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.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC copy of the audiobook of "Lucky Day" by Chuck Tingle in exchange for my honest review.


Having been familiar with Chuck Tingle's work for years via their "tinglers" that I'd see covers/titles for on the Twitter from halcyon days of yore (read: the early/mid 2010s before that place got really unfun and started morphing into a cesspool of the worst of humanity and bots it is now) and be like, "haha wow is that for real?" Last year my library purchased "Bury Your Gays" and I couldn't resist the neon pull of the cover and title - it bent genres, it was wildly entertaining, but most of all, I felt like the underlying moral compass of Chuck's writing reminded me of an upside down, modern day Kurt Vonnegut (and that, my friends, is the good stuff).


So, as a burgeoning buckaroo, I was stoked about the announcement and impending arrival of "Lucky Day." As the story begins, we are introduced to statistics prof Vera, her fiance Annie, and a celebratory brunch in anticipation of Vera's first book being released, at which Vera has planned to tell her straight-laced mother that she's bisexual and engaged to a woman. And then a worldwide disaster occurs (referred to as the Low Probability Event) and Vera's entire world as she knows it is upended, sending her into a years-long depression, existential crisis, and what I'd also diagnose as survivor's guilt and/or PTSD. 4 years later, an investigator from a secret, Fed-like organization shows up at her door and the going gets weird.


"Lucky Day" spans genres: part horror, part thriller, part sci-fi, part dystopian novel. Knowing I'd need to review it, as I listened to Mara Wilson's wonderful narration, I was struck by the cultural touch points I felt I was getting. Take the heart of the films "Everything Everywhere All At Once" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," toss in a little of Stephen King's "It," look at society's quick apparent amnesia of COVID and wanting to forget and move quickly without any real examination of grief and reckoning with what we lost. Still following me? Great. Some gratuitous, senseless, almost campy, unbelievable violence ala Troma movies and some of the humor and outlandishness of "Men In Black." Then, intertwine themes of exploration of the human need to find meaning and order in the world, as well as wanting to feel like your life matters and that love, in spite of all odds against it, can also make a difference and move the needle and get us through? The depth may surprise you.


This literary mixture was surface-level super entertaining and the ending offered the reader the opportunity to let their imagination continue beyond the final sentence (reminder: always look for the cards they aren't showing you). However, the thing that influenced me giving this a five-star review on Goodreads is the subtext, the themes that were below the surface that I'm still thinking about a day after finishing. As a librarian, this is a book I'll recommend to some of my more adventurous readers, the ones whose empathy is clear and whom I know will take some of the same things from the story that I did. Sometimes, great fiction can remind us of our humanity and make us think about what matters to us, and make us feel deeply. Chuck Tingle really struck that chord for me on this one and I know that "Lucky Day" will stick with me for a long time, and will perhaps be a book I want to revisit again when I need it.

Vera and I are very different. She’s a numbers girl, truly a math and probability whiz. She places a big emphasis on neatness and control in her life, that is, until the Low Probability Event (LPE).

The first few chapters of this book were easily the fastest paced chapters I’ve ever read. Breakneck speed and filled with chaos. The visuals?! I don’t even know how Chuck Tingle created these nightmares.

Things slow down a bit for a while but then gradually gain momentum again. We follow Vera and her new friend Agent Layne to Las Vegas as they work to unravel the mystery of the LPE. I’ll never look at Lucky Charms the same again.

Ultimately this book contained one of my biggest real life fears (yay) and even with that being said, I had such a fun time reading this cosmic rube goldberg machine of carnage. There were so many gambling and luck related idioms, but they feel expertly integrated and not cheesy at all. It didn’t feel heavily scary and instead felt more like a fun, wild ride. I really enjoyed the ending and would recommend this to fans of Final Destination.

My takeaway: you can’t have death without life or life without death.

Chuck Tingle will always be one of my favorite go to writers for horror books that will leave me going "wtf did I just read?" while loving every second. Can I explain exactly what happened in this book? Probably not lol. It's just so weird and fun to read. I really liked our characters, Vera and agent Layne. LOVED the whole premise behind the Lucky casino. It was a fast paced I devoured this in no time. A book where 'Bad luck is better than no luck' might not be the best thing to say. Very excited for this to be released (SOON!! Aug 12th!) so I can see what everyone else thinks about this one!

