If you survive a massacre but your whole family was killed, would you consider yourself lucky?

Five years ago, five kids managed to escape while everyone in their families in the Gerbera subdivision of Fallen Oaks was brutally murdered one night. They have since all gone their separate ways, but the dread and terror of that night has never left them.

Despite taking every precaution to ensure that they're never traced, they receive letters one day as the 5th anniversary of the massacre is coming up.

They all convene to figure out what to do next, and they visit their hometown to meet with the police there as the case was under their jurisdiction.

What follows is a mish-mash of an urban legend about a curse on the land where their houses had been built, a link to a case of a long-missing woman, and the actual reason why their parents were killed.

The story started well and held a lot of promise, but eventually, it took off on different tangents that did more to make the story confusing rather than creating a sense of doubt and mystery.

The final twist and reveal were also 'meh', and some parts of the story were just plain 'Nah!' Overall, I gave it three stars because I listened to this book on audio and the narrator was good. Despite all the unbelievable twists and eye-roll moments, I did want to keep listening. Perhaps that was because of the narrator who made it sound so interesting. I was looking forward to a big juicy plot twist, but it never came. Ah, well!

Thanks to Netgalley, Orange Sky Audio and the author for providing me with a review copy of this audiobook in return for my honest opinion.

REVIEW
The Lucky Ones by Kiersten Modglin
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another fantastic thriller by Kiersten Modglin! I love how easy her books are to get engrossed in and twists, especially at the end, that keep me guessing every time!
Five years ago, all the residents of Gerbera Subdivision were murdered except 5 children. They managed to escape but the murders were never caught. Approaching the 5th anniversary of the massacre, they each receive a letter threatening their lives. The roller coaster of a tale unfolds as they try to find the killers with a shocking ending as I’ve come to expect from Kiersten!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kiersten Modglin for this audio book in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts off crazy good!! I was intrigued by the premise of this one a lot. It was relatively fast-paced but it never got super deep. Unfortunately, after that, the book goes downhill. The concept where a group of survivors struggling against a new threat is one that has been done many times before..

Well. This started with a bang. I had a difficult time putting it down. Engaging from the first sentence.
Overall, I didn't love the story. But it was certainly interesting. Narration was good.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this story. At first, I was quite disappointed with the audiobook as I felt the voice did not quite match the main character who is also the narrator. Once I got past the voice, I was able to dive into the story. The plot moved slowly at first, I was unsure what was going to happen. Eventually, the middle and end started to give a lot of twists and turns and I was sucked into the plot.

I gave this 3.5 starts - rounded up to 4.

When the five children who witnessed the brutal murders of their parents in their homes receive anonymous letters five years later, they have no choice but to work together and head back to the town that still gives them nightmares. When they begin to ask questions the locals seem to be giving them the runaround, causing the frustrations to build and extending their stay longer than planned. As they are determined to discover the truth, they don't realize that danger is closer to them than they realize.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version narrated by Linda Jones. Her voice was smooth and easy to listen to. I listened while speed walking in my neighborhood and the story grabbed my attention I ended up walking longer than planned. This is my second audiobook I've listened to from this author and it's really helped with my morning walks as I've enjoyed listening to both books. Overall a good book to listen to and I look forward to her next one.

Thank you Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I love Kiersten Modglin and I will read anything she writes. This book is a fun final girls trope about a group of 5 adults coming together with the shared experience of being the only survivors of a mass murder

I really enjoyed the audiobook of The Lucky Ones by Kiersten Modglin, narrated by Linda Jones. The action started right away and kept me hooked all the way through. This book is really short and is all action with very little character development, and that worked for me. The narrator was easy to listen to and kept me engaged. If you're looking for a quick, action-packed thriller, you'll love this book. I will definitely be looking for more Kiersten Modglin to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orange Sky Audio, and Kiersten Modglin for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a shorter thriller, I highly recommend this book. It was not super in depth, but I loved it for one of those one-sitting reads. The author does a great job of getting straight to the point and sucks you in right away. There is also a great twist at the end, so it truly checked all my boxes for what makes a great thriller!

Not too bad but definitely not something I'd rush out and buy. A bit far-fetched and not quite credible, especially towards the end, I give this 2 and a half stars, an extra half for the narrator Linda Jones, who did a good job and really grew on me.

Many thanks for my ARC via NetGalley.

After reading the book blurb, I was expecting a unique, interesting book but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The plot was confusing, unrealistic, and just not very thrilling. If I had been reading and not listening to this audiobook, I probably wouldn't have even finished it. The ending was so outlandish and certain important aspects were not even addressed. Just not a very good book. I did think the narration was good. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this audiobook.

I have been a Modglin kick lately and really enjoying all her books. This one was very different than the last couple I read. It was a good stand alone. A bit more violent but still a good whodunit type mystery thriller.

AUDIOBOOK
Kiersten Modglin is becoming the queen of the thrilling twist! KMod - as she is called in the twiterverse has a wildly creative mind that allows her to spin amazing tails and plots that are unique to other thrillers.

In The Lucky Ones, 5 young adults face a secret killer who had previously massacred their families in one fateful night. The five receive letters that cause them to return to the scenes of the crimes - their own childhood homes. Can they solve the murders before the killer returns?

This was a quick listen, only 6 hours and well put together. I loved the beginning but found the end a bit too contrived. She is still the queen, and I recommend her books to all! #TheLuckyOnes #NetGalley

I was excited to read The Lucky Ones from the moment I read the synopsis. It’s a unique premise and begins with a shockingly disturbing bang. I greatly enjoyed the first portion of the book as the grown survivors of a horrific attack find themselves in danger once again. As they leave the comfort of their everyday lives to search for answers in their hometown of Fallen Oaks, they begin to learn just how severely their trauma has affected them all. Overall, it was an enjoyable and quick read but I felt there were areas of the book that were too long-winded. It also seemed like two of the main characters, Grey and Monica, were more of filler figures than fully developed characters. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a fast read with pretty wild twists; it definitely does not go in quite the direction you expect. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Linda Jones and I must say her narration style was wonderful! She did a fabulous job capturing the characters’ emotions and telling their stories in a compelling manner. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook!!

This is my 4th or 5th book by Kiersten Modglin and I just finished The Reunion by her a few days ago so her writing style is fresh in my head. She really has a knack for creating thrillers with unique twists that have twists hidden within the twists. Sometimes it can be a bit much and can detract from the actual story, but actually enjoyed the final twists in this one. Since I decided to listen to the audio of this one, it was a very quick listen and I think it would be better physically read because it was a bit too quick on audio and felt a little rushed. The promise immediately drew me in though and I couldn't wait to hear what would happen next. There wasn't a single moment where I was bored listening to this. This was another good one by Modglin. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well, you can officially consider me a Kiersten Modglin fan! I cannot believe that I hadn't read her work sooner. I listened to this one right after listening to the Reunion and, although I didn't like it as much, the Lucky Ones was still a great read.

In this story, we meet Ellie and Cassie, sisters who were two of only five survivors of a brutal massacre. And, when I say brutal, I mean like the slaughter of an entire neighborhood. Five years after the tragedy, the survivors are returning to what once was their hometown to visit their parents graves for the fifth anniversary. Things begin happening that leads the survivors, dubbed the Fallen Oaks Five, to believe that they're being targeted again.

This was a great thriller. It hooked me from the first chapter as Modglin took no time throwing you into the story. It was also a good whodunnit mystery. I cared about the characters, especially Ellie and Cassie. I wasn't happy about the twist at the end, but it was a good one. Very unexpected. I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator. She sounded like every other average female narrator. Overall, 4 stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now, if you need me, I will be eagerly devouring everything Modglin has ever written.

