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A review by betweentheshelves
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

emotional mysterious 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

3.5

Thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson to review! This is Jackson’s adult debut, so I was interested in checking it out. She is known for her twisty YA mystery/thrillers, and this one definitely still fits that bill.

I will say, this is a pretty unique premise for a book. Someone who was violently attacked, alive long enough to solve their murder. Because of the premise, this is a fast-paced book with twists that (probably) won’t see coming. There were a couple that also surprised me, and it’s not always easy to surprise me. Jet ends up unveiling dark secrets that her small town might have wanted to keep in the dark.

While the driving mystery definitely keeps you reading, the writing felt bumpy from the beginning. There are also not a lot of likeable characters in this, which isn’t always a bad thing, but I’d like to at least like some of the side characters. There’s also a little bit of a romance, which I honestly could have done without (but it did add more emotion overall to the story).

All in all, I still think A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is Jackson’s best book, but if you’re looking for a dark, twisty mystery to pick up this summer, definitely try this one when it comes out at the end of July! 
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Review to come!
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