The audiobook was fun to listen to made everything a little easier to imagine while reading.

Be warned this book does not shy away from body horror, gore, blood and probably more weird creepy stuff you could even think about.

This was such a weird and wild book.

We follow Vera, a woman who survived a disaster known as the Low Probability Event, a day where millions of people died from a series of circumstances that can only be described as so unlikely they are almost impossible. Once a promising probability and statistics professor, she is recruited by Agent Layne of the Low Probability Event Commission to investigate a particularly lucky casino in Las Vegas and its connections to the event.

Okay, I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. This is such an unhinged take on the subject of fate and alternate universes and I loved it. The deaths were very Final Destination-esque, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the thought of finding meaning in a world where nothing really matters hit me hard (see also: Everything Everywhere All At Once). Overall, this was layered and complex in a way that I wasn't prepared for given the absurdity of the plot, and it was a great time.

In addition, the narrator really added something to this novel. She was fantastic and conveyed the emotion perfectly.

Such a fun book! I had lots of fun with this one, narrator was great too! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to read the novel of a generation in the moment. Would I read the Great Gatsby in the 1920s and think « YES! This is what it’s like! » or would I have a different idea of my present, only able to see how that book represented my era in hindsight?

Lucky Day feels like that book. It feels like someone took all the complicated feelings of « does any of this matter? What is the point of caring when the world around you is falling apart with no rhyme or reason? » I can’t put it into words the way I want to. It was like I didn’t understand my own era until I saw it dispersed in this fun house mirror.

I would assign this book as the novel to represent the 2020s if I was teaching a class on US history in fifty years. For me, it’s THAT good. I’ll be thinking about this book for years.

In terms of story, it’s not my favorite. I liked Bury Your Gays a lot more. This book feels IMPORTANT, it’s good in a different way. For me it wasn’t fun or exciting, it was interesting in a « this book makes you think » kind of way. The book is brilliant. I wish I could have an English prof teach a course on this book just so I could sit in the back of the room and listen. It’s BRILLIANT.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc, all opinions are my own.

LOVE IS REAL !

Chuck Tingle has done it again, weaving social commentaries amidst the grimmest of bloody horror activating the think zones alongside the "oh my god" zones.

Vera Norrie, on the almost eve of her book release, is swept up in what is later called a "Low Probability Event" - chaos and death in the most cartoonish manner sweeping the city of Chicago. We find out then that this event does not just happen in Chicago, but the entire world and the trauma of it has spread from lotteries to casinos because now luck... is real.

But what is real? Is luck REALLY real? Is it manufactured by a certain above-odds casino, out in the shining Las Vegas Strip? Or from somewhere else completely?

Lucky Day is part X-Files (or... Dark Encounters...), part buddy road trip, part police procedural, and enjoyable basically the whole time - even the crazy gory parts.

Mara Wilson was the excellent choice to narrate and I really felt Vera through her.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the eARC - I'm glad I was able to read this before going to the Lucky Day tour next month! Can't wait to hold this book in my hands!

Lucky Day is peak Chuck Tingle: weird, smart, and just a little unhinged in the best way. I loved the premise—post-apocalyptic weirdness, statistical anomalies, and a cursed casino? Yes, please. Vera’s existential funk felt real, and the mystery had me hooked. That said, the math-heavy parts kind of lost me at times, but even when I was confused, I was still having fun. Definitely one of the most unique books I’ve read all year.

Absolutely incredible. It’s horrifying, it’s hopeful, it’s SMART, it’s deep. This was genuinely everything I love in one book. I’ve been a fan of Tingle for years and this might be my favorite of his work. The horror was absolutely absurd and made me darkly giggle. I especially loved how Vera’s beliefs were constantly challenged and she was forced to look at her own nihilism directly in the face. Her journey through that really makes the book hopeful as Tingle tells us that even though things are bad and things have been bad, there’s still a reason to be here and try to make it better. It’s a book about resilience disguised as an absurd horror. Excellent work Mr. Tingle

for reading like a bizarre episode of the x files, i was pleasantly surprised by this cosmic horror novel set in vegas!

