I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

On a random day when Vera was out with her fiance, friends, and mother, celebrating the upcoming release of her first book, everything seemed to be going well – with the exception of coming out to her mother – everything went wrong. And by that I mean everyone dies. Well, not everyone, because Vera survives, but on that day when fish fall out of the sky and parade balloon handlers are strangled by their own ropes and a chimpanzee starts killing people with a typewriter the world loses over seven million people in odd and terrible ways. The people who passed during that time are considered those with extremely bad luck, and Vera, who was a professor of statistics, knows that the odds of all these things happening at the same time are slim to none. Four years later that day has become known as the Low Probability Event, or LPE. Vera is not doing well emotionally, but when Special Agent Layne – who works for the government agency responsible for studying the LPE and helping the survivors – shows up at her door, armed with knowledge that may reveal the reasons why that day occurred and needing her help to reveal the truth, she goes with him. But the truth might be more than she ever bargained for.


This is a really clever horror. The statistics were a lot to follow at times, but also the chaos was crazy, and I was absolutely here for it. Vera is stuck in her head, depressed after the loss of her mother during the LPE, but she heads out to help uncover the truth… which ends up being a bizarre reveal that still has me questioning what I just read. The whole probability and statistics discussion that ends up being front and center in this book had me a little lost at times, but that's mostly because I don't understand statistics to save my life. It was all very cleverly done, so I will say if you're looking for smart horror this is definitely it. There were several twists at the end that I didn't see coming and that was a nice surprise. I honestly think this is probably one of the most well-written horror novels that I've read in a long time and I appreciated it. I honestly loved this book, and I definitely recommend the audio as it's well done and kept me from turning pages to find out the truth of what is going on. This is probably my favorite horror by this author to date and I look forward to seeing more by him in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for this Advanced Listener Copy!

Overall, I gave this 3.5 stars which I’m rounding up to a 4 here.

The beginning of this book was exciting and delightfully gory, it was certainly a fantastic way to grab readers attention. Equally as intriguing were all of the existential horror elements of the ending, the big confrontation made my brain melt in the best way. I felt this book was doing its best when it was grounded in the macabre low probably events or so abstract you feel just as unmoored as the characters.

So what about the middle of the book? It was a slog. I struggled to connect to the characters and couldn’t understand their friendship or why it seemed to spark so quickly on the side of our main character who alleged to have given up on everything. Especially when guy she was befriending was such a ridiculous caricature of immaturity. I think he was supposed to come across as a (platonic) manic pixie dream boy but he just read like an obnoxious 13 year old boy.

What I struggled with the most, however, was the implied math of the LPE and the casino, and the main character’s mental breakdown over it all. First of all: any statistician knows that even despite the lowest odds, unlikely coincidences happen super often. It doesn’t break the math, it’s just an uncountable component of existing. Having the main character loose all hope over it felt odd and out of place. Further, as someone with a schooling in probability, I could not conceptualize what issue was being had with the casino. The probabilities were? Statistically unlikely? Or the expected value?? It’s a series of Bernoulli trials in a Poisson trench coat and thrown over a third dimension (money), what EXACTLY was wrong with it??? Baffling, it took me right out.

Still, it was a mostly entertaining read with some good moments of excitement and intrigue. This is the second Chuck Tingle book that’s failed to meet my horror expectations though, and I think I might be done with this author.

