Okay. I wanna start off by saying how much I REALLY wanted to love this book. I liked it well enough, but I wanted to LOVE this book. I understand where Tingle was going with it, but there were a few things that kind of...flattened it out for me.

I ADORED the opening chapters. The massive amounts of chaos, the insanity of it all. And then...you kinda...get plunged into something incredibly bleak and very very depressing. I GET what this was supposed to convey, and at times, even later in the book, one scene in particular comes back as a sign of hope as opposed to tragedy. But the initial event might even be more jarring than the opening chapters. And weirdly, that left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book.

I figured it would probably get better, and for a while, it did. I liked the character of Jonah, I liked Vera, I liked the concept of "plot holes" and the like. But something about it felt...predictable. And like the plot holes (noun) as literal things in the book, I felt like I was missing a good chunk of information at some point. Maybe it's just me, maybe it was mentioned and I missed it, but I felt like I had a few too many "hold on..." moments.

And while the ending was...decent, I was a little...confounded by some character choices made.

I guess I had the bar set fairly high after Bury Your Gays, which I LOVED, and maybe I'll give this another chance when it gets published. Overall, I did love the writing and the concept was fantastic, but I'm sorry, Dr. Tingle, this wasn't this bud's personal favorite, I hope you understand.

CW: Gore, Existentialism, Biphobia/Bi-Erasure, Depression, Suicidal ideation

Tingle’s streak of great queer horror continues in Lucky Day. For me, the Looney-Tune-but-make-it-gory streaks of bad luck were nightmarish, in the sense of being nonsensical and gross—but they didn’t stick out to me nearly as much as the existential horror. Vera’s mindset as a disaster survivor, her struggle to overcome her (understandable) depression and stagnation, as a person whose existence others deny, as someone who wants to believe in SOMETHING amidst the odds… it all drew me in and made me want to stick with her, see her overcome. I may identify a little too much with Vera, but I think a lot of others will, too, and I NEEDED that as someone who finds the statistical background of the book theoretically interesting but psychologically exhausting.

I also love how Tingle balanced characters in this book to raise issues of identity, erasure, and motivation. Vera’s mom saying that bisexuals don’t exist? Expected. Cheerful, ice-cream-and-pie loving Layne, Vera’s government agent partner (and gay man) saying bisexuals don’t exist? Took my breath away, a painful stab from someone who should know better. Nothing in this book is simple or dichotomous – a lot of gray, a lot of self-defining, a lot of contextual questioning, but always with (at least for me) an appropriate amount of hope.

Some may not like the existential, philosophical bent of this novel, but for me, those are some of the truest horrors there are, and ones we all have to face. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoyed Tingle’s other works, fans of absurd, horrible imagery, and those who like their horror with a side of optimism.

Chuck Tingle has a way of writing that will give you whiplash from beginning to end. Lucky Day starts with a massacre and ends with a buzz and all along the way you’re not quite sure what you signed yourself up for when you started reading the book.
Vera’s doing her best trying to get through the trauma of the Low Probability Event and the rest of the world is trying to survive on luck, which we soon come to find out isn’t going to end well.

This was a hell of a book, start to finish, with some scenes (especially from the LPE) that will haunt me going forward. Great work

Chuck Tingle has done it again. This book was absurdly tragic. I was filled with existential dread while reading it and honestly I felt more dread than freaked out over the pretty gruesome happenings within the book. What made this book personally more horrific for me is that the Low Probability Event just so happened to take place ON MY BIRTHDAY. I read the date that the event was on and had to put down the book for a second to process it.
If I was Vera I would have reacted in the exact same way to everything. The dread was there, the body horror was there. It was a really great book.

Chuck Tingle can do no wrong, and I don't think I'll ever change my mind on that.

He handles the tough topics of a politically fraught climate, especially as a member of the B in LGBTQ+, and balances it against some of the most hilarious and outlandish tropes known to man.

The ability to have the reader laughing, crying, horrified, and hopeful all in one story is a gift that Tingle is the master of and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Perfect for fans of campy horror, body horror, and puns.

Nobody is writing fiction like Chuck Tingle. He is one of my favorite authors to talk about. A true legend and certified artist of his craft. He must be protected to ensure the weird fiction (and the tinglers) keep on coming. Thank you for the ARC I am so... Lucky.

I found Chuck Tingle through Bury Your Gays and I was blown away by how intricate the story was. I then read Camp Damascus and the story was simple yet the message was overwhelmingly strong. In Lucky Day, he balanced both story and message incredibly well.

