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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I liked the voice of the narrator without liking her at all. It is on point - bitchy, simultaneously snobby/anti-snob, completely bought in to her choices while also totally seeing the ridiculousness of it all. Ending was a little too pat for the tone of the book for me,
This is the first book I have read in a long time where the synopsis doesn't do the book justice. Just when you think you have a bead on what a character is all about and where the plot is going, you are thrown for a loop. That made this book very good for me.
Our main character is TifAni FaNelli (yes, her name is really spelled like that, and it killed me too). She is the only child of parents who want to portray that they are richer than they really are. Her story is told through flashbacks of her high school life, when she was still known as TifAni, and a view into her now seemingly perfect life, where Ani is engaged to a man of high standing and living her dream life in New York City.
The problem is, Ani is trying to erase a past life that keeps pulling her back in. Because of the things that happened to her more than ten years ago, Ani can't sleep, is possibly on the verge of an eating disorder, and could very well be getting ready to marry the wrong man.
As I read the first ten or so chapters of the book, I found myself disliking Ani very much. She is a mean girl in her workplace, constantly worried about wearing the right labels and having the perfect blowout rather than how she treats the people around her. She is cold to her fiance when he seems to be the only one who can tolerate her. But, as the story progressed and I found out what happened to Ani in high school, I realized her entire adult life has been a facade, and one she struggles to keep up.
It's very hard to review this book without giving away the very events that make it so heart-wrenching. I will say that I absolutely did not expect where the author was going. After learning of Ani's initial trauma, I thought the rest of the narrative would have her dealing with the fallout of that. I never imagined that it would be a catalyst for the climax that came, though.
I know some reviews are calling this book "the next Gone Girl," but I think it's quite far from that. I enjoyed this book just as much, but in a completely different way, than Gone Girl. I found myself more connected to the main character, for one.
Luckiest Girl Alive is a dark tale, but I think many readers will find themselves embroiled in the story on beaches across the nation this summer.
Our main character is TifAni FaNelli (yes, her name is really spelled like that, and it killed me too). She is the only child of parents who want to portray that they are richer than they really are. Her story is told through flashbacks of her high school life, when she was still known as TifAni, and a view into her now seemingly perfect life, where Ani is engaged to a man of high standing and living her dream life in New York City.
The problem is, Ani is trying to erase a past life that keeps pulling her back in. Because of the things that happened to her more than ten years ago, Ani can't sleep, is possibly on the verge of an eating disorder, and could very well be getting ready to marry the wrong man.
As I read the first ten or so chapters of the book, I found myself disliking Ani very much. She is a mean girl in her workplace, constantly worried about wearing the right labels and having the perfect blowout rather than how she treats the people around her. She is cold to her fiance when he seems to be the only one who can tolerate her. But, as the story progressed and I found out what happened to Ani in high school, I realized her entire adult life has been a facade, and one she struggles to keep up.
It's very hard to review this book without giving away the very events that make it so heart-wrenching. I will say that I absolutely did not expect where the author was going. After learning of Ani's initial trauma, I thought the rest of the narrative would have her dealing with the fallout of that. I never imagined that it would be a catalyst for the climax that came, though.
I know some reviews are calling this book "the next Gone Girl," but I think it's quite far from that. I enjoyed this book just as much, but in a completely different way, than Gone Girl. I found myself more connected to the main character, for one.
Luckiest Girl Alive is a dark tale, but I think many readers will find themselves embroiled in the story on beaches across the nation this summer.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not 100% why this book is classified as a thriller, the plot was pretty predictable and the major reveals were so incredibly heavily hinted at in the earlier chapters that they were very obvious. This definitely was not what I was expecting. If you are looking for a mood read drama that invokes feelings of despair and sadness this may be the right pick. It was definitely not what I was looking for at the time of reading.
Hi. Come on in. Have a seat, here's a cup of tea. Now, let me explain to you why you need to pre-order (or, depending on the date you're reading this, go pick up) this book.
First and foremost, please understand that it took me a few times of running through the ARCs on Netgalley before I requested this title. The cover art just didn't do it for me, made me think romance, fluff, air. Not my style. But then I looked a little closer, read the description, popped onto GoodReads to see what was up with this book with a tragically unfortunate cover.
And I got intrigued.
I turned it into an at-work book. To be read on my computer during down times, or when mindlessly filing. And at first glance, it wasn't something I wished I had on my phone or tablet, to take home with me and devour.
But slowly, ever so slowly, it took over. And it's the first book in an extremely long time that I stayed awake to finish. And I lay awake afterwards because I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Reason Number One you need to get this book: Ani. The grown-up version of our narrator. You will hate her. She is shallow. She is a Super Bitch, one of those The Devil Wears Prada clackers who judges everyone she meets, and holds her power over them with intense self awareness. She knows she's a horrible person, and she crafts her world meticulously to make sure no one else does.
You will hate her.
Keep reading, though. Because when that facade starts to crack, when you see the bone and marrow beneath, it is so mesmerizing. This is when you start to get pulled in, really pulled in. You start to ask why.
Reason Number Two you need to get this book: TifAni. The 14-year old version of our narrator. God, if there were ever a more unfortunate name for a child. Why would you ever think it was a good idea to subject a child to this name.
You will not hate her. You might not particularly like her, but there will not be the visceral dislike you had for her adult counterpart. But she starts out as an average 14 year old, and depending on how far removed you are from her age, you might find her trying.
This story bounces back and forth in time between Ani and TifAni. And it tells you everything in tiny hints. Hints that make sense eventually, but it's not until you get to these reveals that you realize the hints existed in the first place.
Reason Number Three you need to get this book: You will think you know what's coming. You will laugh at your own assumptions when you find out you're so very wrong.
