Got boring at about 20%. It had a strong start but lost me after a certain point. The cover is gorgeous though, and I’m sure this would appeal to other readers.

This was an interesting novella. I expected a horror story featuring Krampus, and what I got was a story of a young woman who at first is an aspiring writer, she happens to meet a group of people at a diner on its last day before closing. They don't exactly become friends but spend Christmas together, and tell some scary stories, one of them about Krampus.

We get some time jumps and see our group getting together a few times over the years until a final get-together becomes its own horror story.

The pacing felt a little off, and I had a hard time caring about the characters. Even RO our main character, there were a lot of red flags floating around regarding a couple of members of her group and she completely ignores them. Even when one of the others is like HEY! there is something really wrong going on, Ro is like Nah it's all good.

The last bit of the ending kind of makes the story. But we don't even really get to see anything but the very beginning of what's happening and I was left wanting to see what was going to happen next after all that build-up.

I loved that this was a short read and interestingly enough I also enjoyed reading about a Christmas-monster mid-summer, made me feel like holiday shopping was just around the corner. While it did get a bit comfortable and even eerie at times it was fun and kept me engaged.
Thank you Macmillan and Tor/Forge for my arc

A darkly entertaining Christmas horror novella! The joyousness of the season contrasted nicely with the story's darker elements. The twists were ones that I didn't see coming. The ending was very unnerving.

Anything with Krampus count me in - so imagine my surprise when there was .. no … Krampus? Or any monster at all. It was more alluded to than existing. I was left confused after reading this novella. I’m not sure the point of the story, the characters were all unlikeable and the plot was bland. I kept waiting for the payoff (anything!!) but alas nothing came to fruition. I did get creepy vibes and felt sorry for the strangers with their loneliness and trauma. I just felt as though there could have been so much more done with this story.

* Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes *

Very creepy story, centered on the Krampus, a new to me creature that deals with the naughty ones at Christmas. It is a short read, but kept me on my edge the whole time. Lucky girl indeed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.


Description from NetGalley:
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.

I’m not sure what I read. I feel like what I was being told the novella was about and what I read are two different things, especially because what drew me to the story was Krampus. However, Krampus is not really in this story. The time jumps were confusing as well.

Overall: 2/5

This was a pretty cool story, I loved the dual storylines, giving us the extra insight to how she got where she was and what sparked her creativity. I really loved the twist at the end.

It's the perfect book once spooky szn comes round. Not as much gothic atmosphere in the middle of summer; but quick and not terribly inventive but fun all the same.

I hated this. There is zero depth or shading to any of the characters, and because it's so short, it moves too quickly for the events and character motivations to really sink in or, in some cases, even make sense.

And what a misleading title; there is only a metaphorical Krampus here, which is not what I signed up for.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!!

This was such a good Krampus story. I realized, while speaking with a friend, that Christmas horror isn't as well known as I thought. I love the relationship between Christmas and horror particularly by bringing this feverishly happy time of year together with this genre which creates such a disconcerting effect.

This short tale pulled me along and had me leaning into the pages as if I would fall in. Starting with the group of friends brought together by similar states of loneliness during a few holiday seasons seeming easy yet also creepy in a way, along with the story of the main character's past, there was barely time to catch my breath before plummeting into that brilliant ending.

Definitely recommend this for fans of horror!

Out September 13, 2022!

The book had a very confusing beginning with the setting, at one point they were in an apartment, at another they were in a diner? The story didn't capture my attention at all.

Lucky Girl is a novella that follows five individuals as they spend the holidays together. The story is told from the perspective of Ro, a struggling writer who has is also struggling personally to get over a tragic circumstance from her childhood. I don't want to say too much since the story is short.

Overall, I found this story to be a tense, entertaining read. There is an underlying tension present throughout the story that kept me feeling uneasy but not scared. A good portion of the story does play on the fact that these five individuals don't really know each other very well -- they are acquaintances at best. I think this adds to the tension.

There is also a little bit of a timeline from Ro's past, which further develops her character's background.

I didn't think that the story fit squarely into Halloween or Christmas in terms of atmosphere. The story does take a large portion of time around the Christmas holiday, but it certainly didn't feel holly or jolly. Though Krampus does play a role in the story, I would not say it is the immediate focus.

In the end, I thought this was an entertaining read that would be great if you're looking for something quick but tension-filled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the advanced review copy.

A struggling writer recounts how she became a writer... and how Krampus has come for her. This is a brilliant take on the Krampus story. The story follows Ro, a struggling writer who has experienced a horrific childhood trauma that has left her hating Christmas but suddenly finds herself celebrating Christmas with four other strangers... a tradition that spans across years... each year they meet up and bring gifts for each other that they have stolen. Yet as the years go on Ro finally makes it as a horror writer and some of the friends in the group die... and after so many years the group decides to come celebrate Christmas together again but something much more sinister is going on and there is a killer amongst them. This was a brilliant and fun Christmas horror story and I loved how it weaved the past and the present into it. It also added such a nice touch of Krampus horror to it! Seriously would recommend for all my horror fans out there!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This holiday horror novella has stories within stories and packs a punch at the ending!

It’s hard to pinpoint some details due to the story within a story aspect and the pacing is a bit off. This would be a killer slow burn if it was fleshed out into a full novel.

It’s a three star read that was fun and easy to get through.

**Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Tor for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Lucky Girl How I Became a Horror Writer (A Krampus Story) by M. Rickert is like a few short stories about Christmas and "friends" that are blended into a novel. Ms Rickert did an excellent job of weaving the stories together but I read the last page wishing it wasn't over, I wanted to know more. I want to thank NetGalley and Tor Dot Com for an early copy to review.

I truly wish that any aspect of this book had been enjoyable. I was hoping for a trope-y holiday horror romp of sorts, but the reality was more bad Lifetime Channel thriller in novella form. I personally did not enjoy the writing style, characters, or paper-thin plot. The canned psychoanalysis and weird pseudoscience about "psychopaths" and sociopaths" were both boring and downright offensive. I've never left a one-star review for an ARC before, but I could not conscience giving this any more than that.

I always find reviewing novellas really difficult. This one seems even harder for some reason. I think having it labeled a horror is a little misleading. It's more a short story thriller I think. The pace felt off, but I think thats due to it being so short. I think this story really would have benefited from being a full length book. There were so many details and more back story that I would have loved. Overall, it kept me entertained enough to finish in one sitting, but the ending was predictable and it really wasn't that "scary".

it starts out like how most horror stories do, a group of lonely strangers tell a scary story on Christmas and it kind of gives you like a tell a scary story around the campfire but Christmas version.

"Don’t you realize that evil people are fully capable of doing good things? I mean, how do you think they hide in plain sight? They wear a mask of normal.”

i like horror stories and i love christmas so hey the two of these together why not? i felt that this book is a spooky fun quick read.

A quick holiday horror read that would be a pleasant surprise for any reader who longs for the dark nights of winter. This story is well-paced, and the ending packs a punch.

Huge thank you to Tordotcom for offering an advance copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.