Here is the perfect reason why readers should not pick their next read based solely on the reviews of others. Some say… “Kiersten is known for her twists and some are great and others are far fetched like the last twist at the end of this book”…. 😱 Like… I have no words. The entire reason her books are so amazing and set apart from other thrillers is the very last chapter. Sometimes… the very last page. Hell… sometimes even the very last paragraph. Her books literally make you gasp at the end and say out loud “did that just happen?”. I would much rather experience this kind of WTF at the end of a story then have it leave me feeling that all the loose ends were tied up neatly with a bow. Why would you read “psychological thrillers” if all you wanted was the story to end like that?

Ok with that being said, and it clearly needed to be, here is my review of The Lucky Ones. Kiersten wastes no time throwing the reader into the horrid details of a mass murder that wiped out an entire subdivision of people. Well, almost entire. There were a few lone survivors. The survivors are children of the parents that were all brutally murdered. Five years later, they all return. UH… BIG mistake. It’s like that commercial when the group of “not so bright teens” hide behind the hanging chainsaws instead of getting in the running car… 🤦‍♀️

Anyway… it appears the anniversary of their parents death and the return to the scene leads to a crazy plot full of twists about the reasons for the murders, who may or may not be connected, who can be trusted, and what motives everyone has. I’ll tell you this… readers, your heads will spin. And just when you think you’ve figured out who the shady people are, you’ll be wrong.

The last heart pounding chapter, right up to the last page, will have you questioning everything you knew about psychological thriller writers. I am asking Kiersten personally to ignore the reviewers who think your “last twist” is far fetched or that some twists are “too much” because these are the reasons I love your books.

I used to be part of a Facebook group where Kiersten Modglin was extremely active, almost to the point of being suspect...like she was paying people to drum up publicity. So much so I was curious and ended up downloading her book on Kindle Unlimited called The Arrangement. Some things I have learned about this author:

1.) She cranks out books - she is self-published and probably posts 5-6 books a year that are short, quick, and to the point.

2.) She loves twists - her books have tons of twists and almost none of them make any sense or follow any sort of logical thought. But she did say that the reason she loves thrillers is for the twist, which is evident in her writing.

I have no words as to why I requested this audiobook when I really did not care for the Arrangement. I also vowed to stop reading psychological thrillers this year because I was rating them extremely low and just hating my existence while reading them. I think I am still trying to give her a chance in my mind and this one did not sound too domestic - if that makes sense.

The problem is, her books have no polish to them and no logical stream of thought. Maybe I'm just an uppity-reader who prefers contemporary lit and literary fiction, but still...if you love twists that super cool, but can we make them make sense?

This goes back to my 2 points of Modglin cranking out novels and throwing in twists for the sake of twists - none of it is any good. It comes off haphazard, nonsensical, and farfetched. Her products are designed to be highly consumable and devoured not eaten slowly, bite by bite. This one is not made for me as a reader which is totally cool - take my review with a grain of salt. But this is where Kiersten Modglin and I part ways.

Narrator was decent.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy to listen to and review.

3.5 Another twisty tale from Kiersten Modglin following the five survivors of a mass murder of a subdivision. Years later they receive letters saying they are going to be killed next. The story follows Ellie one of the survivors as she is taking care of her sister Cassie another survivor. When they receive the letters the survivors all come together to try to figure out what to do which leads them to go back to their hometown were the murders take place. When they return home they learn about a curse on the land where their subdivision was located could this be what caused the deaths.

I really enjoyed this story but it’s not my favorite by this author the writing was twisty and fun to read like her others but the ending kind of ruined it for me. The concept was what really drew me in since it felt like a final girls situation and I did enjoy that aspect. I also enjoyed the narration. I also wish there was a little more about what happened in the past but that was kind of skimmed over. My main issue with the story was the ending after reading it it really opened up a lot of plot holes where the story just didn’t make sense. I would like to thank Netgalley for an opportunity to read this story !

Riveting until the twisted, unpredictable end! This is the second book I’ve read by Kiersten Modglin - another page-turner!