Thank you NetGalley for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone on a street in a southern suburban neighborhood is brutally murdered - except five kids known as The Five. Now, years later they have come together after all have received an anonymous letter referencing the murders. They have all since moved on to other places but after together back where it all started to figure out what exactly happened.

The main characters are sisters Cassie and Ellie. Ellie is the narrator. Ellie is 21 and Cassie is 12. The night of the murders, Ellie led Cassie to safety and had been her protector ever since.

There are twists and turns but there wasn’t enough action for me. The characters were weakly developed. I can barley remember the name of the other three that make up The Five and I definitely couldn’t tell you about their appearance or personality. This wasn’t my favorite book but it wasn’t terrible.

Why would a whole subdivision of people living in those homes be gunned down one night? That's the questions the five surviving children want to know. As the five year anniversary of this slaughter approaches, the five of them are drawn together and are tired of living in fear. Together, they intend on finding out what happened, mostly because their lives as survivors have been a disaster. This quick paced audiobook is enjoyable to listen to as the events of that night and the reasons behind it unfold,

Hmm. This was a well-produced audiobook of a story with a great premise. An entire subdivision of people was gunned down five years earlier, and now, the five survivors (all teens at the time of the slaughter) are drawn back for the anniversary. I enjoyed the story, but the resolution is a bit of a let-down. It seems inconceivable to me that this case wouldn't be a topic of national scrutiny for decades to come. The idea that only a crappy investigation was done with little records remaining feels ridiculous. And that a mere five years later, the lands have been changed into a "park," and there aren't constant reporters, etc...that also feels strange. It's almost like a story that maybe could have been set in the 1970s or something, before the internet made the entire world available for instant scrutiny, before citizen journalism, before...a story like this felt impossible. That said, I liked the characters, and I was rooting for Ellie and Cassie. The twisting possibilities for motives of the original killings were interesting, but they eventually felt too muddled to me, and the very last chapter--huh? Why? Totally unnecessary. It's as if a strong writer just kept piling things on and needed a strong editor to say, "Nope. You're overcomplicating things." Still, this was an enjoyable listen on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook. I’m not big on audiobooks in general but I enjoyed this one. The narrator was good, I sped up the reading a little and it made the book easy to get through. The story itself was intriguing although a few far fetched ideas in there but I liked the originality. There were a few parts that seemed repetitive but it didn’t detract from the overall story. I’d definitely recommend this book to others as well as try more from this author.

A twisted thriller to end my year? Sounds about right. Add in the fact that I have many friends that have recommended Kiersten Modglin and I was set.

A whole subdivision was brutally murdered 5 years ago. Well, almost all. 5 kids were survivors and now it's the anniversary of the massacre and the 5 survivors have received letters letting them know that the killer isn't done. Told from Ellie's POV, we return to the scene of the crime along with the 4 other "players". Ms Modglin creates twists and a layered storyline to have you intrigued, but also to keep the reader guessing.

This fast paced thriller was creative and thought out well. I liked the premise of the small town cover up and a curse. But once the secrets and lies were revealed, I was getting a good sense of what was to come. A few times I had to remind myself that the characters were young adults, but they often read a bit older. Perhaps that was because of the narration, but the narrator did a great job of keeping the reader/listener engaged.
As the story unfolded, I realized the journey of survival and love was at the core. The ending wasn't my favorite, but from what I heard, that is where Kiersten Modglin flourishes. She definitely gave a twist and it wasn't all pretty.
Overall, this is an author I would definitely read again. I enjoyed the story and applaud the narrator for a wonderful performance.

3.5 stars.

Intriguing premise, quick read/listen, with a sad, twisty ending. The story begins heavily with a great, actionable introduction. I was immediately engaged to know why things were happening as they were. Somewhere in the middle, I lost a bit of interest, though. And then the last chapter/last page was a nice touch with a twist for most.

I didn’t *love* this story, mainly because I didn’t feel an overwhelming interest in the characters or their plight. I felt some empathy as I put myself in the characters’ shoes in their early childhood, but as they grew, I didn’t feel the same emotional tie. I predicted the “whodunnit” a few chapters before the end, but I don’t think the story is easily predictable. I think most would find the twist very enjoyable and may change your original impressions on the book.

