I've always wondered what was wrong with me: NOT QUITE DEAD YET.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's really fun to read a book with a different premise!

The idea is that Jet has seven days to solve her own murder. On Halloween, she's attacked at home and left for dead. While she awakes several days later, her injuries have left her with a brain aneurysm that will kill her within a week. Jet--who has always pushed things off until "later"--vows to find her killer.

Jet is the best part about this book. She's an excellent witty and sarcastic protagonist. She cracks jokes constantly, even with her impending death. While this is a mystery, it's quirky and layered. The story is tense, keeping you guessing at every turn. It's dark, chock full of family drama along with secrets and small town stories. Jet has a difficult relationship with her family, leading her to stay with her childhood best friend Billy. Their friendship over the week is its own story and adds extra warmth and nuance to an otherwise dark story.

I wasn't sure about reading a book where it was known the protagonist would die, but NOT QUITE DEAD YET is worth the read. It's complex, funny, and mysterious.


View all my reviews