As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson: A Dark, Twisty Finale That Stays With You 🖤🔪

Hey book besties! Sooo… remember how this was supposed to go up on Sunday? Yeah, about that. 😅 It’s Tuesday, consistency has clearly packed its bags, but here we are — Review #15, and what a read it was.

I finally (!!!) finished As Good As Dead, the final book in Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, and let me tell you: this book took me out. It’s dark, intense, and a wild ride I couldn’t look away from — even if some parts left me side-eyeing the pages.

Pip, But Unraveled

We’ve seen Pip investigate, uncover secrets, and risk it all in the first two books. But in As Good As Dead, we see her unravel. The trauma from past cases is catching up, and Pip’s fear and paranoia are palpable. It’s a bold, risky direction, and honestly? It worked.

This book shifts from YA mystery into something closer to a psychological thriller. It’s gritty, morally gray, and asks big questions about justice, survival, and the thin line between right and wrong.

Dark Twists, High Stakes, and “Did That Just Happen?” Moments

The first half pulls you in with that familiar investigative tension, but when the twist hits, it changes the game. I won’t spoil, but let’s just say I had to close the book, take a breath, and re-enter the chaos.

Yes, there were moments that felt a bit off or stretched, and a few plot points that needed more space to breathe. But overall? The pacing, the moral complexity, and the rawness of Pip’s journey made this a finale worth the emotional turmoil.

A Quote That Lingered:

“Good people do bad things, don’t they? Bad things for good reasons.”
— Holly Jackson, As Good As Dead

If the entire series could be summed up in one line, it would be this.

Final Thoughts

As Good As Dead is not a comfortable read, but it’s an impactful one. It closes the trilogy with the weight it deserves, leaving you questioning what justice really means and how far you’d go to protect yourself and the people you love.

If you’ve read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Good Girl, Bad Blood, you owe it to yourself to finish the trilogy. It’s haunting, intense, and will sit with you long after the final page.

15 Reviews In — And Counting 🖤

Wow, 15 reviews down, inching closer to 20. I may have lost my Friday rhythm, but I’m still here, still reading, and still sharing what I love with you.

Thank you for being part of this space, for the DMs, the comments, and for screaming about books with me. Let me know: Have you finished this trilogy? Did you see that twist coming? Let’s chat below.

See you next Friday (🤞) for Review #16! Until then, happy reading, and remember: it’s okay if your rhythm is messy — stories still find you where you are. 📖✨

Book + Series Review | A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson – A Sharp, Addictive Mystery (But the Book Wins!)

10th Book Review — We Made It to Double Digits! 🎉

Hey hey! Back with my tenth book review (how did we get here already?!), and this one’s a little extra — it’s a combo review of both the book and the series adaptation of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Because seriously, when a mystery grabs me, I just can’t chill. 😅

The Book: Twisty, Smart & Surprisingly Addictive

From page one, I was hooked. The setup? Pip, a high school student, dives into an old murder case in her town for her senior project — only to discover that things are far messier than they seem. Honestly, I got some very confused looks reading this in public (the title does sound like “Crime 101”), but I didn’t care one bit.

What makes this book so immersive is its mixed-media style — texts, interviews, notes — that pull you into the investigation with Pip. She’s clever, persistent, and a total overthinker (relatable!), making her an engaging narrator to follow.

Yes, the middle dragged a bit — too many suspects and theories — but the ending? Chef’s kiss. Fast-paced, shocking, and completely worth the wait.

One quote that stuck with me:
"Everyone has secrets. It’s just a matter of finding out what they are." — Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

The Series: Visually Nice, Emotionally Meh

After finishing the book, I couldn’t resist watching the series. Visually, it’s sleek and stylish — definitely a binge-worthy watch. The pacing is tighter, which helps keep the momentum going.

But here’s the catch: if you’ve read the book, you’ll notice a big difference. Pip in the show doesn’t have the same sharpness or depth. Key scenes and emotional moments felt watered down. The tension and layers that made the book special were dialed back, making the series more surface-level.

So, if you’re new to the story, the show holds up as a decent mystery drama. But if you’ve read the book? No contest — the book wins every time.

Bonus: Series Progress Report 😅

I’m done with Good Girl, Bad Blood and currently reading As Good As Dead, the final book in the series. So stay tuned for — yes, you guessed it — another trilogy review coming your way soon! After years of starting and abandoning series, I’m actually finishing one — and honestly, I’m proud of this small win. 📚

Final Thoughts

If you love dark YA thrillers with smart plots, layered characters, and plenty of twists, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a must-read. The book offers more tension, grit, and heart than the series can capture. The show is a fun bonus, but it can’t quite match the depth of the original.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — Nerdy, Sweet, and a Little Predictable

My 9th book review is here! 🎉

Hey hey! Back again with my ninth book review — can you believe we’re almost at double digits?! This time, I’m diving into The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — a book I finally picked up thanks to the chaotic charm of Bookstagram. After seeing it recommended literally everywhere, I thought, “Okay, let’s see what the hype is all about.”

And honestly? I got it. At least, I totally did when I first read it.

Nerds in Love + Fake Dating = A Classic for a Reason
The plot is simple and sweet: Olive, a PhD student, ends up fake-dating a grumpy, brooding professor (Adam) to convince her best friend she’s over an ex. One fake kiss turns into regular “pretend” meetups, and obviously… things get very real, very fast.

Is it predictable? Absolutely.
Is it still cute and worth the ride? Also yes.

There’s something oddly comforting about academic settings — messy buns, caffeine addictions, awkward lab run-ins. Hazelwood clearly writes from experience, and that grounding in academia gives the story a quirky, cozy vibe I really enjoyed. Honestly? Extremely relatable — minus the lab run-ins (not my world), but the messy buns and caffeine addiction? Yeah, that’s me.

And let’s talk about Adam. Tall, aloof, secretly sweet? Peak fictional man energy. He checks all the boxes if you like your male leads emotionally guarded but low-key romantic. Yes, I rolled my eyes. Yes, I still kicked my feet. No shame.

“You can fall in love: someone will catch you.”
— Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis

Tell me that didn’t melt something inside you. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Looking Back With a Bit of Distance
Now that I’ve read more books (and explored heavier genres), The Love Hypothesis feels a little lighter than what I usually reach for. It’s cute and comforting, but not quite as impactful as I once thought.

That said — it hit right when I needed it. Sometimes a light-hearted, slow-burn romance with zero emotional damage is exactly the break your brain needs. And hey, my love for fictional men? Still going strong.

Final Thoughts
The Love Hypothesis is like that soft, silly rom-com you rewatch on a bad day — predictable, sure, but heartwarming in all the right ways. If you’re into fake dating, STEM girlies, and emotionally stunted men with soft hearts under all the grump — this one's for you.

It might not be a forever favorite for me, but I’ll always remember it as the first Bookstagram rec I ever followed — and that counts for something.

Book nine — done!
Still showing up every Friday, and weirdly proud of myself for it. Book 10 is going to be a fun one — I’m trying something new with a combo review. Until then, tell me — are you still riding the rom-com wave or has your reading taste done a full pivot too?

Let’s chat in the comments! 💬✨