As usual, Jesse kills it! I’m a big fan of her aunties series and her YA thrillers. This one was just as amazing, twisty and gripping!

Talk about an author having range. I haven't read her Aunties series yet (I know I know, late to the party) but absolutely loved loved LOVED Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Hilarious, truly LOL funny.

Well Jesse proves it's not all fun and games in I'm Not Done With you Yet. This is a darker thriller. Characters are questionable, sometimes nasty, and always a bit shady.

The ending is perfectly brilliant. Bravo 👏

This is written by the same author that wrote the Dial A for Aunties books but it’s the complete opposite. It’s a suspense/thriller read about a twisted friendship, obsession and mental health.

Jane and Thalia met at an Oxford creative writing program years ago. Jane struggles with social connections but she immediately hits it off with Thalia, so much so Jane becomes obsessed with her. After an incident that occurs at Oxford, Thalia leaves and Jane and Thalia lose touch. Years later in present day, Jane sees Thalia’s name at the top of the New York Time best seller list and that she’s in NYC for a book convention. Jane is desperate to see Thalia and will do anything to go to that convention.

I really enjoyed this one. I loved the twisted and dark friendship, and Jane and Thalia were both unreliable and deceitful characters. There were dual timelines from the days at Oxford and the present and most of the book was told via Jane with a sprinkle of Thalia’s POV. It wasn’t really fast paced but I was so captivated by the characters and plot I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen. If you enjoy thrillers with toxic friendships and unreliable narrators then you will enjoy this one.

4.5 Stars - Toxic friendships, unreliable narrators, sociopathic personalities, and all the twisty turns made this read a fun and wild ride. I loved this read so much. It was so hard to put down once you started. The characters are not likeable – at all – but then again isn’t that the point of a read like this? The story is told from multiple perspectives, with the first part swapping from past to present and then brings to the present. I loved the dark nature of this read including the antisocial personality disorder characteristics from multiple parties. If you love dark thrillers, highly recommend this!

✨ Pub Day Review: I Am Not Done With You Yet ✨

⁉️: Have you ever been to San Francisco or the Bay Area?

Mike and I visited Berkeley this summer - for me it was a two week trip for research for my monograph, and for Mike - it was to experience SF. One of the things that stood out - which was undoubtedly heart breaking was the rise of crime and homelessness in the area. I was reminded to keep safe and avoid certain areas.

Set in the Bay Area, the National best selling author Jesse Q Sutanto’s latest novel follows the story of Jane and Thalia. As I read the novel, the premise kept on reminded me of The Yellowface which I still need to read. The premise of the novel focused on Jane - a struggling writer who feel trapped in an unhappy marriage and barely surviving the mortgage in the area. Her friend, Thalia, had disappeared after their creative writing days when they studied together. One tragic night, Thalia disappears without a trace.

Things change when she discovers thy at her friend, Thalia, has struck a 7 figure deal triggering her memories of the time both of them spent at Oxford. Jane is awestruck as the events unfold.

This novel contains unlikable characters - and from the start - Jane has a very sardonic and acidic tone as she learns about her friend after all these years. But, I think by painting characters as such, these stories give us an insight into aspects of female friendships that can be toxic and disturbing. Nevertheless, this book was hard to put down and undoubtedly a 5 star ✨if you like dark and morally grey characters - I know I do!

Thank you @letstalkbookspromo, @jesseqsutanto, @berkleypub, and @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted e-copy!

#Berkleybuddyreads #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #PenguinRandomHouse #IAmNotDoneWithYouYet #JesseQSutanto #thriller #femalefriendships #BIPOCauthor #BIPOC

Some friends—and friendships—are worth killing for....

There is nothing I love more than a twisted and complicated female friendship. There is something feral about women when pushed beyond their boundaries.

Sutanto's prior backlog includes Young Adult and Children's books but you would never know it after reading I'm Not Done With You Yet.

Sutanto has entered the adult thriller world and hit the ground running.

This book is... TWISTED! To say the least. The more you read, the further you fall down the rabbit hole.

I'm Not Done with You Yet, releases today! Happy Publication day to Jesse Q. Sutanto and a big thank you to Berkley for allowing me to read and review this sure to be bestseller in exchange for an honest review!

5 Stars!

Check out this teaser!

Jane is unhappy.

A struggling midlist writer whose novels barely command four figures, she feels trapped in an underwhelming marriage, just scraping by to pay a crippling Bay Area mortgage for a house—a life—she's never really wanted.

There's only ever been one person she cared about, one person who truly understood her: Thalia. Jane's best and only friend nearly a decade ago during their Creative Writing days at Oxford. It was the only good year of Jane’s life—cobblestones and books and damp English air, heady wine and sweet cider and Thalia, endless Thalia. But then one night ruined everything. The blood-soaked night that should have bound Thalia to Jane forever but instead made her lose her completely. Thalia disappeared without a trace, and Jane has been unable to find her since.

