A review by kitty_reads_
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

anyone who read this knows that the first half and second half of this book are COMPLETELY different. this one was definitely heavier than the others and for good reason. I struggled to listen to pip deal with her ptsd, but I think it was a good decision for the story. When the DT killer got into the mix I really started getting invested! 

Initially I was unhappy that pip sympathized with Charlie BUT… I think her feelings towards him and all the previous cases she worked on highlights how *justice* isn’t what it is made out to be.. most cases rest in this grey area where people who commit crimes are pushed into doing them by external sources… whether thats their upbringing, traumatic events, poverty, etc. 

Then the direction of the book completely changed. I like the direction this series ultimately took because it really highlighted some of the flaws of the justice system. It’s often wrong, but if we take it a step further we can see how even when it’s “right” it doesn’t fix anything and can make things much worse. Pips obsession with justice led her down a spiral, endangered her, poisoned her life, made her do terrible things, and ultimately made us see the complexities of *justice* and how right and wrong are relative and exist in a grey area. 

Was this book unrealistic? probably. BUT it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It turned the story on it’s head— from pip being an investigator who sought justice in black and white terms, to pip being put in a situation where black and white no longer existed and she turned into a killer. And we as an audience rooted for her. Now i’m not saying Jason didn’t “deserve” that ending (especially in a fictional setting, I was 100% rooting for pip), but even pip admits she did a awful thing. But the point is crime is complicated and the way we currently deal with it (and view it) isn’t productive. Our current justice system ultimately ends up being wrong and pushing people to commit more crimes. 

That is my abolitionist spiel lol. Idk if this was the authors point, but in many ways I think she was ultimately showing how flawed the justice system is. But wow I do look forward to the show that is going to come out!!!
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