Vera, a professor in Statistics and Probability is going to publish her book investigating a casino in Las Vegas. After the Low-Probability Event occurred on her publication date and thousands of people died, including Vera’s mom, she is left feeling a void and a depression so deep she doesn’t want to get out of the house. Until Agent Layne walks through her door and spikes her curiosity enough to get her out of the couch. Turns out, she might’ve been unto something with her research.

The way Chuck writes is so simple that I can read half the book in one sitting. Everything passes so fast and so smoothly and he writes just enough details to let your imagination run wild but also paint the picture almost entirely. This book had such graphic scenes that it was disturbing but at the same time I didn’t want to stop reading it. I could picture everything on the day of the LPE. I hope this gets adapted into a movie because I feel like it would be a great trip for people to see.

It would’ve been poetic if this book was released on May 23. But as the book teaches us, things don’t always go our way. Honestly, I’m so glad I got a chance to read the eARC thanks to Netgalley and TorNightfire.

This book grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, spinning an uncanny blend of body horror, existential dread, and a haunting exploration of grief and chance. It starts with the Low-Probability Event (LPE), a day when 8 million people die in statistically impossible and brutal ways. The randomness is terrifying and sets the tone for a story as chaotic as it is calculated. Yes, it's a math joke. Vera, a former statistics professor, is raw and broken, shredding her logic and emotions to a pulp. When Special Agent Layne needs her help to chase a suspiciously "lucky" casino whose success might be the cause of the LPE, Vera jumps at the chance. Is that hope bubbling at the surface? Together, they navigate a world where connection is the only thing tethering humanity to sanity.

The narrative is sharp, smart, and deeply mournful, especially when it dissects how we make sense of tragedy and the random cruelty of life.
I absolutely loved this book. It's Tingle at his best. This buckaroo approves!

It's part horror, part philosophical sci-fi, and wholly unique. It challenges what you think about grief and existence while creeping you out with disturbingly memorable imagery. It's a chilling reminder that the universe doesn't always play fair or by any rules.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/ Tor Nightfire, for the opportunity to review the ebook.

Chuck Tingle's horror is like nothing else I've ever read. It has the beautiful beating heart of a deep understanding of humanity with the gore and creeping dread of the very best horror rolled into one. Chuck's books make me so happy and emotional and proud of my queerness. They show that we get to have just as big of a seat at the table of every genre while also not having our queerness be why life is hard and horrible. Chuck Tingle is the rarest kind of author - able to show the horrors of the world and what could be while reminding us that the world is beautiful and love is real and that hope is never dead. I can't speak highly enough of his books and Lucky Day is no exception. I absolutely loved the gore and unpredictability of this book. The chaos was so beautifully horrible and well written. Tingle always writes memorable characters that I love or hate in spades. All of the main cast of characters were flawed and fascinating and equally horrible and wonderful in turn. I absolutely loved Vera's journey back to the world and to herself amongst the chaos. The approach to the biphobia she faced and the possible route back to a connection with her lost love had me on the edge of my seat. This is such a wonderful book and Tingle really outdid himself here. He's a forever auto-buy author for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for giving me an advanced copy of this book!

I love Chuck Tingle, and I'll gladly try anything he writes. This book leaned into horror a little more heavily than I tend to like (as a pretty timid horror reader), but Tingle's larger themes about chance, fate, and resilience kept me reading. The protagonist Vera is a bisexual statistics professor, and after a series of highly unlikely events happen to her, she's asked to help make sense of them. The plot itself is so over the top (and so essential to the reading experience, in my opinion) that I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but it's quite a ride! I also appreciated reading a book that highlights a traditionally underrepresented part of the queer community. I'm ready and eager to follow Tingle wherever he goes next!

This book was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be and I’m so glad for that. In a crazy whirlwind of events Chuck performed the most impressive feat of all— making this literature major care about math and how it effects (or doesn’t) the world around us in a fun X-files-esque gory romp. Also, shout out to my fellow bisexuals. We’re here, we’re ALSO queer and we EXIST.

Didn't see this one coming! A super unique exploration of fate, luck, and whether existence has a meaning we can understand. The gore and viscera didn't keep me from feeling inspired and hopeful by the end of this novel. Surprising, creative, shocking, and funny - I'll be buying extra copies of this one to give away!

Love is Real! This is my first Chuck Tingle read, but I follow him on Instagram and love everything he says. This was a great science fiction horror book, that was overwhelmingly queer and filled with joy somehow? This book made the existential dread go away, at least while I was reading it? I thought it was such a cool premise, and once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I thought Tingle did a great job of explaining the erasure of bisexuality, and especially in a way that felt authentic and not corny. I'm so happy Chuck Tingle is getting his roses, and for all his kinds of art. I highly recommend this book!