I will not spoil this book for you. Not because, "Don't you dare let anyone spoil this book for you!!" because that is a trope that is so overplayed as to be laughable. I won't spoil it because this roller coaster ride has to be felt all on its own, without warning.
Jessica Knoll needs to be commended for this writing. There are so many pot holes this book could have fallen into. So many turns it could've taken, that I was silently begging it not to take. Apparently, Ms Knoll and I are familiar with similar books, because she knew the pot holes I was worried about her falling in, and swerved around them so deftly. Every expectation I had disappeared. Every cliche I expected, it was like she was laughing at me. I love it.
This book is being compared to Gone Girl. Don't listen to that. It's in a league all on its own.
First and foremost, please understand that it took me a few times of running through the ARCs on Netgalley before I requested this title. The cover art just didn't do it for me, made me think romance, fluff, air. Not my style. But then I looked a little closer, read the description, popped onto GoodReads to see what was up with this book with a tragically unfortunate cover.
And I got intrigued.
I turned it into an at-work book. To be read on my computer during down times, or when mindlessly filing. And at first glance, it wasn't something I wished I had on my phone or tablet, to take home with me and devour.
But slowly, ever so slowly, it took over. And it's the first book in an extremely long time that I stayed awake to finish. And I lay awake afterwards because I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Reason Number One you need to get this book: Ani. The grown-up version of our narrator. You will hate her. She is shallow. She is a Super Bitch, one of those The Devil Wears Prada clackers who judges everyone she meets, and holds her power over them with intense self awareness. She knows she's a horrible person, and she crafts her world meticulously to make sure no one else does.
You will hate her.
Keep reading, though. Because when that facade starts to crack, when you see the bone and marrow beneath, it is so mesmerizing. This is when you start to get pulled in, really pulled in. You start to ask why.
Reason Number Two you need to get this book: TifAni. The 14-year old version of our narrator. God, if there were ever a more unfortunate name for a child. Why would you ever think it was a good idea to subject a child to this name.
You will not hate her. You might not particularly like her, but there will not be the visceral dislike you had for her adult counterpart. But she starts out as an average 14 year old, and depending on how far removed you are from her age, you might find her trying.
This story bounces back and forth in time between Ani and TifAni. And it tells you everything in tiny hints. Hints that make sense eventually, but it's not until you get to these reveals that you realize the hints existed in the first place.
Reason Number Three you need to get this book: You will think you know what's coming. You will laugh at your own assumptions when you find out you're so very wrong.
I will not spoil this book for you. Not because, "Don't you dare let anyone spoil this book for you!!" because that is a trope that is so overplayed as to be laughable. I won't spoil it because this roller coaster ride has to be felt all on its own, without warning.
Jessica Knoll needs to be commended for this writing. There are so many pot holes this book could have fallen into. So many turns it could've taken, that I was silently begging it not to take. Apparently, Ms Knoll and I are familiar with similar books, because she knew the pot holes I was worried about her falling in, and swerved around them so deftly. Every expectation I had disappeared. Every cliche I expected, it was like she was laughing at me. I love it.
This book is being compared to Gone Girl. Don't listen to that. It's in a league all on its own.
I was already struggling with the characters in this book- Ani is annoying, vapid, and I’m so over the “pick me” girls that are so manipulative.
I DNF’d this book at 30 some odd percent with the use of the “n” word. I understand trying to portray characters a certain way but there is just no excuse for that word to be used in a current time book.
I DNF’d this book at 30 some odd percent with the use of the “n” word. I understand trying to portray characters a certain way but there is just no excuse for that word to be used in a current time book.
dark
mysterious
tense
Listening to the audiobook - a couple of times I took the long way home from work because I was hooked on Ani's story. In some ways, it felt over done and Ani's thoughts were doing too much. She lied to someone about food in their teeth just to put them in their place. And I think there can be arguments and opinions about the purpose, the need, or even the actual impact of what that could be, but I think that is a great insight into who Ani is. Whether you actually think she is or not - in her head she is calculating and in control. When in reality, that is all up to interpretation. All of this draws me in and while I cannot say if I like Ani or not, I am fascinated by her and how she told her story.
dark
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this if you like…
- contemporary psychological thrillers
- to read the book before you watch the movie
- a sense of foreboding that hints at an unreliable narrator
- past and present timelines
Themes at play…
- rape, bullying, and high school cliques
- a tragic event
A perfect life or a perfect lie? Well, with the movie tie-in cover, it does at least have a perfect cover. This is one instance where the movie cover is better than the original. This is about a woman with past trauma trying to move on with her life by ignoring what happened in the past and completely reinventing herself as someone else…someone who is not very likable. We find out early on some of what happens to her with her flashbacks to high school…and there is a dreadful sense of foreboding that there is something else. That’s where the story gets a whole lot more interesting. Unfortunately, the story was a little bit of a slog up until then.
- The narration by Madeleine Maby was good…sufficient in every way.
- ratings score = 7.04/10
- contemporary psychological thrillers
- to read the book before you watch the movie
- a sense of foreboding that hints at an unreliable narrator
- past and present timelines
Themes at play…
- rape, bullying, and high school cliques
- a tragic event
A perfect life or a perfect lie? Well, with the movie tie-in cover, it does at least have a perfect cover. This is one instance where the movie cover is better than the original. This is about a woman with past trauma trying to move on with her life by ignoring what happened in the past and completely reinventing herself as someone else…someone who is not very likable. We find out early on some of what happens to her with her flashbacks to high school…and there is a dreadful sense of foreboding that there is something else. That’s where the story gets a whole lot more interesting. Unfortunately, the story was a little bit of a slog up until then.
- The narration by Madeleine Maby was good…sufficient in every way.
- ratings score = 7.04/10
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced