inner trauma). Anyway, I looked up a summary of the ending to see what I would miss and THAT'S what pulled me in - I read spoilers for the conclusion and was like "okay, I have to read how this plays out in detail". So that's both an indictment and endorsement of this book, I suppose.
Looking back on the series in retrospect now after having read the final entry, I would probably rate the first one 3/5 instead of 2, and the second one 2/5 instead of 3. Props to the author for tying everything together (assuming it was all planned out from the start), but I personally would have liked to see the series go a different way. A little more modern day Nancy Drew, a little less Betty Cooper from CW's Riverdale (only a spoiler if you've watched that show, and if you have, your brain is already melted, so oh well).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit