By: Stacy Willingham
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1250887931
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 01/16/2024
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)
A sharp and twisty exploration of female friendship from the New York Times bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things.
Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a small liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can't say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.
And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls: Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Immediately, Margot and Lucy become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.
From the author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things comes a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.
READ MY REVIEWS:
My Review
Stacy Willingham returns following All the Dangerous Things and A Flicker In the Dark with her latest haunting thriller, ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY.A dark, twisty, and mind-bending tale exploring toxic female college friendships, expertly narrated by the fabulous Karissa Vacker!
Margot meets Lucy Sharpe at the end of her freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Lucy is everything, from bold, beautiful, addictive, and dangerous.
Margot is shy, reserved, and plays it safe. Lucy is her opposite. When she asks her to room together, Margot is over the moon excited.
Soon, Margot lives off-campus with three other girls: Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole. They rent the fraternity house from the boys next door, courtesy of Nicole's connection with Trevor, a leader of the fraternity club.
Margot's BFF, Eliza, died three weeks after graduation, and now Margot and Lucy have become best friends. Margot had planned to attend the same liberal arts college in South Carolina as Eliza had intended vs. what her parents had planned for her.
Then, in the middle of the sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door was brutally murdered, and now Lucy is missing.
The author carefully unravels the relationship between Margot and her former friend, Eliza. Margot becomes fearful when Levi (Eliza's boyfriend) moves in. He was the last to see her alive. What happened to Eliza?
From good vs. evil, inner demons, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY is psychologically rich, atmospheric with plenty of twists, envy, secrets, betrayal, loyalty, and obsession crossing into dark academia.
When you‘re young, you can get away with anything . . . ONLY IF YOU YOU‘RE LUCKY
Alternating between past and present, the captivating mystery unravels. ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY is a little different than the author's previous two books, whereas this one is geared more toward YA and in the tune of Megan Miranda, Kate Alice Marshall, and Jessica Knoll.
A favorite author, you are always in good hands with Stacy Willingham, and each of her books is unique and a pro at tackling any topic.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for generously providing a digital and a listening copy of this standout book and audio for my honest opinion.
I highly recommend the audiobook, and Karissa Vacker brought the voices alive with her stellar performance. #SMPInfluencers
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Jan 16, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Praise for Stacy Willingham
“Stellar suspense at its very best.”
–Vulture
"Exceptionally smart, entertaining."
―The Washington Post
“Gripping.”
―South Florida Sun Sentinel
“Haunting.”
―PopSugar
"A bona fide rising star in the mystery and thriller genre.”
--Goodreads
"Superior plotting."
―South Florida Sun Sentinel
“Willingham offers taut storytelling and a heroine with compelling vulnerability.”
―Booklist
"Willingham is a writer to watch.”
―Publishers Weekly
About the Author
STACY WILLINGHAM is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of A Flicker in the Dark. Before turning to fiction, she was a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies. She earned her BA in magazine journalism from the University of Georgia and MFA in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work has been translated in over 30 countries. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako, where she is always working on her next book. WEBSITE
Stacy Willingham
A FLICKER IN THE DARK
