As Good As Dead | Holly Jackson | Book Review

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson Book Cover

My Musings  

What a shame! The first month of the new year is about to end. And I was just able to read one book. Nevertheless, As Good As Dead was an unputdownable engrossing read. No gripes for this one, not even a smidgen. This last installment of the whole trilogy was a real treat to the new year. TBR list,I made for this year is about to change wholly after reading this series(A Good Girl's Guide To Murder). I’m ravenous to read more such Young Adult crime book series. Holly Jackson has become one of my favorite writers and I’m going to read every book she is going to publish next. I’m eagerly waiting to read more of her work.

Storyline

After the horrendous events of Good Girl Bad Blood, the chances of Pip getting a normal life are quite slim. The dead-eyed man and the six gunshots become a vivid, living memory in her head. Every click and clack is the sound of gunshots to her, which is stopping only after six rounds of gunfire and blood-soaked Pip and a dead man by her side.

The icing on the top, she has a defamation case to handle, which Max Hastings put on her. In previous volume events, she gave her own verdict and made vital evidence public on her well-received podcast when the jury found Max Hastings innocent. But by no means he was innocent, he and she both knew it. And when the conviction went in his favor, it killed all the beliefs of Pippa in the judiciary system.

The gore of the night when she saw the man dying in her arms, the man who deserves to live. That is something that she can’t forget. Even after the four months of that night, she feels sleep deprived all the time, and she is developing a PTSD condition in her. To make herself sleep, she starts taking pills and making a habit of it. The last time never lasts for longer, and she always turns for more when her stock is about to die. The shame and guilt of having an addiction are also pricking in her heart.

Who will look for you when you are the one that Disappears?

If you are a public figure, trolling becomes a usual thing to you. The question is nothing in comparison to the other threats which Pip is receiving every day from her trolls, on every possible social account. But two dead pigeons and five headless chalked stick figures make everything stomach-wrenching for her. 

Because she starts feeling that someone is stalking her and wants to do something unspeakable and bad to her. Though part of her shunning off this idea and telling her that she is just seeing things because of lack of sleep and her condition. Nonetheless, when Ravi and Pip find out a link which is directly connecting her Stalker to a serial killer who was convicted six years ago and is still serving his years in jail.

From there, everything hurls into chaos and, as always, the police turn her down. They don't believe that she has a stalker. Instead; the detective told her to have therapy; he says it's normal to see things after passing through a trauma like hers. Again, they didn't realize it out of the ordinary. And again, Pip is on her own. This time to save herself, to save herself. It is a life and death scene and she doesn't know when the serial killer or the Stalker is going to strike on her and she will disappear forever.

Pippa needs to solve this case. She needs to dig as deep as she can and she has to be more obsessive with this case of hers, not to just save herself from disappearing physically in real life but to save herself from disappearing in her own head and guilt again and again.

It all comes full circle when she knows who is stalking and threatening her with that consistent question. The Stalker or The Serial Killer is the sole reason for every death that Little Killton suffers. Indirectly or directly, the stalker or the serial killer is the reason for everything which started six years ago. Every death is on the dash and now Pip is in the dash clutch. (can't tell name or gender.)

Review

This book and the series is an addiction once you start. After that, you just want more and more of it. Though As Good As Dead is the final installment of the trilogy. Things which I complained about in the earlier book review that resolved with this gripping volume. It is an undoubtedly perfect and captivating read which made me feel. And that is the best part of this book. Mostly the bond of Ravi and Pip and the friendship of Cara and Pip got truly hard-wired. I honestly have a crush on Cara, and I guess that’s why I want more of her involvement. Nevertheless, she played her part very well, and I had seen her character grow.  

The next most loveable character for me is Josh, the younger brother of Pippa. His surroundings made Pips’ life calm, and it made her keep going. His presence and curiosity are chucklesome to read.

Pip was battling and grappling with her PTSD condition. No one knows that she was using pills to make herself sleep. The enthusiasm and the cheerfulness of her had died out a long ago in her eyes. And the darkness started taking place there. This is called character development in my eyes. After going through a hell of trauma, she became quite the girl.

I pretty soon got an idea who the stalker was, but that was just a half part of it, and the real thing was way more interesting to read. Though, I didn’t want to dash to be the serial killer or the stalker, as it was an obvious guess. I want someone with the necklace to be the one. Because that would be an unprecedented and totally out-of-the-box idea. 

The plot twist was great and completely unpredictable for me and that’s why I don’t have any complaints because this book is perfect in every way. The love between Pip and Ravi blooms with its whole fire and drive. Ravi was there for her to do everything for her, no matter the consequences. And he did more than she could ask and expect. When it came to her, she made a bigger sacrifice that only she could do to save everyone from falling into the grave which she dug for herself.

In a nutshell

This is a book that will twist the knot into your gut a slight more with every chapter. It makes you utterly emotional and sad for Pip and Ravi. Ultimately, it will make you chew your nails when you are trying to wrap your head around this mysterious tale. This book has nuclear meltdowns, knotty plannings, creepy scenarios, unconditional love, and incredible friendship goals.

Recommendation

This series is addictive. Once you start the first of the series, you are definitely going to end up here. So if you are looking for a Young Adult crime thriller, read which has a knotty plotline and a twisted mystery to solve, and which has well-developed characters for whom you can fall in love. Then this book series is a right pick for you.

Drop your comment down if you have already read the whole series or if you’re in the middle of it. Tell us what you prefer most about this book/series and you can even suggest more such books. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog.

-Abhi Panwar

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