kookie9200's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
I wanted to like this book. The premise was great. However, it just didn't all fit together. Alice was kidnapped at a young age, and as a result, her father does everything he can to protect her, even as an adult. She gets sucked into a website called The Doe Pages, where missing people are listed. One day as she scrolls, she sees a face that upends her life: her kidnapper's.
First off, I didn't like the characters. Alice annoyed me the whole book. She didn't like being coddled, she didn't like her job, the list goes on. Yet, even though she feels smothered, she doesn't DO anything to change it. She just comes across as bitter and self righteous the entire book. I felt like she looked down on Merrily, on Jimmy, on everyone. Merrily was okay, and I think probably the strongest character. Juby and Lil were just really odd, especially LIl.
The plot plot also seemed to drag on and on at points. It was pretty obvious to me very early on how things were going to turn out, yet the book dragged on. By the end, I didn't even really care anymore who was telling the truth and who was lying. I was over it.
I wanted to like this book. The premise was great. However, it just didn't all fit together. Alice was kidnapped at a young age, and as a result, her father does everything he can to protect her, even as an adult. She gets sucked into a website called The Doe Pages, where missing people are listed. One day as she scrolls, she sees a face that upends her life: her kidnapper's.
First off, I didn't like the characters. Alice annoyed me the whole book. She didn't like being coddled, she didn't like her job, the list goes on. Yet, even though she feels smothered, she doesn't DO anything to change it. She just comes across as bitter and self righteous the entire book. I felt like she looked down on Merrily, on Jimmy, on everyone. Merrily was okay, and I think probably the strongest character. Juby and Lil were just really odd, especially LIl.
The plot plot also seemed to drag on and on at points. It was pretty obvious to me very early on how things were going to turn out, yet the book dragged on. By the end, I didn't even really care anymore who was telling the truth and who was lying. I was over it.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
A 2020 staff favorite recommended by Erica. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slucky%20one%20rader-day__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
thegreatpike27's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
If I hadn't needed this book for a reading challenge I probably would've stopped reading around page 80. It was painfully slow and then kind of slapped a bunch of plot twists at the end that didn't even feel satisfying
anye's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I have trouble rating this book as I listened in a very disjointed way (at work). I quickly understood most of the things that the people in the book were trying to unravel - it seemed a bit obvious. Not sure if the reader was meant to or not? I did enjoy parts of the writing style.
kbfrantom's review against another edition
3.0
A great mystery...Alice was kidnapped when she was younger and later when she's grown up she sees her kidnapper's face on a website devoted to missing people. Researching her kidnapper brings her close to his daughter Merrily and two other volunteers for the missing people website. What Alice thinks happened to younger self is not all correct though.
melhara's review against another edition
2.0
1.5/5
The audiobook started off really interesting but I started losing interest part way through as the story slowly became more and more complicated and disjointed. Honestly, I was confused for the most part and kept wondering where the story was heading and whether or not I should DNF the audiobook or keep going. Everything eventually came together in the end but overall, I didn't feel like the story was very well executed.
I also couldn't connect or sympathize with any of the characters. Both Alice and Merrily (especially Merrily!) were really annoying and I was not at all convinced that these were 30-something year old women - they acted and talked like teenagers and had really weird and unrealistic relationships with the people around them.
The audiobook started off really interesting but I started losing interest part way through as the story slowly became more and more complicated and disjointed. Honestly, I was confused for the most part and kept wondering where the story was heading and whether or not I should DNF the audiobook or keep going. Everything eventually came together in the end but overall, I didn't feel like the story was very well executed.
I also couldn't connect or sympathize with any of the characters. Both Alice and Merrily (especially Merrily!) were really annoying and I was not at all convinced that these were 30-something year old women - they acted and talked like teenagers and had really weird and unrealistic relationships with the people around them.
krisko_03's review against another edition
3.0
This book explores what it means to truly be lucky...with some suspense and some friendship that grows along the way.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
The Lucky One by Lori Rader-Day is a twisty thriller of betrayal, murder, and dark family secrets.
Alice Fine has only vague memories of being kidnapped from her front yard as a toddler. Rescued within hours by her father, then a police officer, she has always considered herself one of the lucky ones to be reunited with her family, no harm done. Conscious of her good fortune, Alice uses her spare time to participate in the online Doe Network -a website which aims to identify missing persons- where one evening she unexpectedly comes across the face of her abductor. Wanting answers Alice, with the help of two other amateur websleuths, decides to learn more about him. When her search leads her to cross paths with Merrily Cruz, who is worried about her missing former stepfather, the pair realise they are both looking for the same man and the shocking truth about who he is will unravel their past, and their future.
The story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Alice and Merrily, who seem to have almost nothing in common except for a tenuous connection to the missing man. Neither of them have any idea of the danger that will place them in as they begin to dig into his past in order to understand their own. To be honest I thought the characterisation overall was a little weak and sometimes inconsistent, particularly in relation to Alice, however I was interested in how Alice and Merrily would be affected as the truth was revealed.
The mystery is well plotted offering a few intriguing twists. I thought the pace was a little slow until the lives of Alice and Merrily intersected, but Rader-Day does effectively build tension, and I was engrossed in the unraveling lies, secrets, and betrayals. I thought the major twist was unique and unpredictable, leading to a satisfying conclusion.
With its original premise, I thought The Lucky One was a decent thriller.
Alice Fine has only vague memories of being kidnapped from her front yard as a toddler. Rescued within hours by her father, then a police officer, she has always considered herself one of the lucky ones to be reunited with her family, no harm done. Conscious of her good fortune, Alice uses her spare time to participate in the online Doe Network -a website which aims to identify missing persons- where one evening she unexpectedly comes across the face of her abductor. Wanting answers Alice, with the help of two other amateur websleuths, decides to learn more about him. When her search leads her to cross paths with Merrily Cruz, who is worried about her missing former stepfather, the pair realise they are both looking for the same man and the shocking truth about who he is will unravel their past, and their future.
The story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Alice and Merrily, who seem to have almost nothing in common except for a tenuous connection to the missing man. Neither of them have any idea of the danger that will place them in as they begin to dig into his past in order to understand their own. To be honest I thought the characterisation overall was a little weak and sometimes inconsistent, particularly in relation to Alice, however I was interested in how Alice and Merrily would be affected as the truth was revealed.
The mystery is well plotted offering a few intriguing twists. I thought the pace was a little slow until the lives of Alice and Merrily intersected, but Rader-Day does effectively build tension, and I was engrossed in the unraveling lies, secrets, and betrayals. I thought the major twist was unique and unpredictable, leading to a satisfying conclusion.
With its original premise, I thought The Lucky One was a decent thriller.
brandy_wine's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a little while to get into this one, it didn't pull me in the way I was hoping. I did get interested in it to see where things were going but to be 100 I just didn't find the wow factor many others may have. I wished it was more action-packed I guess.
It was good I am not saying by any means that it was poorly written it was not. I think I was just in the mood for more action and drama and I feel like I didn't really get that until I got closer to the end of the book.
It was good I am not saying by any means that it was poorly written it was not. I think I was just in the mood for more action and drama and I feel like I didn't really get that until I got closer to the end of the book.
bookishgrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
Solid mystery with lots of family secrets, strong character development, and an ending that felt inevitable. Great for those readers who want a satisfying puzzle to solve.
I listened to it on audiobook and wish I had read it myself. There were lots of female characters and occasionally it was difficult to distinguish who was speaking.
I listened to it on audiobook and wish I had read it myself. There were lots of female characters and occasionally it was difficult to distinguish who was speaking.