🍀 Book Review: Best of Luck by Jason Mott (Kindle Edition, Creature Feature Collection)
A darkly comic and emotionally charged tale of envy, fate, and unraveling friendship—Jason Mott delivers a punchy short story that reads like a twisted parable with a supernatural sting.
🧠 Overview
Published in September 2023 as part of Amazon Original Stories’ Creature Feature Collection, Best of Luck is a 29-page horror short story by Jason Mott, the National Book Award–winning author of Hell of a Book. The story centers on Will, a man plagued by misfortune, grief, and illness, who confronts his lifelong best friend Barry, a man blessed with seemingly endless good luck.
In a tense, gunpoint standoff, Will demands a confession: that Barry has somehow siphoned all the luck out of him. What begins as a bitter accusation spirals into a surreal and unsettling exploration of friendship, resentment, and the mysterious forces that shape our lives.
✨ Key Themes & Highlights
- 🎯 Luck as currency: The story treats luck as a tangible, transferrable force—one that can be stolen, hoarded, or weaponized
- 🧍♂️ Friendship gone sour: Will and Barry’s decades-long bond is dissected with raw emotion and psychological tension
- 🔫 Single-setting intensity: The entire story unfolds in one room, heightening the claustrophobia and emotional stakes
- 💬 Mott’s voice: Witty, sharp, and emotionally resonant—balancing suspense with philosophical undertones
“All that the destitute, sickly, and grieving Will demands is that monstrously successful Barry admit to draining all the luck right out of him. Like blood.” — Goodreads summary
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.73/5 from over 11,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers praise the story’s original premise, emotional depth, and Tales from the Crypt–style vibe
- 🧾 Some felt the supernatural element was underexplored, but most found the psychological tension compelling
- 💬 “You don’t know who’s telling the truth, but you’re pulled into the fallout between best friends that took a wrong turn.” — The Review Geek
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At under 30 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a character study with a speculative twist
- 📚 Ambiguous morality: The story invites readers to choose sides, but leaves room for doubt and interpretation
- 🧾 Part of a collection: One of six stories in the Creature Feature series, each exploring eerie, character-driven horror
🏁 Final Verdict
Best of Luck is a tense and thought-provoking short story that turns envy into existential horror. Jason Mott’s writing is sharp and emotionally layered, making this a standout entry in the Creature Feature Collection. Perfect for fans of psychological suspense with a supernatural edge—and anyone who’s ever wondered if luck is more than just chance.
