Any literature student who has considered a career in writing has dreamed of getting his or her MFA --- to some, a useless degree; to others, a necessary step on the path to fame and glory. Entrance into a reputable MFA program is not just confirmation of talent, but the promise of acclaim. However, for the students of the prestigious Fielding, getting their MFAs will require grit, empathy and a capacity for storytelling far beyond the confines of the page. In Caroline Zancan’s latest novel, four years of graduate students become obsessed with three of their classmates, resulting in a program full of not only academic vigor and strength, but love, death and revenge.

WE WISH YOU LUCK is told from an unusual viewpoint: a group of MFA students telling, primarily, the story of Leslie, Hannah and Jimmy, three of their most brilliant classmates. They are not reporting directly from Fielding, but rather looking back years after an “incident.” Though they do not immediately reveal what occurred during their fateful years as graduate students, it is clear that it was something formative, something that bound them all together for years after graduation. So what is it, then, that made Leslie, Hannah and Jimmy so memorable, and why do their classmates --- all authors themselves --- feel the need to tell this particular story?

"WE WISH YOU LUCK is a slow burn suspense story, made sharper and more immediate by its characters.... Zancan possesses a keen mind and a writing style that, while reminiscent of authors like Sally Rooney and Lauren Groff, is entirely her own."

If there is an immediate standout of the Fielding class, it is, without a doubt, brash, occasionally rude and always inaccessible Leslie. From the moment she bursts into the campus’s most distinguished professor’s class --- four minutes late, mind you --- she instantly captures her classmates’ attention. But despite her penchant for speaking out of turn, showing up at random times and generally outshining those around her, it is Hannah alone who captivates Leslie. Loyal, confident and timelessly beautiful, Hannah is everything the students of Fielding wish they could be, and she is the perfect foil to Leslie. Within moments, the two become best friends, though because no one else is allowed into their tight inner circle, it is never quite clear why or how.

Rounding out the twosome’s tight-knit friendship is Jimmy, one of the most enigmatic creatures on campus. When he is not in class, he is sound asleep somewhere on the grounds, likely curled into a tiny ball that seems impossible given his tall, lanky frame. Unlike the others --- married accountants, harried mothers and young publishing hopefuls --- Jimmy seems to have come from the ether, his only personal information a P.O. Box in Nowheresville, USA. His entire person screams of a history of abuse; he is the wounded puppy we all dream of saving. But at the same time, Jimmy holds a quiet brilliance. His poetry, though unread and dismissed by some, is considered by a majority of the students to be the kind of writing that pushes words against each other in innovative yet unpretentious ways, all the while revealing universal truths that move even the most aloof of readers.

Shy and unassuming, Jimmy is bonded to Hannah and Leslie by his love of Hannah, a quality that, rather than pushing him against Leslie, unites him with her. Together, the three students elude and fascinate their classmates, setting the stage for an unforgettable program.

With only 10 days per semester, and the rest of the program taking place remotely, there is little time for anything but adoration and the sort of instant bonds that are birthed in places like summer camps to form. But the careful balance of the Fielding freshman class is upended by the arrival of Simone, the youngest and most recently bestselling professor. Brilliant, acclaimed and in possession of cheekbones that could cut glass, Simone is someone the students are all desperate to know. But when Jimmy sees through her intelligent yet likeably effusive facade, he puts a target on his back, revealing the malicious and jealous nature of his erstwhile applauded professor.

WE WISH YOU LUCK is a slow burn suspense story, made sharper and more immediate by its characters. They are all writers themselves, so the ways that they share stories, swap dialogue and describe events with one another are full of nuance and hidden meanings. Add to that the collegiate setting, and you get the perfect recipe for drama, yet the book is so much more than that. Zancan possesses a keen mind and a writing style that, while reminiscent of authors like Sally Rooney and Lauren Groff, is entirely her own. Every word is carefully selected, and even the most clichéd phrases are brandished expertly, revealing more about her characters than simple descriptions could alone.

More than a retelling of a drama-filled school year, WE WISH YOU LUCK is a sharp critique of academia and the notion that one can “teach” good writing. It is about not only stories, but storytellers, and what binds the two together while angling them apart.