Not Dead Enough

by Tyffany D. Neiheiser

Charlotte survived the car crash that killed her boyfriend Jerry, but that night, everything changed. Charlotte wants desperately to get back to “normal,” --whatever that means now-- and start reconnecting with friends she hasn’t spoken to in months. And she’s trying to work through her PTSD with the help of her therapist, only she can’t tell the truth about Jerry or what really happened the night he died.

Just when Charlotte thinks she might be moving on, someone starts sending her threatening messages claiming to be Jerry, saying things only he would know. But it can't really be Jerry because there's no such thing as ghosts. The cold spots in her room must be a draft and the noises she hears must be the house creaking. There has to be a logical explanation for all of it. Because if ghosts are real, then Jerry came back for her—just like he always said he would.

Not Dead Enough is a gripping exploration of trauma from debut author Tyffany D. Neiheiser about a girl who realizes that running from the past will help you survive, but everything you try to escape will eventually find you in the end. Perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kathleen Glasgow! Authors note included.

Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Paranormal

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent young adult book and if it helps even one person then it’s even more wonderful. It Keith my interest throughout the book as well. The main character, Charlotte, was a very smart high schooler yet still got trapped by what she thought was love.

[Tyffany Neiheiser]

I'm not going to rate this book with stars, even though I obviously think it's a 5 star read. I base that on the fact that I've read it eleventy billion times and could read it again tomorrow.

I'm really proud of this book and all the work that's gone into it. That being said, I just hope you find it entertaining and thought-provoking! Thanks for reading it.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly heartbreaking and deals with triggering themes such as domestic violence, gaslighting (from parents and friends), and PTSD, so please keep that in mind before reading.

Written with grit reminiscent of Courtney Summers, Not Dead Enough is a poignant YA thriller that has a healthy dose of paranormal vibes. Charlotte survived the car crash that killed her ex, and she is battling with severe PTSD, which everyone assumes is from the accident and Jerry’s death. What no one knows is that Jerry was abusing Charlotte, and now his ghost is sending her threatening messages.

First off, Neiheiser does an incredible job of dismantling the toxic notion that "love makes you crazy" as well as debunking the myth that abusers can only come from one gender.

My heart broke for Charlotte as she tries to piece herself back together with the help of her incredible therapist but is met with gaslighting and pushback not only from her closest friends but her parents as well. I wanted to fight everyone on her behalf.

And the ghost aspect?! The things that were happening to Charlotte would’ve scared ANYONE, and again, her parents just wanted to believe that it was all in her head…YEET THEM BOTH.

I know this is a book that won’t be for everyone, but this is one of those stories that NEEDS to get into the hands of young people.

Thank you to Get Underlined and PRH Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

[Stephanie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for an advance copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book was published on January 23, 2024.

Content Warning from Storygraph:
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse

I picked this book out on a whim soley judging by the cover and the brief synopsis that I saw on the sign up form. And I am so glad I did!!

I was hooked on this story from the very start. I have not read many books adult and not that dealt with a stalker and this definitely kept me on edge the whole time while reading. I could not imagine being in Charlotte situation at such a young age and even as an adult going through the things she went through. I am so glad she found a friendship with Nate to be that constant support that she so desperately needed. I was very frustrated with her parents that they weren't taking her claims serious and couldn't see the things that were happening in her life.

I can't go too deep into all the things that happened in this book because I fear of saying too much and taking away from the mystery of it all.

I paired my reading with the audio and queen Jesse Vilinsky who embodies teenagers so well with her voices! She is one of my favorite narrators and she nailed Charlotte's vulnerable/scared tone so well.

Please check trigger warnings - this has a high amount of stalking & emotional abuse in a relationship so proceed with caution.

I am excited to see what else the author will do in the future as this was such a strong debut.

I highly recommend if you are looking for continuous suspenseful guessing game that keeps you going until the end!

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay why was this like a 4.5 star read for me????? really good thriller???!!! also I TOTALLY CALLED IT. like I totally did. just wanted to make that clear.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the typical type of thriller I read. I really did expect a different outcome regarding Jerry and who the stalker was.
I love how this book addresses abuse, toxic relationships, teenage relationships and PTSD.

[Kendra Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good easy read. Although I thought the mystery was pretty obvious what was going on.

