Holly Jackson’s Not Quite Dead Yet is the latest selection for the Good Morning America book club.
Jackson’s book is her first for adults, following a string of young adult novels including A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and The Reappearance of Rachel Price. The story follows Jet Mason, a 27-year-old Vermont woman who is violently attacked on Halloween and learns that she has a week to live. She becomes determined to solve her own murder as her health quickly deteriorates. The novel was published Tuesday by Bantam.
Jackson appeared on the morning show to discuss her novel. Asked how she came up with the “twists and turns” in the book, she said, “I approach every book in the same way. I write books like a screenwriter would write books. I’m very meticulous about my act structure. Picture me with loads of index cards with scenes written on [them], chaotically spread around my floor, while I’m there putting them into order.”
Jackson, asked whether she planned to go back to writing young adult novels, replied, “Of course! Betray my roots? Never! I think I will always write young adult and adult books. I think I always sit very uncomfortably at the top of what is acceptable in young adult, as I’ve been told a lot in my Goodreads reviews.…I think it was quite a natural move for me, but I will just keep doing both and judge on a book-by-book basis.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
