Member Reviews
The story is about two women, Jane and Thalia, who meet in Oxford while attending a writing program and become best friends. Thalia is beautiful, distinguished, and has everyone falling at their feet for her. Jane, is a plain Jane (pun intended). She's Chinese Indonesian and is stuck between her Asian beliefs and the beliefs she has developed on her own. A self-diagnosed sociopath, she becomes obsessed with Thalia. She does anything she can to be near her, to protect her, and to remain her one and only BFF.
A decade later, Jane is in a boring marriage and a mediocre author at best. She still cares about Thalia after all these years, wondering why she disappeared after school. She gets her chance to see her again at a book convention, which is promoting Thalia as a #1 bestselling writer. Excitement turns to chaos when Jane finally catches up with Thalia. This book had so many twists and turns, I got dizzy. This was my first Jesse Q. Sutanto read, and it will not be my last.
4.5/5!
This is my second book by Sutanto and I’M OBSESSED. Almost as much as Jane is obsessed with Thalia in this twisty tale!
The way I loved getting to know Jane! She’s absolutely captivating and on the verge of being a trainwreck that you just can’t look away from. BUT!!!! I get it. There’s something about Thalia that intrigues you from the start. How is she so perfect? Why do so many people seem to adore her?
Sutanto takes readers along on this friendship crash course at a breakneck speed and let me just say, I did not see all of this coming! There are so many fun twists and turns that I absolutely binged this book.
Basically, go in blind and fall in love!
In I'm Not Done with You Yet, Jesse Q. Sutanto weaves a dark and twisty psychological thriller that explores the complexities of friendship and obsession. The narrative alternates between Jane's past at Oxford, where she formed an intense bond with Thalia, and her present as a struggling writer desperate to reconnect with her long-lost friend. As Jane embarks on a journey to a book convention in New York, her past and present collide in a web of lies and revelations that keep readers on edge. This gripping tale of female rivalry and unresolved trauma makes for a captivating read that is hard to put down.
Like a lot of other reviews have said, this book is a bit slow to start, but when it picks up, it really picks up. So sick and twisted, I loved it! I’ve always loved Jesse’s more comedic work, but this was such a thrill.
As a lover of psychological thrillers, I found Jesse Q. Sutano's I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET to be an enjoyable read. This is a twisty (sometimes predictable) tale obsession and revenge. If you enjoy stories of complex female friendships with unreliable narrators, I think you'll enjoy this one.
The characters in this book are honestly my most hated of all time. Which I feel like maybe if I didn't hate them as much I would have rounded this up to 4 stars, but because I physically and mentally was over these characters it made me dislike the book a little bit.
While this one was a whirlwind of a wild ride, it still ended with me going, "uh what the hell?" and I had to do a deep sigh because that ending just wasn't it for me.
This was 100% a fast paced thriller that has so many twists and turns that you'll get whiplash. It just would have been such a better book if the characters had at least ONE likeable quality.
The mysteries and twists kept me reading. I found both Jane and Thalia to be quite intriguing, and I wanted to know how the pieces of the puzzle would come together. I had a lot of theories and this story kept me guessing the full way through. Overall, solid read through and through.
This one is creepy with a capital C - and not in the typical thriller sense. The main character in this story identifies herself as a sociopath while the story moves back and forth between her college years and present-day. I believe this is the first thriller of Jesse Sutanto I've read and I'm ready for more!
**4.5-stars rounded up**
Jesse Q. Sutanto has rapidly become one of my favorite authors in the last few years. I've read 9-novels from her and IMO, she has excelled in all three major genre spaces: Middle Grade, YA and Adult. That's impressive. She's a freaking unicorn!
I'm Not Done with You Yet is an Adult Psychological Suspense novel. At it's heart, it's an intense story of a toxic friendship. I thought it was fun and incredibly well-plotted. I flew through it so quickly. I just couldn't put it down!
In this story we mainly follow, Jane, a midlist writer, who is presently not exactly stoked with her life. Her marriage is passing, at best. Her career is essentially nonexistent and she feels like she is living a life she doesn't want. Reflecting back on her best times, her happiest times, Jane always thinks about the start of her Creative Writing program at Oxford, and of Thalia. So much Thalia.
