Lucky Girl: How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story

by Mary Rickert

Ro, a struggling writer, knows all too well the pain and solitude that holiday festivities can awaken. When she meets four people at the local diner — all of them strangers and as lonely as Ro is — she invites them to an impromptu Christmas dinner. And when that party seems in danger of an early end, she suggests they each tell a ghost story. One that’s seasonally appropriate.

But Ro will come to learn that the horrors hidden in a Christmas tale — or one’s past — can never be tamed once unleashed.

• ISBN10: 1250817331
• ISBN13: 9781250817334
• Publish Date: 17 October 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 1 March 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 112
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I love this time of the year! It's that time of the year when there are a million spooky novels (and novellas) readily available. This year, one of my first spooky reads is Lucky Girl, written by M. Rickert.

Ro has spent nearly Christmas alone. It's part of the territory, as far as she is concerned. Yet one Christmas changes all of that, as she finds a ragtag group of strangers worth hanging out with. It's a fun and almost festive night – and they decide to make it a tradition.

But times change, and so do people. It isn't long before they begin drifting apart. As they drift apart, the group is left questioning the horrors that lie behind closed doors. Until one day, they can no longer hide from the truth.

Ohhh! Lucky Girl is the perfect read if you love feeling chills running down your spine! There's something so exquisite about horror novellas. Perhaps it's because they get to the point, terrifying the living daylights out of us, and move on?

If you're a fan of merging holidays (a la The Nightmare Before Christmas), you should seriously consider checking this one out. It blends what should be the holiday cheer with the horrors of the unknown. More accurately, Lucky Girl pulls in serious Brothers Grimm vibes, as Krampus is very much the sort of character you don't want to meet. Not ever.

M. Rickert clearly knows how to write a concise story here, yet there are several elements worth pointing out. There's this sense of foreboding right from the start. It combines somber and human elements as we watch lonely characters interact with the world.

At some point along the way, that foreboding feel gives away to pure terror. There's no way to look away from what's happening – especially as it is difficult to discern what it is precisely that we're so afraid of.

This was a wonderfully written and spooky novella. It's perfect for this time of year, and I can't wait to dive into more! Here's to Lucky Girl for giving me some serious nightmare fuel.

Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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