Luckiest Girl Alive is the debut novel by American novelist Jessica Knoll. It was published in 2015, at which time Knoll was working as an editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. The novel sold well, and made the New York Times Bestsellers List. The novel also struck a chord with readers who had experienced rape and sexual assault; while promoting the novel, Knoll was often asked about the source of her inspiration for the novel's plot. Initially, Knoll did not reveal the autobiographical elements of the novel (like her protagonist, Knoll was a survivor of sexual violence during her high school years). In 2016, almost a year after the novel was published, Knoll published an essay in the online Lenny Letter (founded by actor Lena Dunham). In this essay, Knoll revealed her own story; she had never publicly shared this information before, and later stated that her own brother did not know about these events when she published the essay. Knoll later explained that she wanted to tell the truth to her readers and share with them that the experiences of her protagonist were modeled after true events in the author's life.
The novel, which is part mystery and part thriller, follows the protagonist Ani Fanelli as she attempts to reinvent herself following a traumatic adolescence. As a teenager, Ani experienced both a school shooting and a gang rape, traumas that continue to haunt her in her adult life. Despite her seemingly perfect life now – she is engaged to a wealthy man named Luke and works at a popular women's magazine in New York City – the events of Ani's past leave her questioning whether this is really the life she wants for herself.
The film rights to the novel were purchased in 2015. Knoll wrote the screenplay adaptation for the novel, and also worked as a producer. The film adaptation stars actress Mila Kunis and premiered on Netflix in 2022.
