Luckiest Girl Alive-Book Review

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Book: Luckiest Girl Alive
Author:  Jessica Knoll
Genre:  Mystery
Publication:  2015

"Moving on doesn't mean you don't talk about it. Or hurt about it. It's always going to hurt."

Blurb:  As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.  But Ani has a secret.  There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

WeReflect:  When I hear a book name with 'Girl' in it, I bound to think it is either of mystery or thriller genre. Gone girl, The Girl On The Train, The Girl With The Dragon Tatto are the few books which made me to believe so. And I was right. It is a debut novel by Jessica Knoll.

TifAni is living her dream life as editor of the women's magazine in New York. She is engaged to Luke Harrison, filthy rich and belongs to the "right kind" of family. She wears her clothes right and flaunts emerald engagement ring as an armor. With a dream wedding only a few months away, she agrees to be part of a documentary about an incident of 14 years old.

Yes, she has a rather dark past. She attended prestigious Bradley School in Main Line, Philadelphia. Like all teenagers she wants to be part of the popular group. She has a crush on Liam, a fresher like her.  Eventually she becomes friends with the cool kids. She is invited to a house party by famous boys. She drinks a lot and sloshed out. She wakes up next morning only to realize she is being raped by three boys. The doctor she saw for "morning after pill" is unwilling to call it rape as most of her schoolmates. She is being taunted, bullied, and tormented. Yet, she wanted to be in good books of her tormentors. Another horrific tragedy hits the school, which Ani becomes part of. 

She wants to make peace with the past. She wants a closure, so she can move on with her perfect life, the one which she has worked so hard to get. Now is the chance to tell how she is "the luckiest girl alive".

I think I'm accustomed now to protagonist being nasty because Ani is one. She is mean, obnoxious, superficial, and shallow.  I know I have to sympathize with her after being through such tragedy, but I couldn't. And writer did not make any attempt to portray her otherwise. I appreciate her for that.

The story toggles between past and present. The writing is captivating, though of a different style. It starts off as annoying only to be developed as engrossing. The ending could have been different, but I'm not fretting much. All in all a fitting debut for an author. I'm shocked to know author herself is a rape survivor and that makes the story much more credible.