Apologies for the delay in sending my review. I enjoyed Dead Lucky. Having had an online book review account, I understand the work that goes into maintaining such an account and the pressure of having to upload content every day or so. So I got it. I did find the plot a bit slow, and the characters a little annoying but maybe that is because they are self-absorbed and obsessed with creating online content. A good thriller more suitable, I imagine, to a younger audience from teens to mid-20's.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK, Atom in exchange for an honest review.

What a great surprise this book was!

Dead Lucky is the story of Maxine, a content creator whose world gets turned upside down when a video of her fellow influencer Xav being murdered on camera is posted online. Her friends don't seem too interested by it but she is worried that there is more to the video than it seems, and so she decides to investigate with the help of her new friend.

I adore thrillers about influencers and I hoped this would be a fun read, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. Dead Lucky is the rare YA thriller which is actually very good, with interesting characters and a fun examination of what it means to be famous as a teenager. The story is split between Maxine struggling to investigate Xav's death while she juggles being famous and unhappy, and segments set in the past when all the characters originally decided to start a video channel. Maxine's struggles seem very genuine, and in fact all the characters as a whole are pretty grounded. This is something many YA thrillers fail at and it was part of what made the book so enjoyable.

The writing style is also a strength of this book, and it is surprisingly funny. Maxine had a strong voice as a narrating character and it made her really likeable.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you find the blurbs of a lot of YA thrillers intriguing, but then find they never live up to those premises. This is a rare exception and is absolutely worth checking out as a result.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

This was a good little twisty book about the pitfalls of being influenced famous. Suspend your disbelief that an entire group of friends who went to school together, in the same class together, could all have the same levels of influencing, and you’ll be fine!

This was intriguing, engaging and unpredictable. I loved the way the plot twisted and turned and left me completely guessing the whole way through

If you love books that are unpredictable and hard to guess what happens next then you need to read Dead Lucky. It's an original and fascinating page turner.

I must admit that I was a little hesitant to read a book based around 'influencers' as I thought the whole genre would be a little too young feeling for my liking, but actually the dark tone to the story, and the 'behind the scenes' look at each character really kept me interested.

I was kept guessing throughout this whole book, and you really do start to question everyone.

Definitely a great read!

(from longer Irish Times column)

The level of scrutiny that celebrities are expected to put up with, and the level of curation involved with a public profile in this social-media, always-on age, is also explored in Andreina Cordani’s Dead Lucky (Atom, £7.99), although the consequences here are much more sinister. Maxine is one of a group of school friends who started an online channel on the fictional streaming platform PlayMii; they have now all gone their separate ways but are still each high-profile PlayMeeps. Xav, for example, is famous for his pranks – so famous that when he is murdered on camera, the recording is viewed by three million people before it’s finally taken down.

Maxine is well used to death threats after three years as an online influencer, “but however often it happens, my instinct always responds with a mild stab of panic, every time I see one”. With Xav’s death, and a strange message pointing towards the group’s shared past, it seems clear that she and the others are in serious danger. If the plot sometimes veers a little towards the implausible, the details of a life lived online, constantly “sifting through what I can and can’t post”, are superbly done. And, as with If This Gets Out, there’s a thrilling feel of wish-fulfilment alongside the reminders of how fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, a touch of glamour and glitter alongside the inner turmoil and external stresses.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

A really solid addition to the genre; reliable, if a little predictable in places. Would recommend if you know what you want from this sort of book, as it definitely delivers that.

Here we are: the month of romance. So, of course, let’s chat about the book that starts with a murder. When have I ever stuck to reading romances in the month of February? And if I do, there’s a darkness to it, for love is a beautiful thing but it can also be very dangerous.

Maxine, Leni, Ed and Xav are the lucky ones. The influencers who have it all: the followers, the wealth, the respect. But being The influencers on popular streaming platform PlayMii isn’t so perfect as they claim on screen. It’s broken Ed’s heart, ruined Leni’s friendships, leaving Maxine overwhelmed and for Xav… it ends in his murder as a masked figure walks into his apartment and stabs him to death on camera.

As the world reels from the shocking footage, remembering Xav as the guy with no filter, Maxine reminds a different Xav. One who could be cruel. But when Maxine realises that Xav had a secret file on his fellow creators – his so-called friends – that, if uploaded, could easily ruin their careers. And for someone, they are willing to do anything to keep them hidden, and they are watching Maxine very closely…

I like thrillers – that should come as no surprise to you all who have followed my reading over the past few years. The rest I say this is because I, mostly times, get the Twist. I see things coming and then I want the author to prove me wrong or deliver it in a way that makes my jaw drop. Now, I saw a few things coming in here, but I didn’t the Big Twist. I saw part of it, but not all of it so when it was fully revealed, I was shocked and delighted over how Andreina Cordani pulled it off.

