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calmcelebration9888's review against another edition
DNF. The book is bland, the main character is so bland and I also don’t understand Margot at all. She has such low self esteem that she constantly needs someone more interesting than her to attach herself to. First Eliza and then Maggie and then Lucy. How pathetic. And the way she treats Maggie is so reprehensible, agreeing to a lease and then just dropping her. She is not endearing at all. This book is very juvenile in that way. There is a method to writing about the college experience that isn’t so childish but this is not it.
bnhunt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I listened to the audiobook. I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. It’s a bit slow and seemed to be more YA genre than her other two I’ve read (Flicker in the Dark & All the Dangerous Things) which were more thriller. I enjoyed the other two much more than this one so it was a little disappointing. I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters so maybe that’s why I wasn’t as invested in this one.
mschmitz95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
booksrlush_'s review against another edition
3.0
2.5
Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Margot is drawn to her charisma. Margot is the sidekick, the one in the background never the centre of attention. Margot is a freshman at a liberal arts college in South Carolina and when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year Margot can't say no. Margot is now living off campus with Lucy her inner circle Sloane and Nicole, slowly Margot starts to come out of the shell that she's been stuck in since her best friend Eliza died three weeks before graduation. Not all is as it seems and come the end of the year a boy from the fraternity next door is brutally murdered and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.
I've read Willingham's two previous books and rated them highly so I was so excited to pick this new release it up. Unfortunately, I felt this was missing the author's usual spark. The narrative at times felt like it dragged to get to the point and at times it felt like scenes could have been cut and it wouldn't have affected the overall plot. If this book was shorter I believe it would have packed the punch it intended. I did enjoy the conversation surrounding female friendships, the loss of someone close to you and the feeling of being on the outside but I just wish there was more emphasis on these aspects.
The characters weren't exactly likeable, I didn't feel much for any of them. Lucy was a character I've seen in many books and lacked depth, Margot was privileged and Judgy, Sloane could have used more page time, studious and observant and Nicole I just felt bad for frail and a follower who deserved better. I think if we had more focus on these women the plot would have packed more of a punch. we seen a lot of them interacting with the fraternity and I think some of the interactions could have been cut to have the attention on this friendship group.
Overall this one didn't work for me the way I was hoping it would. I did see some of the things I enjoy about this author's writing sprinkled in there I just think with some editing and a little more focus this could have been a hit. I will continue picking this author's work up because they have written stories I've enjoyed I do highly recommend both 'A Flicker in the Dark' and 'All the Dangerous Things'. If you looking for comp titles to this I'd recommend, Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier It follows a friend group and one of them is murdered. Also, She and I by Hannah King this one follows best friends in a bad situation when one of their boyfriends turns up dead.
Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Margot is drawn to her charisma. Margot is the sidekick, the one in the background never the centre of attention. Margot is a freshman at a liberal arts college in South Carolina and when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year Margot can't say no. Margot is now living off campus with Lucy her inner circle Sloane and Nicole, slowly Margot starts to come out of the shell that she's been stuck in since her best friend Eliza died three weeks before graduation. Not all is as it seems and come the end of the year a boy from the fraternity next door is brutally murdered and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.
I've read Willingham's two previous books and rated them highly so I was so excited to pick this new release it up. Unfortunately, I felt this was missing the author's usual spark. The narrative at times felt like it dragged to get to the point and at times it felt like scenes could have been cut and it wouldn't have affected the overall plot. If this book was shorter I believe it would have packed the punch it intended. I did enjoy the conversation surrounding female friendships, the loss of someone close to you and the feeling of being on the outside but I just wish there was more emphasis on these aspects.
The characters weren't exactly likeable, I didn't feel much for any of them. Lucy was a character I've seen in many books and lacked depth, Margot was privileged and Judgy, Sloane could have used more page time, studious and observant and Nicole I just felt bad for frail and a follower who deserved better. I think if we had more focus on these women the plot would have packed more of a punch. we seen a lot of them interacting with the fraternity and I think some of the interactions could have been cut to have the attention on this friendship group.