The girls were growing very close that first year. Thalia's friendship had a huge effect on Jane, but eventually other people started to get in between them. Then on one particular night, tragedy struck and Thalia and Jane were there for one another. Jane assumed surviving this trauma would draw them closer together, but it actually had the opposite effect. Thalia abruptly left school and Jane never heard from her again. Years have passed and Jane has never been able to track Thalia down. She's like a ghost.
That is until the day Jane spots Thalia's name at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. And that's the only breadcrumb she needs. From there, Jane easily discovers Thalia will soon be attending a Book Con in NYC. Jane will stop at nothing to get herself into that Con. Even if it means selling her worldly-possessions in order to get funds enough to make the trip. Even if it means making up a fake story to sell her husband on the idea. Even if it means dragging along said husband, who she can barely stand most days. She's going.
Jane is excited about her mission. She's going to find Thalia again and once she does, she's never letting go.
Y'all, this is such a wild ride. There are a few different layers, including past and present timelines. The present, described above, provides the impetus for the main events. The past perspective follows the friendship, from their first meeting, until that final fateful night at Oxford.
The back and forth between the two timelines, beautifully builds out the bigger picture of this relationship. I was absolutely hooked. It's so intriguing.
Sutanto writes obsession incredibly well. In a way that makes you uncomfortable, yet you can't look away. Even though her thoughts were messed up, I was drawn to Jane. I was so willing to go on this journey with her. The twists kept coming and as Part III began, I was floored. There was a reveal that I didn't see coming, not from a mile away. I think Sutanto had completely lured me into thinking everything was a steadfast, linear course to a particular ending, but life is rarely that way, is it?
These characters were really well done. Not just Jane and Thalia, but also the side characters, including Jane's husband. They felt believable. This story kept me on my toes and engaged the entire way through. I thought it was fun that we got to follow two writers, who were at different levels of their career. This does discuss publishing a bit and I was curious how much of Sutanto's own experiences she brought to the page here.
I do feel like I enjoyed the present timeline a little more than the past, but everything included in the past perspective was necessary in understanding what was happening in the present. Obviously, Sutanto knows what she's doing.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a twisted and intense story of toxic friendship. Bonus points if you enjoy stories with a college setting, or stories that include insight into the publishing industry. If you follow my reviews at all, it's no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Jesse Q. Sutanto. I will continue to pick up every single thing she writes. Keep 'em coming, Jesse!!
Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am really enjoying Sutanto in the Adult space. There's nothing she can't write!
Kept me guessing until the very end! Loved the themes of obsession, revenge, and complex female friendships. Also really enjoyed the voice and the tight plot.
Thank you Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC of I'm Not Done with you Yet by Jesse Q. Sutano!
I LOVED this book, and it was a top read for me of 2023!
Jane is a struggling writer who feels trapped in her life - Nobody's ever understood her, except her best friend from Oxford, Thalia. One night ruined everything back then, and since, Jane has lost her completely. Until now. Here's Thalia, at the top of the NYT bestseller list, and Jane is determined not to lose her again.
This book alternates between Jane & Thalia's time at Oxford and the present - These alternating timelines are expertly woven together to keep the story flowing and suspense at an all time high. I'm a massive fan of the campus thriller trope, and this one is executed in a way that keeps it unique (sometimes it's overdone, not in this case). The book went in a direction I was NOT expecting, but in the best way possible - And I love when that happens!
Cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next!
The narrator, Jane Morgan, is an author navigating a failing career and marriage (what is it with Asian females with your less than average and blah white men in books these days?), lives a mundane life. Her boring life is disrupted when Thalia Ashcroft's name emerges on the NYT Bestseller's list. During their Oxford years as creative writing students, Thalia was Jane’s closest friend /obsession.
