I didn't love the cover of this one, so I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or not. Plus, the description didn't give much away. Well, I'm so glad I gave it a chance! It was so much twisty fun. I loved how unhinged the book became the longer I read. I'm good at figuring out mysteries, but these twists were a complete surprise. The beginning did drag a tad, but it picked up so much by the half-point. I'd definitely read more from the author.

This was such a let down, especially after loving Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties. The characters were insufferable.

Jane and Thalia became friends during a creative writing course at Oxford. Their friendship ended after a tragic incident, and they haven’t seen each other for years. Jane has been unable to locate Thalia over the years, but now Thalia has a bestselling book, and Jane knows how to find her.

I’m Not Done with You Yet is primarily told from Jane’s point of view. Jane is an unreliable narrator. Unlikable characters and unhealthy relationships make for an entertaining read.

A dark and twisty novel. Recommended for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with devious characters and toxic friendships.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Easily in my top 5 favorite books of 2023!

This psychological thriller has everything I could want—a dark academia setting, a story of two writers, obsession, revenge, lying, deception, a few dead bodies, and just the right amount of dark humor to make it an absolute delight to read!

The book begins with Jane narrating the story of her meeting a classmate named Thalia while in her first year of her MFA at Oxford. Jane is a quiet, introverted, Asian woman who comes from humble beginnings and is a self-diagnosed sociopath. We learn Jane’s mother contributed to many of Jane’s issues through flashbacks to her childhood. When Jane meets Thalia, she is enamored by the glamorous and kind woman in front of her. Jane’s insecurities get in the way sometimes, but she and Thalia form an unlikely friendship. Thalia and Jane both aspire to be writers and Jane sees Thalia as something of a muse. But it all leads up to one night that changes everything…

In the present day, Jane is unhappily married to a man named Ted who she has come to despise. They live in San Francisco and their life is largely financed by him and his work. Jane is a published author but her books make no greater than four figures each. Jane is unhappy and often thinks back on her friendship with Thalia and their time together at Oxford. She wonders what happened to Thalia—the two lost touch after that fateful night. Jane went on to graduate, while Thalia left Oxford without a trace.

Until one day Jane stumbles upon news of Thalia. Thalia has just hit the best seller list with a psychological thriller that Jane thinks is partly based on their friendship. She’s also going to be appearing at an upcoming conference called SusPens Con in New York City. Jane will do anything to go there and reunite with Thalia. She doesn’t care if she has to pawn some of her own items to cover the trip, or bring along her husband Ted, or that she doesn’t actually have a ticket to get in… She’ll make it work!

But Jane is soon buried deep in the lies and ploys she used to get to SusPens Con and it could all be for naught if she can’t get in. Thankfully she runs into a mutual friend of hers and Thalia’s from Oxford and that starts the events in motion that can’t be undone… Afterall, Jane will do anything to rekindle her friendship with Thalia.

The first half of the novel is narrated solely by Jane—switching between Jane and Thalia’s year together at Oxford, present day where Jane lives in San Francisco with her husband, and brief glimpses into her childhood. In the present timeline, Jane is determined to reunite with Thalia no matter what it takes. In the past timeline, Jane’s story is heading towards a mysterious incident that leads to the end of her friendship with Thalia. Understanding what could have happened to drive a rift between the two friends drives the suspense forward.

Eventually, the past events are fully laid out and the crash course towards a potentially unwelcome reunion with Thalia is driving Jane’s narrative. When they finally do meet for the first time in a decade… well I obviously can’t spoil it for you, but it is surprising and unsettling. Things felt heightened because Jane has told so many lies to get to this reunion, and then has to continue lying to her husband so she can reconnect with Thalia.

In the back half of the book, we start getting other POV in addition to Jane and the twists and turns the plot takes had me in a chokehold! I couldn’t put the book aside—I was captivated by the story of Jane and Thalia. Their bond at Oxford felt almost too good to be true at first, but the more we learn about things they share in their past, the more it makes sense. I couldn’t figure out what might have broken them apart, particularly since Jane was so clearly devoted to Thalia and Thalia sought out Jane as a safe person to confide in.

The first half builds steadily so the back half can shine. This is the sort of book I wish I could post a spoiler review of because the twists are so fun! But there is no way I can spoil the fun of experiencing each twist one at a time.

The story delves into the complexities of female friendship, particularly that fine element of competition that often exists between friends. In this book a lot of the competition isn’t between Thalia and Jane like you’d expect, it’s between Jane and another student at Oxford named Ani. Ani and Jane are both Asian, but their similarities end there. Ani comes from a very rich family and is tall, thin, beautiful, and looks like a model Asian. She’s attending the business program at Oxford. Jane is short, curvy, poor, and lacks the social confidence that Ani has. Somehow they find themselves in a competition to be Thalia’s best friend.

I loved the addition of Ani to this book because she’s this beautiful bland figure that Jane is often in what seems to be a one-sided competition with. Jane’s ongoing narration about Ani adds a fresh and biting humor that is partly why the reader loves Jane, even though she is often unhinged.