John Dies at the End meets Final Destination in this unlucky tale, culminating in Tingle's most philosophical endeavor yet. Tingle's sickening and visceral descriptions or gore and woe pair beautifully with moments of soft reflection and the tender rekindling of a spirit. This book is for anyone that's heard the call of the void and considered answering it.
I will say that while this was an action packed and entertaining read, I didn't find it as strong as Bury Your Gays or Camp Damascus. There are some plot lines that don't connect as cleanly as I want them to, and I wish there was a little more punch in the resolution. It's still a beautiful book and I hope it's well received by sci-fi and horror fans alike.

Chuck Tingle's Lucky Day is a surreal and thought-provoking horror novel–with a touch of science-fiction–with plenty of chaos and the search for meaning in a world turned upside down.​

Vera is a survivor of a global catastrophe known as the Low Probability Event, but she definitely isn't thriving. Once a passionate professor of statistics, she no longer finds meaning in anything at all.

But when problematic government agent Layne knocks on her door, she's the only one who can help him uncover the connection between deadly spates of absurdity and an improbably lucky casino. What's happening in Vegas isn't staying there, and the world is at risk of another disaster.

Chuck Tingle has the unique ability to craft absurdist horror novels where they juxtapose cartoonish scenarios with moments of genuine terror. It's in these novels that I find myself laughing at moments while also absolutely terrified in others and Lucky Day follows suit. The story's dark humor and satirical edge really challenges us to question the nature of luck and the structures we rely upon to make sense of the world.

The chaos that ensues not long into the first part of Lucky Day is truly maddening–in a good way. The Low Probability Event is a global catastrophe with plenty of unique and out-of-the-box kills that made me both horrified and elated with each passing page. The unique deaths are fantastic and have an almost Final Destination type feeling with everyday objects and opportunities coming to a gruesome end for some. I will say I am glad this event is only part of the story as it would have been a bit too much if it continued any longer than it did.

Following the horrific opening pages, the tale takes almost a more science-fiction turn. This is a bit different than what we have come to expect from Tingle, but I am all for it. The horrors are still ever present, there is just a more broader sci-fi feel to the second half of the novel that fits perfectly.

While Tingle has a unique talent to tell some off-the-wall horror stories, they still have a great ability to craft some amazing characters. Our protagonist, Vera, is a well-written and connectable character. Vera's personal journey is a reflection on identity, grief, and resilience, especially within queer contexts which adds so much more to the story.

Lucky Day is the kind of bold and imaginative horror story that can only come from a few clever minds including Chuck Tingle. Tingle's ability to blend the bizarre with the profound gives us a story that is unsettling while also deeply human. Tingle's stories may not be for everyone, I will never get enough of these horror novels and am now patiently waiting for more.

This one wasn't for me, but others will love it.

It was definitely quirky and maybe I'm just not in a quirky kind of mood.

Love the author's books usually and I'll happily try the next one.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the E-ARC.

When I saw this one, I was so friggin excited to read it. I never thought I'd get approved for the ARC but it was the best day when I got the email.

This was insane. In typical Chuck Tingle fashion, it was completely unhinged with an amazing plot, great storytelling, and a sincere message.

I personally love statistics and philosophy, both of which were prevalent here. I enjoyed how many times the reader was reminded that even in our greatest personal tragedy, the world will move on. Pain, anger, outrage is fleeting and we're conditioned to forgot. Consequences mean nothing when people's short term memory is quickly erased by the next viral moment.

I loved the debate on probability vs. luck, and how that came full circle in the end with how a specific tragedy occurred. Overall, fun time.

I ate this book up in one day. Absurdist, sweet, horrific, charming- all of the above! I liked how it combined horror, who done it, and humor. Will definitely be recommending this one.

After a solid YA and an adult horror novel I really loved, Lucky Day was a bit of a letdown. All the pieces are there, but this ARC feels rushed and unfinished. I doubt with only a few months left until publication we'll get another pass where all those pieces fall into place.

Lucky Day is about everything you’d think could never happen, happening. Vera’s job is to calculate the probability of things like winning a million dollars, or fish raining from the sky. After a wildly improbable event happens and she survives, she’s asked to help figure out why. And maybe she can stop any other similar events from happening again.

Chuck Tingle’s newest work makes you think about the impact of even the smallest choices you can make. It also shines some light on the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness felt by folks who identify in a way some don’t understand. It is always surprising to me how equally silly and meaningful Tingle’s books continue to be.