Strange, unnerving, confusing.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This book is neither really good nor really bad. If I were asked whether one should spend a valuable credit on "Luckiest Girl Alive," I would not recommend it. I think there are many more compelling and thoughtful books in this genre.
Nothing wrong with the narration! The reader was good.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Confused. To start, the main character was great. I loved her acerbic, sarcastic and jaded views about people: her friends, her boss, her fiancé. Some of the scenes as narrated with her voice and reactions were laugh out loud funny in a good way- she's like able because she's so UN-like able, and I didn't mind that. But by the end, she's a sentimental, emotional girl, no longer independent, dying to fit herself into societal norms for a young woman, and frankly I preferred the intelligent and mean spirited career girl. The end was disappointing.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where a college grad did an "informational interview" with our heroine- the observations of the situation and its inherent fakeness were brilliant and relatable to me.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe, in hopes it would do some justice to the message I believe the author was trying to send.

Any additional comments?

I should have loved this book, by all accounts and going by my reading history. But the story went from entertaining and interesting, to sort of trite and dull. It seems like the author was really trying to address too many 'straight out of the headlines' current affairs. However, regrettably falls short- I think it may have been better if the book focused more deeply on a couple themes instead of skimming over about six, from teenage violence to homophobia to coming of age, to inappropriate student teacher relationships...and more. Too many. In the end, this is not a bookI would pick again.

30 people found this helpful

Excellent & Real

Ani FaNelli's has it all; great job, rich fiancé, beauty, and brains. Yet her life feels empty. In the beginning you will want to judge our heroine. She appears shallow, raunchy, and irreverent and she is to some extent, but you would be too if you had lived the life she has lived, suffered the pain she has felt. Yet, as so often happens when we take the time to know someone, I began to sympathize with her, then I began to care, finally I came to root her on and hope she would succeed in her quest because I knew how she became the person she was and I wanted to see her recover from the tragedy that is her life.

This book is real and relevant in the most important ways. It rips raw the terrible issues of our time - police treating victims like criminals, rape, why the rich vote republican, and school shootings.

Jessica Knoll reveals how empty and meaningless a life in pursuit of sex and wealth can be, how it is a hiding place for those afraid to face the realities of their lives.

Madeleine Maby does a great job narrating.

15 people found this helpful

Not Gone Girl Status, but okay

The book was good, but not great. The ending was blah. I was hoping for a twist and there wasn't one. Comparing this to Gone Girl was not accurate at all. All in all I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was a decent listen. The narrator did a good job.

20 people found this helpful

Just OK

The pace was pretty slow and the story didn't flow well. I thought there would be more of a twist but it was predictable. Didn't hate it, but feel like it was a wasted full-price credit. Would have been worth it in a 2 for 1 sale.

24 people found this helpful

Disappointed

I really wanted to like this book. I listened to it through Audible. I kept waiting and waiting for it to get better, but it didn't. Once I had invested so many hours into listening to it I had to finish it, but it never got any better. I felt the story was very disjointed. The storyline skips around too much and lacks cohesion. Thumbs down from me.

25 people found this helpful

Meh

After being heralded as Gone Girl 2.0 I was excited to read. But really hard to identify the main point author wanted to drive home. And not as twisty and tricky as GG. Didn't love up to hype. If you go in without comparison/expectation, will be an OK read. Maybe good for a casual beach read.

16 people found this helpful

Not worth the credit

The worst of Gone Girl mixed with White Girl Problems . I struggled to finish this book. The main character was incredibly unsympathetic. Actually, none of the characters were likable.

I couldn't ever figure out where the story was going, and not in a good way. I still have no idea what the big "twist" was.

25 people found this helpful

Let down by the third act

5 stars for performance. The narration is PHENOMENAL and I will be looking for more books read by this actor!

2 stars for story. I was so into this story during the first 2/3rds that I could barely stop listening. It was engrossing and disturbing. However, the ending fell completely flat and boring with everything tied up nicely in a bow like a rom-com.

**Spoilers follow** Ani is supposed to be this mysterious, disturbed soul and constantly mentions that she puts on a front to everyone she knows, never tells the truth, and essentially her whole life is a lie. This (not to mention all the industry comparisons to Gone Girl) leads you to believe she is not a reliable narrator and we will get a mind-blowing twist or reveal.

Nothing of the sort happens! She is exactly what she appears to be and all the story lines (with the exception, unbelievably, or Andrew Larson) are neatly resolved. Even so, we're left hanging going, "Huh?! That's it?" because of all the ominous, dark setup. It's like if a horror movie villain acts creepy the whole movie but never actually kills anyone. All the jump scares but no monster.

It was very disappointing. I listened to this book in less than 2 days because it was so good but by the end I was sad I took the time.

5 people found this helpful

I wanted to like it...

The narrator's voice from the start seemed an odd choice for the heroine. Just not a good fit. Then, the heroine herself, who came off so immediately pretentious that it was impossible to root for her or care about her trauma all the way to the end. A disappointing read.

14 people found this helpful

Not a single likable character!

Even 2 stars is generous. This book seemed far too immature to be for adults, and entirely to perverted and raunchy to be for a younger audience. And, if you don't know (or care) about specific 'brands'... this book is probably not for you either. In trying to recall a likeable character , or positive aspect in this story, I can't think of a single one.
I was , however, compelled to finish the book and find out how it ended, and for that alone I am giving it 2 stars

28 people found this helpful