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A review by claudcloud
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Yeah... no, absolutely not. The first half was intriguing and had me excited to read on, but by the end, I knew that this was my least favorite out of the entire series. While I'm definitely not articulate enough to fully explain why, here are some reasons:
I completely understand that Pip is suffering from PTSD and she's having a hard time dealing with it - which, of course, she saw someone shot to death right before her eyes. I also understand that she's lost faith in the police and in the justice system. But isn't it a universal, unspoken rule that the truth will always come out, especially with something as big as murder? As much as she distrusts Hawkins, as much as she thinks he won't see her killing Jason Bell as an act of self-defence - why the flying fuck would she choose instead to cover it up and frame someone else (who deserved to be in jail, no question about it, but still)? Yes she's smart, yes she knows a lot about these things, but are you seriously telling me that she thought involving Ravi and all her friends in this as accomplices was a better choice than simply, I don't know, report what happened to her???
Speaking of Ravi, I don't know what kind of spell this girl put on him because if I was in his shoes and my girlfriend (who should've remained my very good platonic friend from the get-go, by the way) was covered in blood after killing somebody and asked me to help her cover it up, I would've called her absolutely crazy and dragged her straight to the nearest police station myself??? Not to mention Cara and Naomi, who Pip constantly calls her sisters but who she's also happy to put in significant amounts of danger, all the while knowing that they've both had enough trauma to last a lifetime?? It all just doesn't sit right with me.
I would've loved, loved if Pip had to face the consequences of her actions. As soon as she and Ravi started covering up the scene and planning on how to frame Max, I was waiting for that one moment that would be her undoing, and I thought the headphones would be it, that she would have to come face to face with the fact that, actually, the truth is important and that it always wins out. Instead, we have an 18-year old committing manslaughter (this is still a bit iffy to me, because I definitely see it as self-defence, but I get why the police might have not), crafting an elaborate scheme to save her own skin, breaking and entering, drugging Max so he'd be unconscious for several hours, roping her friends into it so she'd have an alibi... and simply getting away with it all?? Again, she's smart, but I feel like she learned nothing from everything that she's been through other that "Actually, I'm always right, and if I do it it's ok"????
Speaking of Ravi, I don't know what kind of spell this girl put on him because if I was in his shoes and my girlfriend (who should've remained my very good platonic friend from the get-go, by the way) was covered in blood after killing somebody and asked me to help her cover it up, I would've called her absolutely crazy and dragged her straight to the nearest police station myself??? Not to mention Cara and Naomi, who Pip constantly calls her sisters but who she's also happy to put in significant amounts of danger, all the while knowing that they've both had enough trauma to last a lifetime?? It all just doesn't sit right with me.
I would've loved, loved if Pip had to face the consequences of her actions. As soon as she and Ravi started covering up the scene and planning on how to frame Max, I was waiting for that one moment that would be her undoing, and I thought the headphones would be it, that she would have to come face to face with the fact that, actually, the truth is important and that it always wins out. Instead, we have an 18-year old committing manslaughter (this is still a bit iffy to me, because I definitely see it as self-defence, but I get why the police might have not), crafting an elaborate scheme to save her own skin, breaking and entering, drugging Max so he'd be unconscious for several hours, roping her friends into it so she'd have an alibi... and simply getting away with it all?? Again, she's smart, but I feel like she learned nothing from everything that she's been through other that "Actually, I'm always right, and if I do it it's ok"????
So yeah. This series was good until it wasn't. I'll be tuning in for the TV show still, but if you pick it up, I'd even go so far as to suggest only reading the first book - maaaaybe the second as well.