I enjoy Kiersten Modglin’s writing style. This is my first novel by her. The narrator of this audiobook, Linda Jones, was also enjoyable.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, OrangeSky Audio.

Here is the perfect reason why readers should not pick their next read based solely on the reviews of others. Some say… “Kiersten is known for her twists and some are great and others are far fetched like the last twist at the end of this book”…. 😱 Like… I have no words. The entire reason her books are so amazing and set apart from other thrillers is the very last chapter. Sometimes… the very last page. Hell… sometimes even the very last paragraph. Her books literally make you gasp at the end and say out loud “did that just happen?”. I would much rather experience this kind of WTF at the end of a story then have it leave me feeling that all the loose ends were tied up neatly with a bow. Why would you read “psychological thrillers” if all you wanted was the story to end like that?

Ok with that being said, and it clearly needed to be, here is my review of The Lucky Ones. Kiersten wastes no time throwing the reader into the horrid details of a mass murder that wiped out an entire subdivision of people. Well, almost entire. There were a few lone survivors. The survivors are children of the parents that were all brutally murdered. Five years later, they all return. UH… BIG mistake. It’s like that commercial when the group of “not so bright teens” hide behind the hanging chainsaws instead of getting in the running car… 🤦‍♀️

Anyway… it appears the anniversary of their parents death and the return to the scene leads to a crazy plot full of twists about the reasons for the murders, who may or may not be connected, who can be trusted, and what motives everyone has. I’ll tell you this… readers, your heads will spin. And just when you think you’ve figured out who the shady people are, you’ll be wrong.

The last heart pounding chapter, right up to the last page, will have you questioning everything you knew about psychological thriller writers. I am asking Kiersten personally to ignore the reviewers who think your “last twist” is far fetched or that some twists are “too much” because these are the reasons I love your books.

5 huge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kiersten Modglin has quickly become one of my go to authors and favorites. When I saw NetGalley had one of her books that I had not read available as an audiobook I quickly requested it because I'd never turn down the opportunity for one of Modglin's books.

It took me one day, one day to finish this audiobook. That is almost always the case for me when I grab one of her thrillers. They are addicting and very hard to put down. Luckily I was able to multitask while listening to this one!

The Lucky Ones was no different. It's like a never ending roller coaster where you think you're finally in the home stretch and then another hill drops and you're climbing back up to figure out what to make of all of these twists and turns...AND....Modglin, well, she specializes in those final chapters full of drops and twists that take you in to the ending wondering how you never saw it coming!

Enjoy, this one packs some punches and was especially fun as an audiobook.

Thank you to OrangeSky Audio for providing this audiobook thorugh NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Narrator : Linda Jones 4 stars
Book: 4.5 Stars

This book was very different from kiersten modglins books. First of all the main character was older than her others and a bit smarter too. It was a good audio and I enjoyed the narrator a lot. I liked the dual timelines but the ending just seemed unnecessarily sad!

Kiersten Modglin does not disappoint! Really enjoyed this domestic thriller. Believable and endearing characters. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me engaged as a reader.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I enjoyed this story while listening to it and am interested in checking out more books from this author based in the concept of the story and the writing style.

But I did not feel any connection with the characters so the stakes of the situations they were in didn't feel as thrilling as I would hope. There were many red herring that were easily seen missdirections that I didn't fall for. So the ending was a little underwhelming.

Although I found it an average thriller it had potential could see others enjoying it more than me.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Five years ago the town of Gerber's saw their residents murdered in their beds. The only survivers were five children know as the lucky ones. Five years on they receive letters from the killer. This is not over. Kiersten Modglin at her best

Kiersten Modglin’s newest novel is a propulsive thriller. Ellie and her sister Cassie, part of the Fallen Oaks Five, have made a life for themselves after the rest of their subdivision was brutally murdered. Five years after the horrific incident, Ellie receives a letter that brings her and the rest of the survivors together and back in Fallen Oaks. Trying to piece together the event that made orphans of them, Ellie wants answers and peace.