Until now.

Because there she is, her name at the top of the New York Times bestseller list: A Most Pleasant Death by Thalia Ashcroft. When she discovers a post from Thalia on her website about attending a book convention in New York City in a week—“Can’t wait to see you there!”—Jane can’t wait either.

She’ll go to New York City, too, credit card bill be damned. And this time, she will do things right. Jane won’t lose Thalia again.

Yes, mam! This was exactly the book I needed. This was such a good read! I loved the characters, settings and how it kept me guessing the entire time. I love characters with questionable motives and this one gives you a ton. The alternating timelines worked so well and really ketp the story moving. I now need to read Sutanto’s other books immediately.

There are only a few authors who can write multiple genres and still manage to pull it off without readers going meh and wanting them to stick to their original genre. I’m so impressed that Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of them! After reading her cozy mysteries (Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Dial A for Aunties series), I was super surprised to see that she wrote a psychological thriller next. I’m Not Done With You Yet is so twisty and so crazy that all I can say without spoiling it is you’ll be in for a wild ride while reading it! Every chapter gives you enough nuggets to lure you in and keep you from putting down the book! Before you know it, you’ve finished the entire novel with your mouth agape and mind blown apart with that finale!!! The start of Part 3 was my favorite plot twist in the book! Totally didn’t expect that at all!!! If you enjoy psychological thrillers filled with toxic/obsessive female friendships and running commentaries (which I found to be entertaining and sometimes relatable lol), then I highly recommend this novel to be added to your TBR! It was a satisfying read for me and I’m glad I was able to read the e-ARC courtesy of @berkleypub and @netgalley 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This was a wild ride, but I sure did love it! Thalia, Jane, and Ani were all incredibly interesting characters. I loved the author’s writing. It was on the dark side, but it works so well with the plot
of the book. The twist was definitely fun- and one I was blindsided by. The final chapter and the epilogue were the best. This comment in quotes right was everything:. “ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴏᴜʀ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴʜᴏɴᴇʏᴍᴏᴏɴᴇʀs!” I loved that part! All the stars for this book. Jesse Sutanto is definitely a perfect thriller writer. Hoping she continue with this genre.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARV.

Jane and Thalia met at Oxford in a creative writing course. They became friends, but something happened that caused Thalia not to return for their second semester. Jane has been thinking about her since, and now she knows where to find her. At a book convention in NYC, but Thalia has reasons of her own for luring Jane there.

Wow! After reading Dial A for Aunties, I was a bit hesitant to read a thriller by Sutanto, but wow, she wrote an amazing story full of twists. Neither Jane nor Thalia were likable, but I was invested in their relationship and couldn’t put this book down until I found out what had happened at Oxford and why.

This bingeable book is told from both Jane and Thalia’s perspectives and goes back and forth between when they’re at University and present day. Sutanto had me on the edge of my seat and built suspense throughout the story. The toxic friendship of these females is the main focus of this book though and shows how these relationships can mold someone into who they become later in life. The twists at the end just kept coming, and I loved how the story ended.

I listened along to the audiobook while reading the DRC and really enjoyed all of the narrators. Yu-Li Alice Shen, Saskia Maarleveld, Leiana Bertrand, and Eunice Wong all did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life. It was easy to follow along and know which narrator was voicing which character.

Read this book if you like:
- Toxic friendships
- Unlikeable characters
- University settings
- Dual timelines
- Books about books/authors
- Lots of twists

Thank you Berkley Publishing, PRH Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Jane is a moderately successful writer with obsessive behaviors. She's settled for a mediocre marriage, and lives the bay area in a home she can't afford. Her only true happiness in life was her love for Thalia, a classmate from Oxford. Her fascination with all things Thalia was borderline stalking during school. Then one fateful evening all of Jane's bad behaviors cost her Thalia's friendship.

Now many years later, Thalia is a best selling author, achieving the success Jane has pined for with her writing. Jane makes a rash decision to reconnect with Thalia no matter the cost.

These characters are so incredibly unlikable making I'm Not Done with You Yet a salacious read. This is a dark, suspenseful story filled with toxic female friendships. This is a book you can't stop reading!

The ending - mind blown!!!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary copy.

I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jessie Q Sutanto
Narrators: Yu-Li Alice Shen, Saskia Maarleveld, Leiana Bertrand, and Eunice Wong
Rating: 4 stars
Pub Date: 8/22

My summer of thrillers continues with this suspenseful, gripping story full of dark humor and twisted friendships. I have read a few books by Jessie Q Sutanto, and I can confidently say that I will happily read anything she writes!