Overall this one didn't work for me the way I was hoping it would. I did see some of the things I enjoy about this author's writing sprinkled in there I just think with some editing and a little more focus this could have been a hit. I will continue picking this author's work up because they have written stories I've enjoyed I do highly recommend both 'A Flicker in the Dark' and 'All the Dangerous Things'. If you looking for comp titles to this I'd recommend, Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier It follows a friend group and one of them is murdered. Also, She and I by Hannah King this one follows best friends in a bad situation when one of their boyfriends turns up dead.
veronicajohns's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
d_endresen's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mccormick3117's review against another edition
4.0
Guessed one big twist but not the rest but you do have to get to almost the very end to figure anything out which is unfortunate
primrosepath's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
pipsy's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Having swooned over the in-depth storytelling in A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things, my expectations for Only If You're Lucky were sky-high. This book has taken a pretty big turn in both tone and style, delving into the lives of college students rather than the complicated adult women I've grown to love from Willingham's other books.
This novel presents a much slower burn, focusing mainly on the usual college experience: late-night parties, impulsive decisions, and youthful romance. While those themes can be quite easy to relate to, I found the pace to lag just a bit, which made me wish for the pulse-pounding suspense that was a key element in Willingham's prior work. There are moments of tension throughout the story, yet they don't fully bring out the urgency that I wanted to feel.
Because at the heart of this is Margot, who has fallen into an all-encompassing circle of friends, with the charismatic Lucy Sharpe leading the way. We are told that their connection is very strong, but I found it hard to make it through to Margot's fixation on Lucy. It felt more like tell rather than show; we are told time and time again that Lucy is beguiling, but the text often left me wondering why Margot would be compelled to do all that she does for her.
And as the plot moves forward, a mystery reveals itself, with a brutal murder of a fraternity boy and the dreadful disappearance of Lucy. Intriguing as the premise might sound, the execution is flawed. It's such a twist-laden climax that, unfortunately, was predictable and some of the developments were a bit unbelievable, really stretching my suspension of disbelief. The final reveal, revolving around a bizarre coincidence, was more ludicrous than shocking.
While Willingham's prose was compelling, and her ability to establish lively characters is beyond dispute, on the other hand, in this novel, she relies on quite a lot of themes that felt rather YA to me, not really the psychological thrillers that I find appealing, so possibly they will work better with a younger audience.
Ultimately, Only If You're Lucky is a wistfully nostalgic portrayal of college life, giving YA vibes, but beyond that, your expectations for depth and intensity will not be met compared to Willingham's former works. Excited to see what she comes up with next, this journey left me wanting more. If you need an easy read with friendship and some intrigue, you might just find what you're looking for here.
This novel presents a much slower burn, focusing mainly on the usual college experience: late-night parties, impulsive decisions, and youthful romance. While those themes can be quite easy to relate to, I found the pace to lag just a bit, which made me wish for the pulse-pounding suspense that was a key element in Willingham's prior work. There are moments of tension throughout the story, yet they don't fully bring out the urgency that I wanted to feel.
Because at the heart of this is Margot, who has fallen into an all-encompassing circle of friends, with the charismatic Lucy Sharpe leading the way. We are told that their connection is very strong, but I found it hard to make it through to Margot's fixation on Lucy. It felt more like tell rather than show; we are told time and time again that Lucy is beguiling, but the text often left me wondering why Margot would be compelled to do all that she does for her.
And as the plot moves forward, a mystery reveals itself, with a brutal murder of a fraternity boy and the dreadful disappearance of Lucy. Intriguing as the premise might sound, the execution is flawed. It's such a twist-laden climax that, unfortunately, was predictable and some of the developments were a bit unbelievable, really stretching my suspension of disbelief. The final reveal, revolving around a bizarre coincidence, was more ludicrous than shocking.
While Willingham's prose was compelling, and her ability to establish lively characters is beyond dispute, on the other hand, in this novel, she relies on quite a lot of themes that felt rather YA to me, not really the psychological thrillers that I find appealing, so possibly they will work better with a younger audience.
Ultimately, Only If You're Lucky is a wistfully nostalgic portrayal of college life, giving YA vibes, but beyond that, your expectations for depth and intensity will not be met compared to Willingham's former works. Excited to see what she comes up with next, this journey left me wanting more. If you need an easy read with friendship and some intrigue, you might just find what you're looking for here.
sydhoops's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5