I’m Not Done With You Yet By Jesse Q. Sutanto- Summary

I’m Not Done With You Yet By Jesse Q. Sutanto Goodreads summary (Review below): Some friends—and friendships—are worth killing for in this dark, twisty suspense novel by national bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

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.

Five Reasons Not To Read I’m Not Done With You By Jesse Q Sutanto- Review

*This review pains me after loving Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers (Review Linked). I knew the books would not be anything alike, but this is just… bleh. I will definitely read more by Jesse Q. Sutanto despite I’m Not Done With You Yet.

#1 Mental Health Terminology

There are many times that health diagnoses are inconsistent, unsubstantiated, and/or thrown around irresponsibly. From sociopath to APD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) to social anxiety. Different characters think they have different diagnoses (with or without an actual professional diagnosis). Then, based on those beliefs, different points off the list of “Are you a sociopath” type quizzes/checklists are just bantered about. Without spoilers, towards the end of the book, this, along with the characters, are all thrown in a blender and spit out in different ways. It doesn’t work, it isn’t responsible, nor does it seem to be well researched (of course, being I didn’t write I’m Not Done With You Yet, I can’t speak to an absolute on how much research Jesse Q. Sutanto did).

#2 Repetition Is Repetitive

I’m Not Done With You Yet runs at close to 400 pages. 75% of these pages are filled with repetitive thoughts and actions. At first, it makes sense and is even compelling. Jane has a lot of violent thoughts about those around her. Additionally, she has angry inner narratives about her husband. Meanwhile, flashbacks to Jane and Thalia’s days at Oxford are filled with repetitive, obsessive narratives about Jane toward Thalia. This is along with her angry, violent thoughts about others that dare get between her. I’m Not Done With You Yet has the chance of being a thrilling read if the drawn-out repetition of these narratives didn’t beat the dead horse. Beat it, revive it, and beat it to death again.

Thank you to Berkley and Random House Audio for the advance copy of I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto, which releases August 22, 2023

#3 Jane

Jane is one of the most aggravating characters I’ve spent time with in ages. Truly, none of the characters Jesse Q. Sutanto creates in I’m Not Done With You Yet are likable. But I enjoy well-executed unlikeable characters. These are not. They are just aggravating. But back to Jane. She is, at once, both the most self-aware and not self-aware character to ever be written. She is well aware of her disturbing thoughts (and that she’s a “sociopath”). Jane is aware of the persistent violent thoughts she has toward others. This includes Thalia, who she visualizes hitting over the head with a snow globe at one point. Someone. Anyone. Please hit me with a snow globe. However, she is not aware of her actual thinking process and treatment of her husband. Nothing. Zip. Zero.

#4 Anti-Climatic

Since I don’t want to go into spoilers, this one is short. But, it is important. After 75% of this tiring, repetitive story? The whole thing becomes predictable. I’m Not Done With You Yet falls flat on its book spine.

#5 Audiobook

Let me be clear. This has nothing to do with the narrators. The narrators of I’m Not Done With You Yet do a fantastic job. However, the production of the audiobook leaves A LOT to be desired. While the flashbacks are well-labeled, everything else is labeled very inconsistently. In other words, sometimes the point of view is labeled, and sometimes it is not. Because of this, a lot is left for the reader to deduce throughout the book.