Jane is a struggling midlist writer drowning in her lackluster life. She can only remember being truly happy when she attended Oxford and first met Thalia, her best friend and the object of her obsession. But one blood-soaked night shattered their bond, leaving Jane bereft for a decade. When Thalia suddenly reappears in Jane’s life, it sets off a chain of events that Jane never could have anticipated. And now that she has Thalia back, she doesn’t plan on letting her go again.

The beauty of this novel lies not in the likability of its characters (they’re all pretty unlikable) but in their complexity. Jane's self-proclaimed sociopathy and Thalia's dynamic persona create an irresistible tension between them that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Sutanto slowly eases you into the story with her descriptions of Oxford and the budding relationship between Jane and her classmates. Her writing captures the essence of toxic friendships with unexpected humor that will have you laughing out loud. Her unique storytelling style draws you into Jane's twisted psyche, inviting you to explore her thoughts, motives, and, ultimately, her desperate quest to reconnect with Thalia.

This story delves deep into the shadows of human relationships, examining the complexity of the bonds between each character. With its magnetic characters, unexpected twists, and darkly comedic undertones, Sutanto's novel is an absolute gem in the psychological thriller genre. I went back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook, and I loved the way the narrators depicted each character. Listening to Jane’s thoughts on her twisted relationships with each woman was chilling and definitely added to the intense atmosphere of the story.

This was a fun, suspenseful thriller that I couldn’t put down, and I can’t wait to see what else Sutanto has in store for us! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy and to PRH Audio for my free audiobook.

Read if you like:
*complex female relationships
*unlikeable characters
*dark humor
*multiple POV
*dual timeline

Well well well. This author surprises me again with very obsessive, dark and twisted characters.

The story begins with a character being introduced as a sociopath. A very dark, unemotional, conniving person. And then the story follows years later, when two girls meet at undergrad program in Oxford. One is a popular, a people pleaser - Thalia. And another - socially awkward, introverted person who overthinks everything- Jane. Jane gets kind of obsessive about Thalia. And loves the fact that Thalia has taken her under her own wing and is friends with Jane. Till something happens and their roads split. They reconnect years later.. And that's where I stop, because you need to read and learn yourself what happens.

I loved the detailed character growths of these characters. I loved the twistiness of the story, and I loved how the obsession was portrayed. It does have a lot of talk about mental health, and I really appreciated the positive interactions with a therapist (MUST NEED FOR EVERYONE). I wished the end wasn't as rushed. It felt a bit incomplete, and like the author didn't know how to finish it. But it worked. Thought I have some questions I need answered!

I'm glad we got a very grown up dark tale from this author, and I can't wait to read what else she comes up. You can tell this author is fun at parties.

This is my first read by Jesse Q. Sutanto and most certainly will not be my last. Word of advice: go in completely blind.

I did a combination of audio (thank you Penguin Random House Audio) and the ebook (thank you Berkley) and found both to be equally enjoyable.

Readers first meet Jane as a grumpy thirty something who is a struggling “midlist” author. A ghost from her past, well, THE ghost from her past, makes a sudden reappearance in her life on the New York Times Bestseller list- Thalia Ashcroft.

Jane becomes manic trying to find a way to reconnect with Thalia, her best friend who disappeared from her life just as quickly as she forever changed it. What happens sends Jane in a tailspin with drastic consequences.

This was a fun thriller. The writing is on the wall but the true shocking twists are the depths of the deceit by all parties. Jane is a hard leading lady to cheer for, she is negative and delusional. She is also determined and a bizarrely loyal friend. But I’m Not Done With You Yet shows a toxic side of female friendships. Sutanto’s writing style is so addictive, making it impossible to not binge this wild ride.

For readers who love a dark academia setting, demented authors and books about books- definitely check out I’m Not Done With You Yet.

This is my first book by Jesse Q Sutanto and I was not disappointed. I liked the multiple timelines and the character building. Granted, none the main characters had any redeeming qualities, however, I think that just added to the plot and kept the reader more engaged.

When Jane and Thalia first meet at Oxford, I really struggled to like Jane. I found her so irritating and annoying, but as I continued to read, I found how important her character building was, especially towards the end. Thalia's character definitely threw me for a loop a few times. And then I thought it was brilliant to throw in another character, Ani, that you're also not so sure of. As I said, the character building was really fantastic.

I did feel like the story dragged a little bit in the end, but I felt like it gave the right closure. However, I do appreciate an extra twist at the end of a thriller.

