Not Quite Dead Yet

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss how you felt about Jet’s journey and her death in the text. Even though you knew she would die, did it still upset you? Surprise you? Discuss your reaction.

2. How did you feel about Jackon’s balance of thriller elements and emotional drama? Did you feel that either was lacking, or were they in good balance? Which did you respond to more?

3. Consider Freida McFadden’s Want to Know a Secret? or another thriller novel that you have read. How did the authors build mystery throughout the novel? How do their choices and strategies compare to those used by Jackson in Not Quite Dead Yet?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Imagine that you were in the same position as Jet, with only a few days left to live. What parts of your life would you want answers to? Would you also take advantage of the fact that you had “no consequences”? Compare how you would feel and act to what Jet does in the novel.

2. In what ways did Jet’s journey in the text encourage you to value your everyday life? How did it impact your feelings about “doing it later” and waiting for “real life” to begin?

3. Jet has a unique form of privilege in the novel, as she has no fear of consequences or need to think about the future. Discuss how this impacts your view of your own privileges, specifically ones that are more unique or not immediately recognizable.

4. Discuss an event in your life that gave you feelings of grief, regret, and/or urgency similar to what Jet experiences. How did it impact the way that you lived your life moving forward? Compare changes in mindset or attitude that you experience to how Jet changes in the text.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Through Jet’s family, Not Quite Dead Yet explores the idea of wealth and privilege. How does this resonate in the real world? What does the novel say about the connection between wealth, privilege, and consequences?

2. Discuss the work that the police do in the text. What do their moments of inadequacy or refusal to listen to Jet convey? How does this relate to the current discourse surrounding police?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. If you have read Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, compare and contrast Jet and Pip as protagonists. What characteristics do they share as amateur sleuths? How do they grow and change throughout the text from their investigation?

2. Discuss the novel’s exploration of the theme of agency. Consider Jet and at least one other character, and how their growth and development in the text convey this theme.

3. What impact does the setting have on the novel? How would the story have been different if it had taken place in a city, instead of the small town of Woodstock? Discuss specific elements like the police, Jet’s relationship with her neighbor, Jet’s family’s wealth, and more in your conversation.

4. Choose a character other than Jet and discuss how they are neither wholly evil nor wholly good. What makes them complex? Do you sympathize with them? Why or why not? Discuss specific aspects of their character that Jackson uses to convey their complexity.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Consider an epilogue to the novel that takes place five years in the future. Sketch out a brief scene for each of the following characters: Billy, Scott, Dianne, Luke, and Sophia. Where are they in their lives now? Did they learn from the events in the novel? Did they take any of Jet’s advice in her final letters?

2. Develop an alternate ending in which Jet survives to discover Jack’s culpability. How would the confrontation with Jack have been different? Would Luke still be involved? Would Jack still die? Consider these questions and more as you discuss the imaginary scene.