Don’t skip this book. This is easily one of my favorite books of 2023—I absolutely loved it from start to finish!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!

I’ve long been a @jesseqsutanto fan in light of her romcom series Dial A For Aunties, and her penchant for making me laugh out loud at her characters’ antics.

But Jesse as a thriller writer?!? Watch out world, because this girl is on fire!

I loved every aspect of this book. The unreliable narrators. The dark academia. The palpable suspense that, at times, made me antsy. The vacillating timelines of past and present.

And the twistiness!! And that ending!! Please, please tell me we’re getting more of this story!!

I went into this one blind, so in conclusion, I’ll just say get your library holds and pre-orders in for Aug. 22 and get ready for a wild ride!!

Thank you so much to @prhaudio @jesseqsutanto and @berkleypub for my gifted audiocopy and the opportunity to read, review, and fall in love with this story prior to publication!! If you get the chance, definitely give this one a listen because the narrators absolutely slay this book!! @eunicewongnarration @alice_in_punderland

I enjoyed the cat and mouse games played by the narrator Jane and her best friend, Thalia, first at Oxford when they were creative writing students, and nine years later, when Thalia becomes a well known author and invites unsuccessful writer Jane to a writing retreat with other famous authors.

I liked the later switch in focus from Jane to her successful friend Thalia and the plot twists involving lovers and husbands and friends. The ending was a surprise and not one I'm sure I'm comfortable with. But it fits the description of a rather noir novel of twisted friendship.

I had a difficult time with this book right from the beginning. Jane is the most negative hateful person. It got to the point that I couldn't read it anymore. So I skipped ahead and I still didn't like it.

I have read several of Sutanto’s books and loved them all, and I was excited to see what she would do with I’m Not Done With You Yet as it sounded much darker than her previous books. It was a little slow for me to get going, but once it did this one was incredibly enjoyable. I liked the dual timelines from past to present, and the toxic friendships between Thalia, Jane, and Annie were incredible. Throw in Jane’s sociopath self-diagnosis and that she is married to a husband that is allegedly out to get her and this made for one wild and fun ride.

Sutanto is firmly on my auto-read list and I only have a couple more on her backlist to go read and will do that soon. The audiobook was well done and I really enjoyed listening to this one. Thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Toxic doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to describing these friendships. Jane is unhappy. There is not much that gets her through the days until she sees an email about a convention featuring best selling author Thalia. Her former best friend disappeared after something dark happened at their masters writing program at Oxford and Jane is desperate to see her.
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I absolutely do not want to give much away so it is best to go in blind but part 3 made me go back and re read the first chapter, which is something I love in a book!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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This book is everything I wanted it to be and so much more than I could have ever expected. Put some time aside because you will not be able to put this book down, brace yourselves for a ride of a lifetime, surrender your hearts to Ms Sutanto and trust them that they know what they're doing.

In this electrifying literary escapade, two brilliant minds collide, weaving a narrative that ignites sparks of excitement and challenges the very fabric of morality. As the stories entwine, the boundary between good and bad dissolves into a tantalizing enigma, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, craving resolution in a whirlwind of emotions.

Passion and reason clash like thunder and lightning, illuminating the pages with raw, unbridled energy. Characters, painted with vivid strokes, evoke a rollercoaster of emotions, from profound empathy to spine-tingling unease. This audacious exploration of human nature reverberates with intensity, urging readers to question their own convictions, igniting a thrilling intellectual dance.

Prepare for an exhilarating journey into the intricate tapestry of desire and deceit, where every twist and turn leaves you breathless, contemplating the blurred lines of right and wrong. This is not just a story; it's an adrenaline-fueled odyssey that seizes your imagination, leaving you exhilarated, provoked, and utterly captivated.

Jane is a struggling midlist writer, weighed down by novels that barely scrape four figures in sales. She's ensnared in a marriage that offers little satisfaction, trudging along to meet the daunting financial burden of a Bay Area mortgage on a house that embodies a life she never truly desired.

Throughout her tumultuous journey, one person holds an irreplaceable position in Jane's heart, the one soul who comprehended her profoundly: Thalia. Nearly a decade ago, Thalia was Jane's dearest and only friend, a bond forged during their days as Creative Writing students at Oxford. That time was a rare oasis of happiness in Jane's life, filled with cobblestone streets, the scent of ancient books, the embrace of damp English air, and the intoxicating allure of wine and sweet cider. And then came one night that obliterated everything—an evening drenched in blood, a night that should have forever united Thalia and Jane but instead led to Thalia's inexplicable vanishing. She evaporated without a trace, eluding Jane's relentless search. Until now.

The best way to encapsulate this book is to liken it to a multifaceted chess game intertwined with obsession, avarice, sociopathy, and murder. Its characters wield various degrees of manipulation, creating an enthralling narrative. "I'm Not Done With You Yet" is a dark and suspenseful tale centred on toxic female friendships. Brimming with dark humour and unexpected plot twists, the story captivates readers and keeps them engrossed until the very last page.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ended up listening to the audio and really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the narrators and thought they did a great job adding gothic elements to the story. I also loved the dual timeline and Oxford setting!

