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A review by curiousfox
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I resort to murder or crime thrillers as palate cleansers in between readings since they're easy to digest and are usually fun - for me, at least - no-stakes stories. They seldom leave an impression but you can't reinvent the wheel nor should you expect it.
The Luckiest Girl Alive fits in those molds and, yet, leaves an aftertaste. Maybe it's because it is based on the author's own life, or because it is actually realistic in some plot points - more than can be said about plenty of crime novels. It's the story of a girl, now a woman, who went through hell and is desperate to prove to everyone that it only changed her for the better. She is not likeable, which is an interesting aspect of the plot, since she could be seen as the author's insert and I wonder how well the audience would react if the author painted herself as the perfect character. And she doesn't try to be or to sugarcoat her behavior. She doesn't expect you to endear to her as so many people haven't before and it is almost a wall break how we are treated like one of her classmates, ready to despise her (I'm sure I'm reading too much into it). And yet, while you read and discover what happened in her past, you can't help but understand why she behaves like this. I've seen plenty of reviews mention her as shallow, deceitful, or elitist and she is all that, she's not the perfect victim and that was interesting to me.
Again, this is not a reinvention of the wheel but it's a somewhat smooth drive.
The Luckiest Girl Alive fits in those molds and, yet, leaves an aftertaste. Maybe it's because it is based on the author's own life, or because it is actually realistic in some plot points - more than can be said about plenty of crime novels. It's the story of a girl, now a woman, who went through hell and is desperate to prove to everyone that it only changed her for the better. She is not likeable, which is an interesting aspect of the plot, since she could be seen as the author's insert and I wonder how well the audience would react if the author painted herself as the perfect character. And she doesn't try to be or to sugarcoat her behavior. She doesn't expect you to endear to her as so many people haven't before and it is almost a wall break how we are treated like one of her classmates, ready to despise her (I'm sure I'm reading too much into it). And yet, while you read and discover what happened in her past, you can't help but understand why she behaves like this. I've seen plenty of reviews mention her as shallow, deceitful, or elitist and she is all that, she's not the perfect victim and that was interesting to me.
Again, this is not a reinvention of the wheel but it's a somewhat smooth drive.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Mass/school shootings