I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle Published by Tor Nightfire on August 12 2025
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
The nitty-gritty: Chuck Tingle mixes absurdity and heartfelt emotion in this story about saving the world, a weird (and sometimes confusing) mash-up of sci-fi and horror.
Chuck Tingle always comes up with unexpected ideas, and Lucky Day might be his most original and unusual book yet. First a confession: I nearly set this book aside. The first fifty pages or so are waaay over the top wacky, and I don’t always do well with “wacky.” But luckily, once you get past the first section, the main plot kicks in and I ended up having fun with it.
Statistician Vera Norrie is celebrating the launch of her new book with friends and family when the world erupts into a series of bizarre and deadly events. Later dubbed the Low-Probability Event (LPE), almost eight million people ended up dying in weird and horrifying ways: fish rained from the sky and cause accidents, an escaped chimpanzee bashed people’s heads in with a typewriter, and a huge parade balloon soared overhead with lifeless bodies dangling from its ropes. Vera’s mother was one of the casualties, but Vera managed to escape.
Now, four years later, she’s become a shell of her former self. She holes up in a dilapidated apartment, barely rising from the bed except to eat and stare out the window. After all, what’s the point? The world as we knew it is over, and Vera’s life has become meaningless. But one day she answers a knock on her door. Agent Jonah Layne works for the LPEC—Low Probability Event Commission—and he has a theory that a particular organization might be responsible for the LPE. Vera just happened to write her book on Everett Vacation and Entertainment, a corrupt company operating out of Las Vegas, and Agent Layne thinks she’s the perfect person to help him uncover the truth.
But it turns out Low Probability Events are still happening, and Vera might be the only person brave enough to stop them for good.
Yes, this story is weird and over-the-top crazy, but it’s grounded by Vera, a relatable, real character with plenty of flaws. Vera turned out to be the best part of Lucky Day, for me at least. I love that she’s a bit OCD and likes order and predictability, so the LPE upends her life in terrible ways. She’s also bi, and she struggles with friends and family members who can’t respect (or even acknowledge) her choices. When she meets Agent Layne, she’s given the chance to use her skills to take down an evil empire, basically, and it gives her a reason to keep going. We also know that Vera is engaged to a woman named Annie, and after the LPE Vera takes off and cuts all contact with her friends and family, even Annie (who survives). A big part of the story is Vera working her way back mentally to having relationships again, and I thought it was well done.
Tingle includes lots of tongue-in-cheek commentary and humor, especially when Vera and Layne get to Vegas. Vegas is famous for being over-the-top anyway, and the author uses it to his advantage. Four leaf clovers, a lucky penny, and famous songs about luck that just happen to be playing in the casinos (Frank Sinatra’s “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” for one) add ambiance to the story, and Vera’s statistical knowledge about luck and predictability are perfect elements for the Vegas setting.
And if random, weird deaths aren’t enough, there’s even a subplot that seemed to come out of nowhere involving Area 51 and aliens (which I think is the point—the story is about unpredictability). The author adds other sci-fi touches, like something called a “plot hole,” lol. I won’t spoil what a plot hole is, but it plays an important part at the end of the story.
There’s lots of graphic violence, so do be aware if that’s a trigger for you. The ridiculousness of the Low Probability Event tempers the impact of all the gore, since it’s hard to take seriously, but it’s there.
Vera finally figures out what to do to stop the LPEs, although the explanation sort of lost me (there’s something about a centipede-looking creature that I never understood!). But I did love the way Tingle ended his story on an emotional note, with Vera coming to terms with how she wants to live her life. Lucky Day is getting a ton of praise and five-star reviews, so even though this wasn’t a runaway hit for me, it might be for you.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
That cover has a lot going on, huh? 😛 It says a lot that you almost set this book aside after the first fifty pages. I don’t think you DNF a lot? I do like that it has tongue-in-cheek commentary since I like that kinda humor a lot but in the end I think this book might be a little too crazy for even me.
I don’t DNF that often, although I should do it more!
Great review – but, I really don’t think this is for me.
Lynn 😀
Yep, it’s a weird one for sure.
I recently listened to an interview with Chuck Tingle. Seems an interesting person and your description of the story seems to perfectly match the personality that came across in the interview.
Chuck Tingle is definitely “interesting.” I read that he wears a pillowcase over his head to help with social anxiety.
This cover is something for sure! I am glad you enjoyed it! I don’t think this would work so well for me, even if it sounds intriguing because it really sounds like it’s totally crazy! Thanks for sharing!!
I love the cover!
Sounds… interesting? Based on what you’ve said, I don’t know that I’d have made it past the first 50 pages. Glad you enjoyed it!
The beginning is so over the top, it’s definitely not going to be for everyone.
I can’t wait to read this 😀 I really liked his other books Bury Your Gays and Camp Damascus, so i have high hopes for this one
I hope you enjoy it!
Glad you enjoyed it, such a weird looking cover.
I think the cover is my favorite part of the book!
Now that’s a cover! After how much I liked Bury Your Gays, I’ll have to try this one too.
I haven’t read Bury Your Gays but I’m curious about it:-)
I am not sure if this would be for me or too weird for my tasta Tammy but I am glad you got to enjoy it!
I enjoyed it! Although it’s not my favorite of his books.
Great review. I’m excited about this one (I’ve pre-ordered it for reading closer to Halloween), but it’s always nice to get a little balance so as not to go in with unrealistic expectations!
I’m so curious to see what you think!
This sounds like a very…odd book! Not sure it’s for me, though it could be fun (?) as an audiobook. I think the narrator might add some interesting inflection and personality that I probably wouldn’t be able to do in my head while reading a physical copy.
I think audio might be fun. Some books are just too off the wall for me, and this fell into that catagory.
I’ve heard mixed things about this one buy may give it a go eventually. I recently read Camp Damascus and enjoyed it. Great review!
I liked Camp Damascus more than this, it was more grounded so I related to it more.
I’ve got to admit that I think this sounds like one of those books that would be too weird for me but I can appreciate how creative and unique the idea sounds. I feel like I may not quite get the pay off/explanation that I’d long for though. And I’ll admit a centipede being part of the solution throws me. Although your review has left me curious about ‘plot holes’
It was such a creative story, but I didn’t quite click with it completely.
I love everything mentioned in this book, even the aliens and area 51! But ugh, why do things have to be unpredictable (and sounds like it’s pretty extreme randomness)? That part might not work so well for me, so I’m torn about picking this one up now.
That is one busy cover! lol. I guess it makes sense some of it might be way over the top like you say. Great review, not sure if it’s one I’d read or not though.
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/09/06/arc-review-girl-goddess-queen-by-bea-fitzgerald/