The book and events unfold through two alternating timelines– weaving between their days at Oxford and the present, we uncover their friendship, leading to the life-changing event.🗡️
The characters are more nuanced than typical thrillers. While I hoped for a few jaw-dropping moments, the twists and turns were unsurprising. I can't pinpoint it, but the book gave off YELLOWFACE-vibes with its toned-down plot and less likable characters. Perhaps it's due to both authors exploring a new genre? I wasn't a fan of how mental health was heavily attributed to things (avoiding spoilers), and one character definitely needed to have been more fleshed out. As someone who's dealt with tachycardia firsthand all her life and the effects of caffeine, a particular scene made me roll my eyes. (No spoilers here either).
I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET proves that Sutanto has range. But with a departure from her signature wit and humor, traits that usually set her books apart, I didn’t care for the book as much. Additionally, I wanted it to be darker and more sinister as the marketing led on. Although a fast and engaging read compels you to keep flipping pages, it is not as memorable as her other works.
This book will definitely be for a specific person. With its dark humor and twists and turns it for sure will not be for everyone, or for the normal thriller reader. Going from present day to days at Oxford was a good plot device to take us from Jane to Thalia and while I did find this one interesting it just wasn't my favorite but I will still recommend because I thought the writing was very well done.
"Some friends—and friendships—are worth killing for in this dark, twisty suspense novel by national bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto."
After reading Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q Sutanto, I was so excited to read more of her work. This book was very different from Vera Wong, more dark academia/psychological thriller opposed to laugh out loud cozy murder mystery - but I enjoyed it just as much. Told initially through the POV of Jane, a self diagnosed sociopath, we jump between past and present timelines, as Jane is determined to reunite with her college friend, Thalia. Jane hasn't seen Thalia since she disappeared after they experienced a blood soaked night in college. When Jane catches up to Thalia at a book signing event, we switch POV's and the story twists and turns allowing all of the pieces to fall into place.
This book is perfect for anyone looking for a good psychological thriller. The audiobook is very well done and a great option to consume this twisty thriller.
Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the gifted copy of this book.
This has no... plot and characters you hate to hate. I'll be sticking to Sutanto's cozy mysteries!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC
This one fell a bit flat for me. I enjoy dark academia type stories very much. However, I thought the execution of this one was off. I thought the plot was good it just seemed to me that the characters were very unlikeable and it seemed a bit far fetched on how all of these people with all of these secrets would all end up at this place together.
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a wickedly twisted thriller sure to have you guessing until the end. Two author friends reunited after a dark history from university & time spent apart. One is a struggling mid-list author while the other, who she hasn’t seen, heard or spoke to in many years, is her one muse & the only person she’s ever cared for, Thalia. A New York Times’ Best Seller List put Thalia back into her world. Read what happens next & I think you’ll be in for a shock.
I was fascinated reading a book about authors, their books & their lives. It was a different perspective in the mystery world. For some reason, I struggled to connect to this one. I felt a disconnect with the characters & sat this one down for awhile. However, I am glad I finished reading because the ending was interesting. I so enjoy their writing style & think this just wasn’t my particular book. I’ve loved everything else they wrote & I still think this is a good book.
I’ve now read 3 books with 3 different genres from this extremely talented author & I am just blown away. Their ability to adapt to the different genres is remarkable & I stand in awe. Moreover, the fact they’ve publishing these so close together. *Insert standing ovation here.* I will continue to read anything they write.
Massive thanks to Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.
Because I rated this 3 stars, I will not be posting this anywhere else.
What an absolutely twisty story from the author of Dial A for Aunties. I'm not sure what I expected, but definitely not what I got - this was so twisty, dark, and gave me shivers at some points. It was very different from what I read from this author previously, but I thought it was a good change of pace! The ending was a tad predictable, and the story lagged a little in the middle, but I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!
First book by Jesse and it certainly won't be my last. Psychological thrillers are my jam and this one was no exception. What a thrilling and chilling creepy ride of a story. The twist at the end? I did not see it coming and that's how you know it's a GREAT psyche thriller!
An immensely propulsive thriller diving deep into the alluring power of female friendships, obsession, and self-identity. I thought the pace really picked up around 65% into the novel and loved the twists toward the end. Would definitely recommend picking up a copy!