Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson hooked me before I even knew what it was about. Between the bold title, the eerie not-quite-what-it-seems imagery, and a color palette that leans deep into moody blues and violets, this cover does exactly what it’s supposed to do: it pulled me in. But what really sold me was the promise of mystery. A sense that something was hidden just beneath the surface. When I finally read it, I realized the cover wasn’t just eye-catching. It was accurate. And the story inside delivered even more than I expected.

Not Quite Dead Yet called out to me from the shelves of the bookstore. Why, you ask? Well, I am at risk of outing myself as a meg-nerd, but here goes. There is a scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which a person is being collected with the bodies of those dead from the plague. He calls out, “Not quite dead yet!” This is an oft-quoted line in my home. So naturally, seeing the words on a book cover grabbed my attention!

Once it caught my attention, I noticed the imagery resembled a brain scan. Looking closer, I could see that it was actually a ring of trees. Intrigued, I picked it up. Read the back. Took a photo of the cover to add to my “buy later” list. Later, the ebook went on sale, and I couldn’t resist.

I expected Not Quite Dead Yet to be a thriller: suspenseful and mysterious. I got more than I bargained for.

The Cover

Let’s talk about the cover details of Not Quite Dead Yet.

Bright white words punctuate the dark blues and violets of the background. The magenta author block takes a back seat to the title because it is tonally similar to the background. This allows the title to stand out with higher contrast, larger size, and weight.

The blood-red spatter on the O and Q quickly signals the mystery/thriller genre. The hide-and-seek nature of the interplay between the title text and the trees in the background illustration further signals a sense of mystery. The type choice is bold and sharp. No serifs here. The modern styling set the tone (serious) and the time (present day).

Not Quite Dead Yet‘s cover composition anthropomorphizes the illustration and text, making it appear human.

If you look closely, there is a house shape slightly intersecting the ET in yet. It looks like there is a light on upstairs. Is this an easter egg (hinting at the storyline)? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

The only thing I don’t care for on this cover is the “Good Morning America Book Club” sticker in the upper left corner. I know these social cues add clout to sell books, but I really dislike them. They are distracting and off-putting. Worse if they are permanent. For this digital cover, the designer has balanced the composition a bit by adding “a novel” diagonally from the sticker. This helps the eye move around the image without getting stuck on the yellow badge.

Interior

Not Quite Dead Yet breaks the story up into days. Each day has a separate “part” with a full page delineating the break in time. Each chapter is labeled with the spelled-out chapter number and features a lovely drop cap.

One thing I loved about the ebook formatting is that in the instances where there was a song, it was expressed in a handwriting font. When there were letters, there were images of the letters that were legible, but also a link to the fully formatted text version to make reading easier. Then a link back to where you left off in the book. Top-notch reading experience.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

Yes. I was interested in Not Quite Dead Yet from the moment I saw it. I had instant recall that I wanted to read it when I saw it again later.

While this was not a “locked-room” mystery, there was a rather small cast. And, as is true in small towns, everyone knows everyone and is in their business. The characters were well thought through, and their lives were deeply intertwined. Shared history gave the story twists and complications that felt very natural and realistic.

The main character, Jet (awesome shortening of Margaret!), is lovable. The more you learn about her, the more you empathize with her. She is snarky and sassy with tons of spunk.

I don’t want to go into details about any of the other characters for fear of giving something away.

Holly Jackson wrote characters that are so easy to imagine. Even without long descriptions, the details are enough to fill in the whole. It’s remarkable. Not Quite Dead Yet is written in third person, but we still experience the story as Jet. When she forgets something or stumbles on her words, those are delivered in a way that feels personal. Jackson pumps a lot of emotion into a thriller that isn’t just the standard anticipation, confusion, and fear. I will admit, I cried.

Obviously, Not Quite Dead Yet is a murder mystery, so the themes are crime-related. Relationships and experiences become motives. Death, grief, loyalty, fairness, abandonment, alcoholism, family, secrets, and love all tumble into the mix.

Admittedly, I am a “figure it out” reader. When I see foreshadowing and clues in the writing, I take a note and make my calls (cause if you didn’t call it, did you even see it coming?). I have so many highlights and notes in this book. I have some notes that point to the killer, but I was also led astray more than once. In the end, I had an inkling, but didn’t solve it before the denouement. That makes it a great mystery to me. To have it seem obvious once all the cards are laid out, but not being able to get there before the reveal, that’s the whole point. Well done.

Not Quite Dead Yet’s cover – absolutely on point. It gave me enough to get me interested, and it did not lead me astray. I actually feel like I got more than expected, which is always a good thing!

I was thrilled with this thriller. Not Quite Dead Yet was fast and fun to read, but also carried moments of sadness, hope, love, and grief. It is a moving story that also keeps you on your toes!

Readers of thrillers, suspense, and mystery will surely enjoy Not Quite Dead Yet.

I’d suggest it as a good entry point for readers new to the genre. There is a murder, but it isn’t overly graphic. The mystery and suspense are higher than those of cozy mysteries. There is a mild romantic subplot and lots of emotion that I think would appeal to romance and contemporary fiction readers.

Grab a cup of coffee and stay up reading until you can’t see straight.

Set around Halloween, Not Quite Dead Yet would be a good seasonal read, but it isn’t so heavily themed that you can’t enjoy it year-round.

I read Not Quite Dead Yet to fulfill the Playing Card Reading Challenge prompt: Read a book you’ve been avoiding. I can’t explain exactly why I bought this and then let it sit on my Kindle for so long before digging in, but I’m glad I got the impetus to get started!

If someone attempted to murder you, but you were able to live for a week, would you try to find your killer or live your last days doing something else?

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!