As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #3

Rating: ★★★★★

Dates Read: 1/22/24 - 1/24/24

    Pip is getting ready for college, but she's still haunted by her last investigation. Online threats become more real when she notices someone asking who will look for her if she disappears. As things escalate, Pip connects her stalker to a past serial killer. With the police ignoring her, Pip decides to find the suspect herself. As the dangerous game progresses, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle, and if she can't find the answers this time, she'll be the one who disappears.

    When the synopsis said everything is coming full circle, it meant it. This book was absolutely insane. Pip is one of my favorite protagonists, and I was rooting for her the entire time. There were so many perfect moments between Pip and Ravi in this too, they make an unstoppable duo.

    As Good As Dead is darker than the first two books in this series, but I loved it. Jackson delves into much darker themes here, and it's done so well. I was listening to the audiobook, and I felt like the twist was insanely obvious. When I checked my progress, I was only half way through, which meant it could only get crazier from there. There will be spoiler/spolier-ish talk from this point on, so if you haven't read this, scroll away!

SPOILERS BELOW

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"You're lucky I didn't put you in the ground too."

    Jackson takes this series to new depths as we question ethics and innocence. As Good As Dead prompts questions about vigilantism, and did Pip do the right thing? This felt like so much more than your normal YA mystery/thriller. Most books don't ever delve into the aftermath of a trauma like what Pip has suffered at the end of book two, but this one does.  

    Seeing Pip struggle, and go through some grueling character development, was one of my favorite parts of the book. At the beginning of this series, Pip saw everything in black and white. By the end of this book, she has found herself in the same grey areas that she questioned when she started her project. 

    Others may have different opinions, but I stand behind Pip. Jason would have killed her, Max would have gone on to ruin so many more lives, and Hawkins would not have believed her if she had gone to him after escaping. They both got what they deserved, and if I had been dealing with a detective who had a bad track record of believing me in the past and told me I was crazy when I said I was being stalked, I wouldn't have thought I could go to them for help either. Pip is a badass, and she did what she had to do. Seeing Pip and Ravi work as a team to clean up the mess, and all of their friends being absolute ride or dies, made the second half of the book completely enthralling. I could not put it down.

    I absolutely loved the way Jackson ties up every single loose end from the first two books. It is truly full circle, and I cannot wait to watch the show. Holly Jackson, you are an auto-read author for me. I loved this series, and I'm so sad that I've finished it. If you haven't read this yet, go read it immediately. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Series Reviews ↓

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (#1)

Good Girl, Bad Blood (#2)

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