This is such a quick read, I devoured it in one day. At the heart of this story is a tale of survival. What it takes to survive and the toll it can take.

This was my first book by Kiersten Modglin and I am really Impressed.
From the very start we are thrown straight into the story with no hesitation, and I liked that.
The reader /listener is drawn in from the very beginning, I have to say I didnt see what was coming until it was upon us. It may have ended a little to fast but overall I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down once I started..
Great narration too.



I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love everything by kiersten modglin and this one didn't disappoint. Super quick mystery read, I flew through it and really enjoyed the story. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

ARC Audiobook given in exchange for an honest review.

This story centers around a group of young adults that have nothing in common other than the fact that they survived a massacre in their subdivision. I really enjoyed the narrator, she enunciated and was very easy to follow along with. The story was short so I didn’t feel like the characters were as well developed as they could’ve been and was hoping for some glimpses into the past before the tragedy. I did really enjoy it though and liked that I couldn’t predict the ending from the very beginning. Would definitely recommend to friends!

This was a fast paced, run of the mill thriller. A fun time? Yes. Anything groundbreaking? No, but not all books have to be.

The premise appealed to me - the five sole survivors of an horrific and unexplained massacre return to their home town (the scene of the crime) when their lives are threatened in a mysterious letter. Here they have to face their grizzly past and try to unravel the threads that lead to their families' and friends sudden demise.

The plot set up was awesome, I was sucked right in. But unfortunately the execution and resolution of the plot left me feeling a little meh. I had to suspend my disbelief multiple times (and I'm pretty tolerant of unrealistic plot twists) and there were a few eye rolls here and there.

There were enough interesting twists to keep me going and I'm sure fans of Kiersten Modglin will enjoy this most recent addition to her substantial catalogue.

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<p>This is not a well-constructed mystery and the dialogue is really awkward on top of it. Some of the clues are intriguing, but they don’t resolve in any kind of interesting way, if they resolve at all. Also the narrator of this audiobook sounds too old — she’s a good narrator, but the narrator of this book is 23, max. All of the characters are paper-thin.</p>
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<p>Some things I found wildly unrealistic/weird:</p>
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<ul><li>the cops are corrupt and also the main characters kind of still trust cops, even though there is a scene where they are clearly expecting brutality or to be killed</li><li>they are Gen Z and they are really shocked that the main character goes to therapy and it’s treated like a very intense and bad and shameful thing, which is just not the case with this generation</li><li>there was apparently no media surrounding their case even though they are so popular that they have a “nickname” as a group, so this is just, never a problem</li></ul>
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<p>Lots of parts in this book just made me kind of throw up my hands and go “okay!” because I apparently am just not getting anything more out of it, details-wise or explanation-wise. Some of it is vague in a “this is a book so we can’t give specific details because we didn’t do the research or get the copyright for this” but I really feel like they could have given some more details, or structured it in a way where it wasn't so obvious.</p>
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<p>I give this book a solid two stars.</p>
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5 Children that survived a horrible tragedy in a small town of Fallen oaks , Known as the fallen oaks five all recieve a letter 5 years later. The letter is a threatening letter that puts the remaining 5 survivors in grave danger.
This book is a real roller coaster with a lot of twists. I loved reading the story as it was captivating from the start and all the way through to the end. However the end was very unsettling and confusing. I didn't think it made sense at all. I wrestled how to rate it as the book was good up till then it was 4 stars but I am now giving 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Fallen Oaks Five were all kids when their parents were all murdered one night in the same subdivision. They survived and all have moved away from Fallen Oaks. The fifth anniversary is nearing and all of the survivors receive a note telling them that they are not safe. They all decide to go back to Fallen Oaks to investigate. Every person that they are in contact with feels like a suspect to them. The police never arrested anyone and they have a bad feeling about the police. Who can they trust if anyone?

This book will take you on a wild ride and surprise you when you think you know the truth.

I listened to an early audio copy.