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle is a wild, surreal, and deeply thought-provoking journey into trauma, chaos, and the fragile search for meaning in a fractured universe. Told through the sharp, sardonic voice of Vera—a statistician turned reluctant investigator—this novel plunges readers into a post-apocalyptic world where 7.9 million people have died in bizarre, random accidents during the Low Probability Event (LPE). Four years later, Vera is stuck in grief and routine until a government agent drags her back into a universe that’s unravelling at the seams.
Tingle’s writing blends absurd horror, satirical wit, and lyrical nihilism, balancing cosmic chaos with tender moments of vulnerability. Vera’s narrative is razor-sharp, infused with dark humor as she confronts biphobia, loss, and the unsettling truth that—despite everything—"nothing matters." Yet, amid the nihilism, love still manages to shine through, asserting that even when the universe seems to demand simplicity, choosing connection and resilience is an act of quiet bravery.
The novel critically explores themes like systemic exploitation, the mathematics of fate, and queer identity, with Vera’s bisexuality forming a core part of her refusal to surrender her complexity. While the ending felt a bit tidier than I expected given the heavy existential themes, the novel’s gutsy, offbeat tone, and its unflinching questions about life’s randomness, make it one of the most conceptually rich books I’ve read this year.
Vingle, absurd, and rich with dark humor, Lucky Day is perfect for fans of thought-provoking satire, cosmic horror, and queer protagonists fighting to find meaning in chaos. It resembles works by Crouch or Kiste, with shades of The Haunting of Velkwood, but maintains a distinct Tingle signature—bleak, visceral, yet ultimately hopeful, with love triumphing despite it all.
For anyone interested in horror that’s as intellectually daring as it is emotionally raw—especially if you enjoy stories that challenge the idea that "nothing matters" while affirming that love is worth fighting for—this book is a series of cosmic, nihilistic rewards.

The probability ;) that I would like Lucky Day more than Camp Damascus was quite low, considering it's one of my favorite books of all time. I think I came into this one with expectations set too high, and that is definitely more my fault than Mr. Tingle's. I think the author shines most when he's leaning in to more horror and gore-y aspects in his work rather than science fiction, but then again the probability ;) that the sci-fi elements were so complex as to go over my head completely is very high. While I did struggle to follow the plot at times, Mara Wilson's iconic narration made the audiobook virtually unputdownable. Ultimately, Lucky Day was a captivating, if convoluted, read with a heartwarming message at its center. I look forward to reading Bury Your Gays and the author's future works that might suit my tastes more.

What if what you thought was good luck was actually very, very bad luck?

Somehow, this was my first Chuck Tingle novel, but it most definitely will not be my last. It is just absurd as I believed it would be, but also riveting, and thrilling, and just plain good from beginning to end.

It is one of those books that's hard to say too much about without giving the whole thing away (and I would hate if I did that, it truly is one that has to be experienced). It starts off incredibly weird (Vera's day goes from okay, to good, to bad, to the very worst) and really keeps going from there but in a way that makes sense. It continues in an extremely human way that we don't always get to see in dystopian fiction, but also has a lot of otherworld thrown in to keep you on your toes. Also ends on a little bit of an implied HEA? And my romance loving heart needed that.

The audio is phenomenal and a must listen.

I am 90% I wasn’t smart enough to understand the mechanics of all of this but it was a WILD ride nonetheless.

I can always count on Chuck Tingle for a good time. Lucky Day was no exception to that.

This is one of those stories that once you’re done, you’re wondering WTF you just read but you could also sit down and read it again to look for something you might have missed. It’s completely bizarre but also has the most intriguing concept. I didn’t know what to expect, it was so out there. I loved our main character and thought the ending was good. I listened to this on audio, and thought that Mara Wilson did a great job with it. Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Tor Nightfire for my advanced copy.

There is a low probability that I would rate Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle less than I rated Bury Your Gays or Camp Damascus. I liked the horror gore parts more than the sci-fi, cosmic aliens and plot holes. The audiobook clocks in at 8 hours and 24 minutes. Normally when I listen to an audiobook, something clicks with me and all I want to do is listen to it until I finish it and unfortunately, that didn’t happen here. Mara Wilson’s narration was superb and I liked the main character, Vera. It’s interesting to write a book around the concept of nothing really matters. As Chuck often says, LOVE IS REAL. I had an unexpected lucky day while listening to the audiobook and I’ll remember it because of that unlikely event. ALC was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Chuck Tingle is a national treasure and I always know I’m going to have a fun time when I pick up one of his books. Will I probably also be at least a little bit confused? Yes, and that’s totally fine. Enjoy the ride, buckeroos!