This one was just ok for me. It definitely had the pace I was expected and kept me turning pages, however ultimately it fell a tad short. Jane and Thalia met on their way to Oxford for a writing program and Jane became very infatuated with Thalia. On top of being a self diagnosed sociopath (which you will be reminded of often), Jane isn't extremely happy at how her life has turned out. She feels a tad pushed into the home that was purchased in Cali with her spouse and isn't satisfied of her own writing career. This all spins up further when a highly anticipated novel by Thalia is about the be released. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One-word review: Mind-Blowing
Emojis: 🤯😳🫣
Rating: 5🌟s

My Thoughts:
I am speechless. There are no words, but I need to find some words to tell you what a mind-blowing read I'm Not Done With You Yet by Jesses Q. Sutanto is.

Early in the story, you learn more about the main character, Jane Morgan. She is one of three 1st person narrators who join to tell this tale. Jane self-diagnosed (she took online questionnaires! What?!?) with Antisocial Personality Disorder. She adamantly believes she is a sociopath. Most of the novel is spent in her head, and I spent that time reading between the lines to determine if she really presented with the actual traits of the diagnosis. Of course, she is an unreliable narrator. Unreliable narrators tell the entire story. Are you starting to get the picture?

Jane meets Thalia and Ani nine years ago at Oxford and then reunites with them in present-day New York City. In short chapters and a relatively focused fast pace, the story about these three girls unfolds in a way that left my jaw on the floor - it may still be there. I figured out the first big twist early in the story, but it was such a fleeting thought that I had all but forgotten about it by the time I got to that point. And what followed totally took me by surprise - it may be a bit of a stretch, but it makes for such a great read I didn't care.

I’ll end my review there because you'll want to go into this knowing little so that you can enjoy having your mind blown by it!

Thank you to Berkley Pub and Netgalley for my e-ARC of I’m Not Done with You Yet!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
😡 ever felt angry while around people
❤️ would do anything for your best friend
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 went to Oxford
🌪️ enjoy wild twists

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Jane is unhappy.  

A struggling midlist writer whose novels barely command four figures, she feels trapped in an underwhelming marriage, just scraping by to pay a crippling Bay Area mortgage for a house—a life—she's never really wanted. 

There's only ever been one person she cared about, one person who truly understood her: Thalia. Jane's best and only friend nearly a decade ago during their Creative Writing days at Oxford. It was the only good year of Jane’s life—cobblestones and books and damp English air, heady wine and sweet cider and Thalia, endless Thalia. But then one night ruined everything. The blood-soaked night that should have bound Thalia to Jane forever but instead made her lose her completely. Thalia disappeared without a trace, and Jane has been unable to find her since.

Until now. 

Because there she is, her name at the top of the New York Times bestseller list: A Most Pleasant Death by Thalia Ashcroft. When she discovers a post from Thalia on her website about attending a book convention in New York City in a week—“Can’t wait to see you there!”—Jane can’t wait either. 

She’ll go to New York City, too, credit card bill be damned. And this time, she will do things right. Jane won’t lose Thalia again.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a wild and crazy ride! I was immediately struck by Jane’s character. Believing she’s a sociopath, Jane is often misunderstood by the people around her, but her inner dialogue was very familiar to me, which obviously frightened me. Does that make me a sociopath? I loved learning the truth with this one little twist later in the story (shh no spoilers!). I also hated Thalia, but not at first. In the beginning, I think I was almost as entranced with her as Jane, but about halfway or less through the book, I began to see through Jane’s facade, and when the truth was revealed, I was glad that I trusted my instincts! Overall, this was an incredible psychological thriller in every way! I can’t wait to read more from Jesse in the future!

This is the first book I've read from Sutanto and it immediately made me want to read everything she's written. I am an absolute sucker for alternating timelines, toxic friendships and psychotic behavior and this had it all and then some!

4.5 stars!

I’m Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Jane knows she is a sociopath because she's done the online tests, read all the traits, knows her evil thoughts, knows her evil heart. She is a struggling writer in a loveless marriage, locked into a crushing mortgage that will never allow her to have more. She has no control over her crummy life and she is miserable.

But then she sees the name of a long ago obsession! It's Thalia, who she'd crushed on back in Creative Writing at Oxford. They were tight back then until something bad happened and Thalia didn't come back for the next session. In fact she ghosted Jane and until now Jane had no idea where she was or what she was doing. Nine years of missing Thalia, wondering why Thalia dropped her and now here she is. Turns out she'd been writing successfully under a pen name.

Thalia will be at a book convention in New York so Jane's going to it. Surely Thalia will be glad to see her. It can be like old times!

Jane has found her obsession again and she will not let her get away again. She'll do anything to be with Thalia, anything at all. In fact, she thought she'd done that before, this time it'll stick.

What a crazy mess this is and it's not just Jane who is messed up. It seems that like must attract like, maybe like attracts a whole crowd of the same kind of people. Maybe Jane should leave well enough alone but she just can't help herself. The story is wild and then it gets wilder when we get Thalia's POV. Thalia almost makes me start liking Jane!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.