Now, before I go any further, I would like to quick warn you guys about triggers as this book has a few. It has murder, attempted murder, toxic friendships (including mental/emotional manipulations and gaslighting), physical domestic abuse (past and mentioned), homophobia. I think there are others, but I advise you read other reviews to check.

This book is told in multiply POVs, but the main two are Maxine and Sam. Maxine from when she discovers the news of Xav’s death and her growth throughout the book, coming to terms with grief, her future and how she sees the world around her and realise that, while she is a social media star, she has no real agency in her life. Whereas Sam is told from before Xav, Maxine, Leni and Ed were famous and the events that happened before.

The POV works as it gives layers. It points out that all we know about social media influencers is what they put online. While the author doesn’t fully poke into social media, it does give an inside in how these influencers work and it’s hard for them to switch off as it’s a full time job. We notice this in the first few chapters were Maxine makes a friend and eats ice cream with them, only to realise afterwards that she didn’t take photos of her meal or social media it and this makes her hugely uncomfortable.

This might read like a fun, fluffy, almost summer-reading-by-the-pool, but it has a dark heart to it which makes us wonder How well do we know these people?. I think this would make a really interesting BBC Three/e4 thriller and fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars might want to have this on their radar…

'Dead Lucky' by Andreina Cordani is a twisty, wild ride through the world of social media influencers. I was immediately gripped from the first chapter as we see Xav murdered on a PlayMii livestream, stabbed by a mysterious masked assailant quickly dubbed #TheFace. Xav had a whole host of enemies to choose from, all of whom could have snapped and decided to end his life, not least a huge number of fellow influencers represented in Xav's 'burn files'. Secrets and lies are abound in this gripping tale of the corruption of social media, particularly influencers who broadcast a carefully curated life to their hungry followers.

We mainly follow Xav's childhood friend, and fellow influencer, Maxine as she is drawn into the trail of the masked murderer. The flashbacks to the group's early teenage years, and their first foray into social media, lay good groundwork for the characters and give them slightly more depth than the false personas they have formed at the height of their internet stardom. The story is pacey, interesting and has some fun twists along the way. Overall, it is a worthy addition to the young adult thriller genre and is a timely theme with the prominence of social media with young people. I enjoyed it and recommend it for fans as others such as Karen McManus. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So, I ended up reading this book in 1 day. It's short, easy to read, and gripping. Do I wish it was longer so that we got a bit more insight to the other characters? Yes, but the story delivered what it promised. A murder mystery. I did not expect the end twists and I did enjoy getting there, even if it is a little far-fetched. I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dead lucky the opening chapter managed to set the stage and pull me straight into the given narrative capturing my attention and compelling me to keep heading forward. What a ride this book was to read. I sailed thru the pages and had a great time reading it. It was just what I needed right now. Great storyline.

Knife Sharp, Dark Edge
Fast paced, thrilling suspense with a glitzy and glamorous side but, be careful, it has a knife sharp, dark edge. A murder mystery, a whodunnit and a suspense rolled into one shiny package. With a well developed, realistic cast and a fluid writing style this is one to whizz through and one that will keep the reader on edge of seat throughout the tumultuous ride.

Loved everything about this book, the plot is amazing, I read it in one sitting as I just couldn’t put it down. Amazing work!

It's an entertaining and compelling thriller and I liked the descriptions of the world of influencers.
The characters are likeable and a bit shallow. Maxine is the only one who's able to grow and I liked her.
The plot is twisty and kept me reading.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this book! The multiple POVs were really interesting and worked really well at slowly revealing different storylines. The second POV confused me a little at first but was effective in keeping me in suspense. I was definitely not expecting that ending but I love how it tied in. I also really liked the social media platform theme as it felt really current. Something else I enjoyed was the darker edge to the story and I thought the characters made an interesting group. I would recommend this to a friend for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

This is a very fast paced read! It’s super influenced by the YouTube/Instagram generational experience, but from the side most of us will never experience.

There are a lot of plot twists and turns, some more far fetched than others, but Cordani mostly rounds them out to make them believable.

I felt like the one thing missing from this was some sort of commentary around the “true crime podcast” genre of content. With a major murder mystery, I wanted it to start in on the danger and exploitation of people who capitalize off of public murders/mysteries. That would have felt more accurate to the plot than “internet celeb culture bad”, which is a pretty common and explored idea already.

It did remind me a bit of The Amateurs series by Sara Shepard, which I felt delved a bit more into that true crime community vibe.

Three stars.

Dead lucky by Andreina Cordani.
They are the influencers, the lucky ones. Gifted, gilded people who have everything - fame, respect, adulation, more freebies than they can ever unbox. Their lives, loves and feuds are shared with millions of fans on the streaming platform PlayMii, and they are living the dream.
A very good read with good characters. Great story and likeable characters. 4*.