Lucky Day was such a roller coaster of a book. The action immediately takes off in chapter one and I ended up reading this book in one sitting. The day begins with Vera getting ready to come out to her mother and introduce her to her fiancé Annie. Brunch explodes into chaos and a cataclysmic event known as the Low Probability Event changes Vera’s life in the most profound way. Four years later, Vera is living cut off from the rest of the world when government agent Layne knocks on her door. She might just be his best chance at uncovering what caused the Low Probability Event.

Vera was such a great main character. When we meet up with her four years after the events, she has completely removed herself from the life she knew and has become a shell of who she once was. As the novel progresses, she really comes back to life and we see her emerge as the badass I knew was in there. One of the things I love most about this author is his ability to combine silly moments with absolute gruesome ones. The deaths described in Lucky Day are super vivid, but also really weird and unique in a way that I have come to associate with this author. Tingle also blends genres so well. This is a cosmic horror, but there are also some conspiracy theories and twists I didn’t see coming. He kept me on my toes and guessing all the way until the end.

I really loved Mara Wilson as an audiobook narrator and think she was the perfect choice for this one. She captured the dry, often sarcastic voice of Vera so well and really got us through all the chaos of this book. I hope she collaborates again with Tingle in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a review copy.

Chuck Tingle is a weird and magical dude. The premise of Lucky Day was absolutely fascinating and I feel like it really delivered. The ending took me at a complete surprise and I enjoyed it every step of the way.

Thank you, @ChuckTingle and @Macmillan.Audio my free audiobook. #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 233
Genre: Horror
Audiobook Narrator: Mara Wilson
Duration: 8 hours 24 minutes
Release Date: August 12, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

Four years ago, on a day now known as the Low-Probability Event, eight million people died from completely random freak accidents. Former statistics and probability professor Vera lost everything that day has been unable to recover. That is, until the day Special Agent Layne shows up and asks for her help investigating a suspiciously lucky casino that’s possibly linked to the Low-Probability Event.

This has to be one of the most fun and entertaining horror books I’ve ever read. While the described deaths are horrific, they’re also kind of funny. And while Vera is battling some serious issues with grief, depression, and guilt, she also claws her way out of her lowest point to use her smarts and wits to put an end to this chaos once and for all.

Former child actress Mara Wilson (Matilda, Mrs. Doubtfire) is all grown up and did an excellent job bringing all these characters to life on the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for early copy for review!

This was one hell of a ride 😅 It's crazy, it's gory, and it's fun. I felt like I was picked up and transported in the action.

*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for early copy for review*

To me this was an unsuccessful attempt at showing a greater manifestation of PTSD in an extreme lens with sci-fi/horror elements. What made this unsuccessful to me is because it was not a great example of a woman in this extreme situation. After her mother rejected her identity, was killed in front of her and multiple other tragedies happened it is not believable to me that Vera would shut down so totally that she would not check that her fiance was okay. Women are so ingrained to put their needs second and look after others in these situations. As a depressed queer woman this first plot point was so unbelievable that going into the rest of the I was waiting for an explanation of why did she do this. I never got one and the rest of the story felt very mediocre eldritch horror. There are better less biphopics options with queer characters out there for me to recommend this one.