the first part of the book felt like reading in fast forward, where the chaos of “the event” hits you in waves of wildly unexpected scenarios.

for being a horror novel, i found this lighter and more palatable for the moments of gore that were scattered throughout and leant more into the mystery and detective like moments.

the ending did take me by a bit of surprise, and felt like a funny way to wrap up the book.

altogether i really enjoyed this! thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

WTF Did I Just Listen To? A Lucky Day Experience

Chuck Tingle has done it again — Lucky Day starts with bi protagonist Vera, a former statistics and probability professor just trying to make sense of a seemingly normal day. That is, until fish start falling from the sky and she finds herself in a philosophical debate about chance, capitalism, and identity with (of course) a winning hand at our uniquely individual human existence.

My unofficial stats while listening:
• 37% “Yep, normal day — just a little fish rain.”
• 52% “Wait… WHAT??”
• 11% frantically hitting rewind because Chuck masterfully slipped absurdity into emotional, reflective moments without warning.

The brilliance of Lucky Day lies in its subtle commentary — how strange, often unexplainable events can shape our lives and then fade from memory, like statistical blips. Vera, whose queerness hums quietly beneath the surface, embodies the resilience of someone who’s spent her life navigating systems stacked against her — and still holds space for wonder, even when probability says she shouldn’t.

Mara Wilson narrates with calm precision, her melodic tone making even the most bizarre moments feel eerily grounded — like she’s gently reading you bedtime stories from an alternate dimension.

Ideal listening speed: 1.75x — the sweet spot for catching both the surreal sparkles and the quiet truths hiding in the background.

Final thought: Lucky Day is a quietly queer, wildly philosophical journey through randomness, resilience, and remembering the things the world forgets. I still don’t fully know what I listened to… but I absolutely loved it.

Thank you McMillan Audio, NetGalley, and Chuck Tingle for this eARC!!

This was gruesome and completely unhinged. It’s the kind of horror that’s messy, ridiculous, and so over the top you can’t look away. Gave me serious Final Destination vibes the whole time. Totally chaotic, wildly creative, and straight up entertaining as hell. Chuck Tingle delivered the wild ride I didn’t even know I needed. Huge shoutout to the narrator Mara for capturing every twisted moment perfectly. Her energy and tone made the madness even more immersive and wild.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARC!

I was honest, I went into this story almost 100% blind. I love Chuck Tingle, so I just requested without worry about it. And oh man, this story was incredible. The first few chapters were intense, and then the mystery and intrigue that Tingle is known for really begins. I love how the plot doesn’t take itself seriously, it allows us to laugh and have moments of joy while handling very complex topics. But also, there is lot of gross and horrifying things happening in this story.

I really appreciate the way Tingle portrays PTSD in this story. As someone who has it, and also retreated from society right after (though not as extreme as the FMC), I found it relatable. The general sense of just “what’s the point” was relatable. I loved how, throughout her quest to figure out what happened at the Low Probability Event, and through getting answers, our FMC begins to truly live and connect with the world. But, I also like that she is different at the end of the story. She can’t go back to who she was before, and I really love that Tingle honored that.

Mara Wilson does a fantastic job narrating this story, using their voice to really bring this story to life. I totally recommend picking up the audiobook, if you can!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing me an early copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been wanting to check out Chuck Tingle for a while now, and I think this was a good entryway.

This book asks the question, “What if a Statistics and Probability Professor was faced with a day where 8 million people died in the strangest, most unlikely events imaginable?” I mean, think 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 on a grand scale, but the deaths are even more absurd!

This one is not for the squeamish; you really get a good picture of *everything*, but the story, and Vera’s journey, are so much deeper than just gore.

I never quite knew where this book was going to take me, but take me it did! I really was hooked throughout, and definitely enjoyed this listen.

Audiobook notes: Mara Wilson did a fabulous job! She really nailed Vera’s nihilistic voice, and added just the right amount of emotion at the perfect points.

What this book is giving:
✅ Speculative Horror
✅ Unlikely Events
✅ Former Statistics and Probability Professor
✅ Absurdity
✅ Gore
✅ Investigating
✅ Saving the world

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5

I know Chuck Tingle isn't for everyone, but I just love his books! A fun and creative twist on SF for sure, and this one didn't disappoint.