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Jesse Q. Sutanto for an ARC of Im Not Done With You Yet in exchange for an honest review. Alright, Ill start this off by saying I have always loved this authors work and this suspenseful novel was no different! We start out by meeting Jane and quickly realize that she is unhappy in life. We travel back to her college days to see her at her happiest when she was obsessed with her friend Thalia. As the story progresses, we see the lengths Jane will go to be around Thalia. A murder ends up taking place at a writers retreat that both ladies are attending, naturally Jane becomes the number one suspect. As the story continues, we see how far people are willing to go for revenge, for loyalty, and for themselves. I will add that the ending truly shocked me. This one is out now and if you love this author like I do, you wont want to miss out on picking this one up! 4.5 stars

An unexpected read from Jesse Sutanto! A darker psychological thriller with toxic friendships. It was twisty and kind of fun but it wasn't anything shocking. I did enjoy the Oxford scenes (very atmospheric) as well as the insights into the publishing world. I appreciate Sutanto branching out and trying something new but I personally enjoy her cozy books more and look forward to reading more of that style from her - I like her sense of humor which I missed in this book.

Intriguing book about toxic friendship and obsession--or is it? Secrets abound. I liked this twisty story.

Jane knows that she's a sociopath. She barely tolerates her husband Ted, and she knows that he looks down on her because she's only an unknown literary fiction writer instead of more well known. Jane looks back at her time during her Master's program at Oxford where she met the enigmatic Thalia. Jane is obsessed with Thalia, and is very upset when something happens which makes the two of them lose touch. Fast forward to the present day and Jane finally finds something online about Thalia--she has become a bestselling author and Jane will stop at nothing to get back in touch with her again.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the multiple narrators really captured the personalities of the characters. This is a hugely twisty tale and although I figured some of it out, I really did enjoy my experience. It is fast paced and I never got bored or frustrated with the way things were unfolding. None of the characters were likable throughout most of the story, but I did grow to like some of them as I learned more about them.

It's best to go into this a bit blind because you don't want to know too much about what will happen. I was impressed and flew through it to find out what was going to happen. I will definitely read other books by this author in the future.

✨Book Review✨
I'm Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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I have never seen a writer who can write so well in so many different genres but still keep her voice. I LOVED this book! The characters were the perfect amount of fucked up but strangely likable, and you just hadddd to keep reading to know what was going to happen. Sometimes books that jump back and forth from past to present lose something in the jumps, but Sutanto executed this perfectly and jumped at all the right times.
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This book officially put Sutanto on my favorite author list. I will read anything she writes! I would highly recommend this one to anyone who wants a good psychological read about toxic friendship. I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done!

I am a fan of Sutanto's work so I was very excited to see she was writing a psychological thriller. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. It was predictable in the way that only people who read a lot of ridiculous thrillers would predict because why on earth would THAT be the twist?! But alas, I do fall into that category. I will still continue to read books by this author, however, this has been my least favorite so far.

If you're looking for Sutanto's Aunties in this book, you're in for a shock. This is nothing like the Aunties, and I'm here for this darker showing from her.

Jane is a sociopath, self-diagnosed, who has only ever cared about one person in her life, Thalia. Unfortunately, she lost contact with Thalia, and ever since, she has been living an unfulfilled life. She isn't the writer she thought she'd be, her husband mocks her and probably doesn't even love her.

But now Thalia just landed back on Jane's radar. Jane must make her way back into Thalia's good graces and put that business from their days at Oxford behind them.

This is a book for those who want to question everything that they read. It is for those who like questioning the narrator and trying to suss out the truth from behind the lens of a complex main character's point of view.

It was most certainly a standout for wild rides of my summer reads so buckle up and enjoy the ride throughout this one.

Thank you @berkleypub @jesseqsutanto @letstalkbookspromo for the opportunity to read and discuss this one!

I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto was a great read!

I have read a few of the author’s previous books and this one is a bit different from the others I have read. It’s a bit darker and less comical than the Four Aunties series, but still a enjoyable and engaging read.

This is a novel about Jane and Thalia, two friends who meet in grad school at Oxford. They’re both sociopaths and they wind up getting into some trouble. After the incident, they lose touch until several years later when Jane sees that Thalia has published a book and it seems to be about their friendship. Desperate to reconnect, Jane tracks Thalia down at a book convention and it’s just like old times. They quickly pick up where they left off and Thalia invites Jane to join her on a writer’s retreat. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes again and Jane begins to wonder if she truly knows Thalia at all. Was the incident at Oxford really what she remembers? Or is there more to the story that Thalia is keeping a secret?

Overall, I really liked this book. The characters were interesting and despite being sociopaths, I was hooked on their stories and wanted a good outcome for both of the characters. Jane, however, was much more likable than Thalia and actually experienced some personal growth in the novel. There was a couple of twists that I enjoyed as well - one I saw coming and the other I wish I would have picked up on the clues earlier in the book.

This was another great novel by this author and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.