🍀 Thriller? Horror? Sci-fi? What did I just read?! Whatever it was, I enjoyed it!
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Chuck Tingle’s Lucky Day is weird, wild, and one of the most original horror/speculative reads I’ve ever picked up.
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It reads like a fever dream of Final Destination meets The X-Files, with just enough satire and existential dread to keep you unsettled, but somehow, hopeful too.
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Set after a cataclysmic event where 8 million people died in impossibly bizarre ways (think: 🐟 falling from the sky), Vera, a statistics professor grieving the loss of her mother, gets pulled into an investigation that’s part mystery, part mind-melt.
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As she teams up with Agent Layne of the ultra-shadowy LPEC, they dive deep into fate, probability, and the terrifying idea that maybe nothing matters… and yet, love still does.
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🎧 This book broke the fourth wall, broke my brain (in a good way), and made me feel like I was riding a rollercoaster blindfolded. I kept pausing the audiobook (narrated flawlessly by Mara Wilson) so I could mentally highlight lines just to absorb the absurd brilliance.
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Yes, it’s bleak. Yes, it’s gory. Yes, you’ll be asking “what just happened” multiple times. But somehow, in true Tingle fashion, amidst all the chaos and carnage, you’re left with a beating heart at the center of it all: love is real. Always.

Four years after surviving the apocalyptic "Low Probability Event" (LPE), our narrator is asked to help solve who is behind it and other catastrophes like it. Is luck more real that thought mathematically possible? Is there a casino-crime conspiracy in Las Vegas? What does life look like now?

I really enjoyed most of this book. I liked the characters and LOVED the writing. I would have read an extended lit fic that started with the same first chapter, pre-LPE.

I got a little lost with the more magical elements of the luck catastrophe.

While this may not have been the perfect book to me, I think it is someone's just waiting for them. I will read more from this author!

3.75/5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @macmillan.audio #macaudio2025 for the gifted audiobook.

This was utterly mad. Lucky Day starts off with a bang and continues with a breathless pace. I almost listened to the entire book in one sitting while in a full body clench.

This read like an action film of chaotic proportions paired with an existential crisis. I loved it!

I highly recommend the audiobook. Mara Wilson delivers a great performance.

I was really disappointed by this audiobook especially after all the hype I've been seeing on socials for it. The plot was rather boring and did not hold my attention at all. Also, th ending felt off and the characters were a little bland.

On May 23, four years ago the world (but mostly the U.S.) suffered a major disaster, the Low-Probability Event, where nearly eight million people died in improbable and totally bizarre ways. Fish raining down on the streets of Chicago. Escaped chimps eating faces. All the Boeing 777s crashing into each other. That sort of thing.
Vera Norrie was celebrating being named the youngest professor at the University of Chicago (in statistics and probability) and the publication of her book (on a potentially shady casino) when the disaster struck. She lost everything and she cannot come to any sort of terms with it. One day Special Agent Jonah Layne, with the Low-Probability Event Commission, which has an extremely broad mandate and incredible latitude (“the LPEC decides what’s legal.”) comes calling. He’s investigating that statistically lucky casino that Vera wrote about. He believes it’s connected with the LPE and he needs Vera’s help before another event occurs.

*Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this digital audio e-arc*

This book is crazy, gory, ridiculously improbable, and surprisingly dark. We follow Vera, who experiences tragedy during the Low Probability Event, which kills millions of people. She has to reckon with this tragedy and pick up the pieces of her life while helping investigate what actually happened that day.

I appreciate a book that can cover deep topics like the loss of loved ones and depression while still kind of being fun and lighthearted. It's also just such an interesting premise for a book. The ending was great. 4 stars.

I need to listen to everything Mara Wilson has ever narrated immediately. I also had access to an e-arc of this book, and I can't imagine taking it in without Wilson's voice in my ear. Her pacing? perfect. The different character voices? fantastic. At one point, I turned to a friend and said "I can't tell if this book is that good, or if I'm just in love with the narration."

Luckily (or due to diligent work on Tingle's part), Lucky Day is also a fantastic read. In a single day, eight million people died in horrific and improbably ways. A mysterious Fed appears on statistician Vera's doorstep four years later to recruit her help in investigating a Vegas casino that might be involved. The discussions of chance and probability and mathematics made this little math nerd's heart flutter, and Vera's response to the trauma she survived made her prickly-yet-lovable.

I felt like I was in a CSI/X-Files crossover episode and I enjoyed every gory, beautiful, or weird moment.