[•°London°• · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck Lori you backstabbing bitch 😀

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Really glad I picked this one up!

[Gina Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Pros: highlights the importance of speaking up when you or someone you know is in a violent, abusive relationship

Cons: characters named shit like Jerry and Sandy

Like I'm sorry, you cannot have a throwaway HIGH SCHOOLER named TAMMY when there's also CELL PHONES IN YOUR STORY likeeeeee I feel like the author sat down and watched an episode of The Jerry Springer Show to name her characters I'm truly in awe

Charlotte was in the car accident that killed Jerry (-_-), her boyfriend. It's been tough for her because while she naturally loved him, she also is like.. kinda glad he's gone. He was abusive, and she wasn't able to bring herself to tell anyone while he was alive, so now that he's dead she feels like she'd be sullying his name, and that would be IF anyone even believed her. She tells a friend of hers and the friend is basically like "if he hit you it's just because he loved you" like girl the gaslightification of it all

There is a "plot twist" at the end that was clear to me ON THE PAGE IT GOT INTRODUCED (I do not normally clock lol) and it was kinda odd and corny but it still worked overall I guess.

But basically, turns out Jerry isn't really gone, because he's been haunting Charlotte. Like making her room cold with his presence, pulling up old deleted pics of them on her computer, lots of ghostly "I'm still here" vibes

Then he starts texting her... yikes

Throughout what she's going through with Ghost Jerry, Charlotte meets a new guy and begins a friendship with him that has the room to move on to something more. She's met with a little pushback on this as her boyfriend died fairly recently. Luckily, she doesn't really let that stop her, and the only difficulty she finds with starting anything romantic with the guy is that she's going through enough with Ghost Jerry and doesn't really wanna overcommit LMAO so she's kinda sound of mind imo

I think the relationship aspect is well done and despite those who would rather Charlotte forgive and forget what happened with Jerry, she remains steadfast, especially considering she has clarity now that she didn't have while in the relationship.

The ending was kinda silly but tbh it fit the story so I can't be mad. Also I think I read this in all of one day, so the writing style is definitely compelling enough. I believe the author has previously worked in the psychiatry circuit which makes sense on a few counts.

[Justinstaysreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting premise. Typical YA novel.

[Anna fully.booked_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was SOOO good! I read it in one sitting. It had me from page one. Normally I don’t like paranormal type of stories but this one wasn’t too scary for me, it was just right! It was a good palette cleanser between all of the romances I’ve been reading for sure! I was able to predict who the stalker was way before the ending, but I still enjoyed the ending and the whole book kept me wanting to turn the pages, I couldn’t put it down!

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt pulled into Charlotte’s story after a horrific car accident kills her childhood friend-turned-boyfriend Jerry.

The guy who said no one could love her like he could was also troubled but no one but Charlottes saw that side of him.

Could Jerry haunt her from the other side and blame her for his death?

When Charlottes befriends Nate, also an insomniac but for different reasons, it seems Jerry or someone claiming to be Jerry becomes her stalker. And things start up get chilly, creepy and downright dangerous.

It’s hard to tell where the paranormal and real lines cross, but this was entertaining.

[Abigail Singrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sze Ying · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded down) The book dealt with heavy themes relating to abuse, PTSD etc. I thought that these themes were quite well-handled. I typically don’t enjoy supernatural aspects integrated into non-fantastical settings, but Neiheiser had done it wonderfully. Unfortunately, I had guessed the plot twist quite early on, way before the halfway mark, and that kind of ruined part of it for me. Additionally, the writing wasn’t particularly complex, but that‘s on me for reading in the YA age group.

Still a thrilling page-turned till the very end though!

[Kristen Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping thriller that had me racing to the end to find out the truth of what was happening to Charlotte, and a story of past trauma told through a relatable set of characters in a heartfelt way. This book is timely and relevant, and it says a lot of important things all while being a real page-turner with some amazing twists and turns.

