Not Quite Dead YetNot Quite Dead Yet
What it's about
Jet Mason, a twenty-seven-year-old woman who still lives with her parents in a small Vermont town, is attacked on Halloween night. She survives, but doctors tell her she has only a week to live, until a brain aneurysm kills her. With her old friend Billy, she sets out to find out who killed her before she dies.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for mystery and thriller. It's a twisty, darkly funny thriller.
You'll love it if you liked
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
The Night She Disappeared
The HousemaidGood to know
It's violent, and deals with death.
By the numbers
- Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller27 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz36 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl's Guide to MurderThe Reappearance of Rachel Price
Five SurviveIf you like this, read next
The Correspondent
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
Remarkably Bright Creatures
The Tainted Cup
The Frozen River
A Drop of CorruptionExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Not Quite Dead Yet worth reading?
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for mystery and thriller. Its Must-Read Score is 60.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Not Quite Dead Yet about?
Jet Mason, a twenty-seven-year-old woman who still lives with her parents in a small Vermont town, is attacked on Halloween night. She survives, but doctors tell her she has only a week to live, until a brain aneurysm kills her. With her old friend Billy, she sets out to find out who killed her before she dies.
How long does it take to read Not Quite Dead Yet?
About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Not Quite Dead Yet won?
Goodreads Choice (mystery thriller) winner (2025).
What should I read after Not Quite Dead Yet?
If you liked it, try The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson, The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell or The Housemaid by Freida McFadden.