Reviews with content warning for Rape - As Good As Dead

Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about this

I will say I’ve loved this trilogy as a whole, I’ve loved how it’s developed and how the character development (especially in Pip) has been a crucial point over the three books and that Jackson’s writing style has adapted over the course to match this. Starting as an innocent and curious Pip slowly becoming darker and darker and picking up a hell of a lot of emotional trauma and baggage along the way.

However, I do feel like this book has left me with some questions and issues.

(Spoilers ahead)

I can’t get behind Pip actually killing Jason, I feel like it didn’t suit her character at all. I get the logic behind it and how she was tired of a government that had failed her and rightly how terrified she must have been but surely when she’d escaped there was a better solution? Even if she did go back, surely just knocking him out in some way or even breaking a bone so he couldn’t escape and then keeping him there until she could get someone would make more sense.

Then, not only did she kill someone, she got all her friends and our sweet innocent loveable Labrador boy Ravi involved in the cover up. It just felt so selfish of Pip to even risk any of them getting caught because of her. And then after all of this, she then goes and cuts off everyone who helped her anyway because it was ‘safer for them’ I cannot forgive and forget that description of Ravi’s cries. I honestly feel like this book made me dislike Pip’s character which, if that was its intention, then it worked but I can’t imagine why. Also the book itself felt unresolved, I needed like another chapter that just kind of went into how life went on beyond this point or maybe a meet up of everyone. It just felt a bit anticlimactic to end this high intensity trilogy with just a text.

Overall, I have loved this series but I do honestly feel like the plot quality did drop between books

Content Warnings

good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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laureeeon's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Spoiler
Hey Sarge, remember me?

There were so many times I stopped reading this book to say "Holly, we need to talk" because I genuinely wanted to know what went through her head to put her readers through the absolute crushing feeling of despair, and what it can come with. For as long as I can remember, I've never cried during a movie or while reading a book (other than The Book Thief ofc), but THIS BOOK GOT ME. As Good As Dead is definitely my favorite out of the entire series, and I've loved seeing how much Holly's writing has evolved from book-to-book. I'll definitely remember--similar to Pip's story--how everything came full circle for me while reading the AGGGTM series: I've just recently picked it up again after over a year since I've first read A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and I'm so glad I did, because it was definitely worth it.
- Keep reading :)

Content Warnings

aryaharikrishna's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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charlotte113's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall, I found the plot of this book a bit too predictable. Building up to the main mystery of the book took time, and I found myself guessing what was going to happen before it did, something I havent experienced before with Jackson's novels.
However, the book managed to make me worry for Pip and Ravi and I was genuinely nervous at times for them, hoping for the best whilst expecting the worst. The continued backstory weaved through the series continued, and led to a well rounded end. I really enjoyed how Ravi and Pip's relationship was slightly more present in this book, without it being too overwhelming and drawing away from the rest of the story.

Spoiler

I'm glad this is the last full novel for the story, it felt complete. Although, if a novella came out to round up Pip and Ravi's happy ending, I would absolutely read it.

Content Warnings