Jesse Q. Sutanto is an astonishing author who can switch between genres, writing stunning thrillers and entertaining romance/murder mysteries that will make you laugh out loud.

I noticed some resemblances to her previous books, such as naming people or pets after Hollywood stars (in this book, she chose Clint Eastwood). Additionally, there's an auntie in this book who might be one of the key persons in the mystery.

This book is a twisty cat-and-mouse game about toxic girlfriends, obsession, killer instinct, and mental health, with several crazy characters.

Jane reminds us of our favorite Jane Doe character, with her sociopathic tendencies and social anxiety issues. She's stuck in a marriage, a dilapidated house that's draining their savings, and a writing job she's not succeeding in. She barely holds herself together and is on the brink of losing control.

Then she finds out that her friend Thalia, from their Creative Writing days at Oxford, will attend a book convention in New York after releasing her NY Times Bestseller, "A Most Pleasant Death," which seems to be written about their past friendship. Thalia cut her off after they experienced a tragic and bloody incident, which bonded them with a dangerous secret pact.

Seeing Thalia's face on Google searches gives Jane a purpose to reunite with her friend and never let her go. She doesn't consider her husband, who decides to accompany her to fly to New York, and she doesn't think through the fact that meeting an old friend will open a can of worms, bringing out her true face that she's been hiding behind a normal facade for years. What if her sweet, caring, social butterfly friend also keeps dangerous secrets that she never wants to know?

Overall, I'm rounding up 3.5 stars to 4. The beginning of the book was a little dragging, and spending time in a socially disturbed person's mind was an absolutely irritating experience. However, when I reached the second half, the smart twists and picking up the pace changed my mind. I enjoyed the rest of the smart moves and riveting pacing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this psychological thriller's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

𝐌𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞.

I think every female I know knows this to be true...some friendships are just toxic. Such is the case with Jane and Thalia. When the two meet in a creative writing program, Jane instantly knows she's found her muse. She can't believe that gorgeous, dazzling Thalia would take a liking to her, but she has. One violent night tears the two apart for a decade when Thalia is thrust back into Jane's life.
Jane is a struggling writer while Thalia has achieved fame. When Jane sees that she will be at a book convention in New York, she decides to go confront her long-absent friend, desperate to be back in her orbit.

This was a pulsing, raw examination of the worst kind of friendship there is; one in which Jane constantly compares herself to Thalia and consistently comes up short. Will Thalia finally see what is missing in Jane, or is she using Jane's insecurities to boost her ego? Charles Bukowski said it best with “The male, for all his bravado and exploration, is the loyal one, the one who generally feels love. The female is skilled at betrayal and torture and damnation.”

I loved the flawed characters, I enjoyed the pacing, and I really appreciated the themes that this story line explored so well. Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the early read. This title will publish August 22, 2023.

I'm Not Done with You Yet
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Pub Date: 22 Aug 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

My thoughts:
This novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto is nothing short of brilliant. The deeper you get into the story, the more questions you have. As the story's primary eyes and ears, Jane, the main protagonist, is well fleshed out and intriguing. This book is driven by tension, an escalating pace, and red herrings that keep you guessing until the end.

Synopsis:
While enrolled in Oxford's Creative Writing program, Jane and Thalia were best friends. Thalia disappeared from Jane's life without a trace after one tragic night that changed their friendship.

Almost ten years later, Jane finds Thalia, who is now a bestselling author. Thalia is promoting her most recent work at a book convention in New York. Will Jane's plan to reconnect with Thalia restore their lost friendship? Is there something more sinister behind this?

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this incredible book with me. I appreciate your kindness.

Nice read. A thriller with an edge, interesting characters and their weird dynamics. The writing style was appropriate, easy enough to digest, but not too simple to be bothersome. The story took a few interesting turns and I was gripped until the very end. I'll look out for more books from this author.

4.5, really
I really struggled with the tone for the first quarter or so, it felt...needlessly frustrated? Idk, I'm not even sure what I mean by that except to say that it was somewhat unpleasant to read. That said, it pulls through in a big way, until the very very end (where I was kinda...Okay? So?).