Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

This book in 3 words: Exceptional. Valiant. Meticulous.

This is the book that sparked my reading addiction as an adult. Luckiest Girl Alive focuses on Ani FaNelli as she tries to reconcile demons from her past which have slammed into her present. Employed at a high-brow women's magazine and engaged to someone from old-money, Ani feels like she's unstoppable and about to have it all. If there's one thing we know about demons, it's that they never stay quiet for long.

I recently reread this and still can't get over Ani. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the single POV. Ani's voice is strong and complex, reverberating off tertiary characters and events. Being so involved with a single character pays off in Luckiest Girl Alive and no matter how much you love or hate her, you're invested.

Themes are heavy... in a way that makes your skin crawl and stomach flip. With accurate depictions of what it's like to face societal standards and norms as well as your worth as a woman, this is not your normal thriller. It's not typical, predictable, or like the pile of thrillers you've read... which is another reason why it's something I always recommend.

The writing is seething, sharp, and dark. I'll never forget reading this the first time, furiously getting through the chapters, mouth open, completely enamored with the ability for someone to create a story like this. I'lI also never forget the feeling in my heart when I read Jessica Knoll's essay... the weight it carried, the brutal honesty, and how difficult it must've been to write this book and the follow up pieces.

I met Jessica Knoll at a book signing in 2018. She talked about her new book (My Favorite Sister), some characterization details, and the writing process in general. This event threw gasoline on my reading and creative fire. It was one of the first times where an old-and-out-of-reach dream resurfaced, and I knew I wanted to write and be creative. Many other books fed into feeling this but Luckiest Girl Alive is what started it (and also made me feel like I could actually do it).

If you've not read this or seen the Netflix adaptation, I found your next weekend activity.