[Ariana B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the plot but it was NOT written well

[Dazey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The feeling of doubting if you should dislike someone because they have abused you but at the same time do so much good for others and are seen as a good person to others and how to separate feelings of love from just being used to someone being around is a feeling that resonates with me. Being seen in a young couple still in high school shows that even teen relationships can be serious and those you spend your time with that young can stick with you mentally, for good or bad. Trying to explain to others something you were hiding the whole time and trying not to feel like you're bad talking your abuser is hard, especially when they do not understand why you hid that information, but at the time you either cannot identify how bad it is or you are so ashamed of "letting" the abuse happen you don't want anyone to know. This book deals with the death of an abusive boyfriend and the surviving main character not working through her feelings and figuring out who she is. The therapist throughout this book has really helpful insight into abuse and the way it can make you feel and how to move past it and become someone who experienced trauma but to not let it be your defining factor.

[Angela]

DNF

[Ainsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that this book had a twist I never saw coming. The exploration of trauma was accurate in my opinion. However, the narration was a little too simple for me.

[Kristin F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using a ouija board to talk to your evil dead boyfriend is camp, your honor

(This was a book that carefully dealt with heavy topics, but the drama felt very teenager— which was def the point. I’m not the target audience, but a fast read nonetheless)

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Important issues. Poor execution.

[Jenny Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first chapter of this book, I was hooked! A dead boyfriend coming back to haunt you? Yeah, I couldn’t wait to dig in.

I love a great psychological thriller, but this book is so much more than that. It takes a deep dive into what PTSD can look like after an abusive relationship, but it’s done is such a raw and real way that even without having gone through what Charlotte had to endure, you’re still right there with her on this journey. It’s a gripping story about finding your voice in the middle of chaos, but it’s sprinkled with enough paranormal that you’ll find yourself with goosebumps along the way. Such a fantastic read.

5 stars. I loved it!

[Jasper Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an abuse survivor myself, the message of this book was something I needed to hear. It came at the right time and I’m glad I read it. This book is worth a read for sure.
That being said, the dialogue and word choices, in my opinion, lacked the polish and realism to really let me believe that these characters were real people. The therapist in the story he great dialogue, but feels like the author really trying to speak to the reader. It often lacks lacks familiarity and that shortcut dialogue friends use with each other.
Also the fact that the ghost was real was the real plot twist to me. That was absolutely wild. I did not expect it to be part mystery part ghost story tbh.

[Mazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall super good, very very proud of myself for predicting the ending it took me a minute to really get into the story but once i did I couldn’t stop. I fully got sucked into the story and nothing could drag me away from my ipad. The side characters were the sweetest and charlottes parents absolutely enraged me until the end. Overall a very enjoyable book definitely would recommend if you need an addictive book! Definitely look at trigger warning it does deal with abusive relationships

Thank you penguin teen for the e-arc! All opinions are completely my own.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes when waiting on one of my holds to come available, I’ll skim the top books at the library. This is how I came upon this book. Don’t hate me but I def am a huge fan of ”judge a book by its cover”, so I def thought this looked interesting. Honestly, although the message was strong yet sad, the storyline was very one dimension for me. Being a YA, it was full of teenage whoa - ya know when you think life is the literal worst and it can never get better. That was this. Even the ending was so anticlimactic for me. Would not recommend.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Dead Enough is a unique, gripping thriller (that actually thrills!) with delicious twists and turns that keep you guessing. It's also an important accurate exploration of PTSD and trauma - a YA book that truly gets mental health right. I'd recommend this for any YA reader who loves twisty mysteries with a hint of the supernatural. Older YA readers might find it similar to the old school thrillers of the 90s, like Christopher Pike. Highly recommended!

[Cara Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started off a little slow but quickly picked up and turned into an addictive page turner! I became OBSESSED ! I am a sucker for anything supernatural so the paranormal aspects were right up my alley. The idea of her dead boyfriend haunting her was wonderfully crafted, it left me with constant chills and the whole book was written beautifully. Although it is a little heartbreaking, it constantly had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, a fantastic read!

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to be able to hold this book in my hands! This was a really great YA Thriller. The pace was fast, the characters relatable, and it discussed real world issues in an intelligent yet entertaining way. The mental health aspects of this book were so well done and I think while it’s a really fun reading ride, it could also be helpful to someone struggling in a relationship or with grief. Congrats Tyffany!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grips you at the beginning and keeps you going until the end. There are multiple “mysteries” throughout and each chapter provides enough development that there’s never a slow point you want to stop at. I truly enjoyed this book and am actually a little sad that it is over. I don’t think it would need a sequel but I look forward to seeing what else this author has in store for us!