Luckiest Girl Alive

A Novel

By: Jessica Knoll

Narrated by: Madeleine Maby

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Her Perfect Life

Is a Perfect Lie

Ani FaNelli seems to have it all: a glamorous job at a glossy magazine, an enviable figure with the wardrobe to match, and a handsome fiancé from a distinguished blue-blood family. But Ani FaNelli is an invention, that veneer of perfection carefully assembled in an attempt to distance herself from a shocking, sordid past.

As her wedding draws near, a documentary producer invites Ani to speak about the chilling incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School. Determined once and for all to silence the whispers of suspicion and blame, Ani must weigh her options carefully, when telling the whole truth could destroy the picture-perfect life she's worked so hard to create.

With a singular voice and a twist you won't see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the deep-seated desire to fit in and the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to "have it all". Ani FaNelli is a complex and vulnerable heroine - one whose sharp edges protect a truth that will move, scandalize, and surprise you.

©2015 Jessica Knoll (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

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.

I miss her

I was sorry the book ended, as I was enjoying Ani's company. Even though she's not completely likable, she felt real and I understood her feelings and reactions. I wouldn't have called it Gone Girl in reverse, but I loved how the author revealed a little at a time via flashbacks that fleshed out Ani and explained how she got to be her present self.

Thrilling

loved it! it kept me on my toes. I loved Annie's character and the end was great. This was a great stroy.

A great listen!

Where does Luckiest Girl Alive rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this listen. It is one of better ones that I have listened to in a while! I had a hard time walking away, and felt myself needing to know what happened next!

What other book might you compare Luckiest Girl Alive to and why?

This book to me seemed to be a cross between sharp objects and we were liars.

Any additional comments?

I wanted the ending to be more, but I do not think that makes the book any less enjoyable, that is just a personal preference.

Wow. I bought this book without reading summary.

The story line intrigued me and kept my attention. I was shocked at stories while also being able to relate. Subtle messages regarding dark tragedies with comical sarcasm that helps the story line progress.

Mundane and slow.

The narrator was the only good thing about this book.
Many readers likened it to "Gone Girl"
NO WAY.
I could not finish this piece of work.
Hopefully you get my point !!!!!!!!!

Disappointing.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. I think that the author talked about some pretty dark issues that are kind of taboo subjects in society, however, I do not think they were approached as well as they could have been. through reading through information online about the author's personal struggle with similar issues, it almost appears as though she wasn't in touch enough what had happened with herself to openly write about its affects on a person's life.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jessica Knoll again?

I would possibly try her out again, but wouldn't go out of my way to look for her name.

What didn’t you like about Madeleine Maby’s performance?

I just felt that she talked too slow and her voice, while fitting to the story and the character, just kind of got on my nerves and made it hard for me to sympathize with the character.

Was Luckiest Girl Alive worth the listening time?

Luckily, Audible allows you to listen to things at different paces so I was able to listen to this book in much less time than anticipated. But still, I probably wouldn't say it was a wonderful use of my time.

Any additional comments?

Maybe I was the only one, and maybe this makes me an insensitive person, but I honestly thought throughout the whole book that the narrator was unreliable due to her lack of emotions, and dismissal of information. Needless to say I was very disappointed to find out that TifAni was just an emotionless shell of a person.

Stick with it and you'll really be glad you did.

Don't let your dislike of the main character stop you from reading/listening to this book. I almost stopped listening after the first couple of chapters but so glad I didn't. Great story, great narrator.

Meh

Honestly it was a little weird. it was a struggle to get past the first chapter and a struggle until the last chapter. The story line just wasn't for me. There wasn't any mystery. I could of done without this book.

Lost Luster

Any additional comments?

This book started out very strong. The story was quick to develop, and captured your attention right away. However, about 4 chapters in, you could tell where the story was going. There was nothing that was explained later in the books that the reader didn't already assume. In the publisher's summary and other reviews, people indicate that the narrator has "redeeming qualities," however she is pretentious and selfish the whole time. The ending was so pathetically anti-climatic that i was completely disappointed when the story ended. The performance of the narrator was so-so. Perhaps my opinion about the story influenced my dislike of the way it was told. I may be biased in that review. Overall, it is an easy read, relatively entertaining, but disappointing in the end.