Sofia’s YA Book Nook: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

Sofia is a 13-year-old brilliant reader who aspires to be a book reviewer. Since she was 8 years old, on select weeks, Sofia shares her favorite books with other young people her age! She is one of the most well-read youth that we know, so she is highly qualified for this role!

Dear readers,

Let me introduce you to Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson, a murder mystery about Jet, a woman solving her own murder. You might be thinking, that doesn’t make sense since she can’t find her murderer if she is dead, but when Jet was attacked, she survived with fatal injuries that would kill her in 7 days, hence the title Not Quite Dead Yet. This means that Jet has a week to find out who killed her, before she dies of a ruptured brain aneurysm. Though when she starts digging deeper into her case, she uncovers mysterious secrets that threaten to unravel the way she previously saw the world.

Goodreads Summary

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder-now a hit Netflix series-returns with her first novel for adults: a twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder. In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm. Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something: Jet is going to solve her own murder.

My Thoughts

Not Quite Dead Yet is a thrilling book that takes you with Jet as she tries to find who killed her. Jet has always lived in the shadow of her dead sister, trying to be as good as her even though you can’t compete with a ghost. This is very important to Jet since her entire life, she has always had the mindset that there is always “later”, and she ended up dropping out of college, not really doing anything with her life. When she realizes she has 7 days left to live, she wants to finally be able to accomplish something, proving to her parents that she is not a failure like they think she is. While this is a story about Jet solving her own murder, it also shows her journey of forgiveness and growth, which I really enjoyed. Seeing the main character evolve added some depth to the novel and allowed you to connect with Jet.

Something I would recommend is reading this book with other people because there will be a lot to discuss, from shocking discoveries to opinions on Jet and her actions! I read this book with one of my friends in a book club and it was so fun to discuss all of our suspicions about murder suspects and the secrets characters might be hiding. When Jet made important or even controversial decisions, we often asked each other what we would have done, why, and whether Jet made a good choice. I also felt that seeing another person’s perspective helped me better understand the plot and notice things I otherwise would have missed.

While Not Quite Dead Yet is an adult book, I believe it is most likely fine to read if you have read her YA books like Five Survive or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Jet regularly uses strong language unlike the characters in Jackson’s other books, with Jet cussing in her day to day life, which could make it more adult. Also, the concept of a brain aneurysm as a cause of death is a more complex way to die than your average murder book. Just be mindful when reading this book that there is murder, blood, trauma and grief. I hope you read and enjoy this exciting book!

**Thanks so much, Sofia!**