About the Book
Not Dead Enough by Tyfanny D. Neiheiser
Genre: YA Thriller
Release Date: Jan. 23, 2024
Book Review
The idea of a girl’s dead boyfriend haunting her hooked me right away.
Charlotte’s putting the pieces of her life back together after Jerry’s drunk driving death. She’s seeing a therapist, dealing with her insomnia by texting a classmate, Nate, and starting to see her friends again. But one big secret seems to be keeping her from fully healing: no one knows Jerry was hurting her.
Charlotte’s determined to keep it that way, until weird things start to convince her that Jerry might not be fully gone. Mementos that she’d boxed up start showing up in unexpected places. Her room goes supernaturally cold at times. And someone’s stalking her and texting her from Jerry’s old phone, claiming to be him. When they start threatening her, Charlotte finally begins to open up to the people in her life. But the threats keep her unsure of who she can really trust.
This is a page-turner. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. It has a great cast of characters, too, all of whom could be potential suspects. There’s Ian, Charlotte’s platonic best friend, who has her back no matter what. Nate, the quirky insomniac who knows how to make her laugh. Brittany, who might have been flirting with Jerry. Gabe, the boy Charlotte dumped for Jerry, who hopes it’s his chance to win her back. Lori, who resents Charlotte for disappearing after Jerry’s death and is mourning the breakup of her own relationship. Sandy, Jerry’s hurting, angry little sister. Or could it be the ghost of Jerry, coming back to keep his promise to never let her go? With all of the twists and turns, this book kept me guessing who the stalker could be!
Combining paranormal aspects with Charlotte’s PTSD from an abusive relationship created an interesting psychological thriller that speaks to the fear of not being safe in your own home.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Need more to read? Find all my thriller recommendations here.
