Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, 341 pages

Ani FaNelli seems to have everything going for her: she's a successful journalist, she's got a rich, All-American fiance and a fashionable life in Manhattan, and, to all appearances, her main stressor is shaving off those last few pounds for her dream wedding. But underneath that veneer is TifAni FaNelli, survivor of horrendous violence her prestigious high school. When a film crew decides to make a documentary about the horrific violence, Ani has to face her past while attempting to maintain the perfect life she's created.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, as well as the format (which is told via alternating now-and-then chapters). My main complaint with it, however, is the lack of character development. We don't get to really know any of the supporting characters, andI really didn't like Ani/TifAni, who apparently never developed past the fake, mean-girl persona she strived for as a teenager. As an adult, she's vapid, self-centered, and nearly anorexic in her attempt to slim down for her wedding, and while I get that the events that happened when she was a teenager probably stunted her emotional growth a bit (and I'm sure that's what Knoll is trying to illustrate) nobody in her life tells her how ridiculous this is. I never thought I'd be calling for a stereotypical romantic-comedy best friend, but geez, she really needs one. I would have loved to see a bit more personal development for her, and character development for the supporting roles. But for a debut novel, it's not bad. I'll be curious to see what else Knoll comes up with in the future