REVIEW || ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ by Liane Moriarty
Heavy feelings of ‘meh’ and ‘why though?’ I went into this one a little wary after hearing my sister’s DNF reasons but I thought hey, it’s Liane Moriarty, an author I love. I felt I owed it to her to see it through to the end. I hate to say it, but this one just didn’t do anything for me. It wasn’t bad, by any means. But it wasn’t exactly good either.
★★[2.5] Stars
“Sometimes your life changes so slowly and imperceptibly that you don't notice it at all until one day you wake up and think, 'How did I get here?’”
—Liane Moriarty
★★.5
2.5/5 Stars
Heavy feelings of ‘meh’ and ‘why though?’ I went into this one a little wary after hearing my sister’s DNF reasons, but I thought hey, it’s Liane Moriarty, an author I love [scroll down for a few of my personal favorites], so I felt I owed it to her to see it through to the end. Also I’m a serial book-finisher regardless of my love/hate relationship with it.
Side note: do I realize that’s ridiculous and not serving me in any way and not the best use of my time? Yes, yes I do. It’s a control freak thing. I’m perfectly happy being my own breed of crazy over here.
I digress - now back to your regularly scheduled programming. I hate to say it, but this one just didn’t do anything for me. It wasn’t bad, by any means. But it wasn’t exactly good either…
PLOT SPOT
Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? These nine perfect strangers are about to find out...
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer—or should she run while she still can?
It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.
WHAT WORKED
1. The Marconi Family.
If I’m being completely honest, I read the book as quickly as I did just because of their story line. It was heartbreakingly tragic, but also beautifully real. This is where Moriarty shines; it’s the reason I keep coming back for more every time. She was able to perfectly explain a horrible experience from 3 different perspectives and provide character development/growth for each of them. The addition of anecdotal details [like Zoe singing/not singing in the shower] made me feel like I was a part of their lives, like I really had a lens into this tight-knit, broken family. Unsure how I feel about Zoe’s conclusion, but I loved the final scenes with Heather/Napoleon. Confession: I cried. Just a little.
WHAT STRUGGLED
1. The rest of the characters were deplorable. And this is saying a lot because I usually LOVE unreliable narrators and broken protagonists. But lord help me, these people just ticked me off.
I’m not even sure where to start. Frances is a hot mess [literally and emotionally] who just made me cringe more times than I can count. My inner southern soul just wanted to interject and say ‘bless your heart, please stop.’ Tony is angry and brutish but then somehow becomes flirty and chivalrous? Ben is [pardon my French] kind of an a-hole who further perpetuates his wife’s deep-seated insecurities and shames her for her obsession with money/fame/possessions while ironically putting more time and attention into his bougie car. [He made me the most angry - I could spend a lot of time on my issues with that man-child.] The wellness retreat owner suffers from serious mental health issues which are ignored by literally EVERYONE. I can’t. I’m getting fired up just thinking about all the ways I wanted to scream at these people at some point or another. Makes me want to add a warning label to this book: “Readers with high blood pressure, beware.”
2. The actual transformation is condensed to a mere fraction of a 400+ page book. And those characters DESPERATELY needed redemption.
So much of the book is setting the stage from different perspectives, so we get a lot of repeat information. While the backstories for each character are necessary, so much of their time at the spa felt like filler. The meat of the story, the growth and development of these painfully annoying souls, is left as an afterthought in the final few chapters. Short, clipped chapters, might I add. We get an ungodly 10+ pages of Frances hot flashing and not understanding how to work the gate code, but then we’re cheated at the end and given only 20 pages to figure out the fate of the 230971 characters. [hyperbole is the PB to my J - don’t @ me]
3. The flippancy with which mental health is regarded.
Or disregarded, for that matter. Every single character needs a psychologist/psychiatrist. I get that we could all benefit from a little therapy, but these people REALLY need therapy. Way more than they need a recharge/retreat weekend at a health resort. And not one time did we really hear that pushed or encouraged. One character experiences enough growth to acknowledge their need for it, but that’s it. Some of the issues or struggles we see in the characters are unfortunately extremely common. And often times ignored or swept under the rug in everyday life. Self-harm/suicidal thoughts, self-esteem issues, body dysmorphia, depression, anxiety, drug addiction, narcissism, abandonment or attachment issues, trouble with denial, acceptance, avoidance etc. I feel it was Moriarty’s job to at least address it, but instead we’re presented with an unrealistic, too-perfect-and-tidy-and-neat ending.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Long story short: did I love this book? Nope. Will I continue reading Moriarty books? Hard yes. One less-than-perfect story doth not a failure make. But I can say that if you plan on binging the new “Nine Perfect Strangers” series set to hit Hulu this month, it’s worth a read first.
MY FAVORITE LIANE MORIARTY BOOKS
REVIEW || ‘The Push’ by Ashley Audrain
This may be one of the most difficult books I've ever read. I knew going in that I was either going to overwhelmingly love it or hate it/struggle finishing it. And admittedly I wasn't sure which way I was swaying as I devoured it. Now that I've finished, I can't get it out of my brain...and that's how I know it's one of my favorite books of 2021.
★★★★★[5] Stars
“A mother’s heart breaks a million ways in her lifetime.”
—Ashley Audrain
★★★★★
5/5 Stars
This may be one of the most difficult books I've ever read. I knew going in that I was either going to overwhelmingly love it or hate it/struggle finishing it. And admittedly I wasn't sure which way I was swaying as I devoured it. Now that I've finished, I can't get it out of my brain...and that's how I know it's one of my favorite books of 2021.
PLOT SPOT
Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.
But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter–she doesn’t behave like most children do.
Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.
Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.
The Push is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.
WINS
Different POV style. It's meant to be read like one long letter from the protagonist to her ex-husband. A memoir, of sorts. It gives a very different perspective than a typical complex thriller [which BTW I wouldn't necessarily consider this a thriller - more suspenseful/dark/complex/psychological]. It also provides the perfect backdrop for you as the reader to question each and every thing you read. You're basically told from the get-go that this is just one side of the following story. Which perfectly segues into point 2...
Unreliable narrator. I understand why so many people dislike unreliable narrators, but I personally LOVE stories with a questionable protagonist. To me, it feels like a gift from the author. A sense of blind trust given to you by the architect of the story. In this case, Ashley Audrain gave us a beautifully woven tapestry with pieces of fact and fiction, truth and doubt seamlessly intersecting and blending throughout. But she trusted us as the readers to sift through the information and formulate our own opinion of what really happened. What's fact and what's fiction? What's real and what's imagined
Short, easy-to-read chapters. Because of the psychological nature of this book, I really enjoyed the creative touch Audrain used with chapter structure. Each subsequent installment felt like a memory or a fleeting thought of a desperate, heartbroken, lost, sad woman/mother/wife/daughter. Crazed to find the truth. Or to at least make her story heard and seen. I almost imagined myself as Blythe, writing my memoir spanning the events over the past 20+ years of my life. Reliving the heart break, the pain, the joy [which had to be equally as painful]. I can imagine I'd be frantic. Short. Clipped. Quickly flying from thought to thought in a desperate attempt to recount absolutely everything. Everything that might have contributed to the here and now. It was an absolutely brilliant tactic not lost on me.
LOSSES
Connection between final chapter and epilogue. We’re left with a year and a half in between the final chapter and the epilogue. I understand how all the characters reached that point and I have my opinions on why the main character switched her stance on going to therapy, but I wish a little more had been added to explain the work done mentally/emotionally to get to that place.
The very quick, slight mention of Blythe’s mother and what became of her. For someone who was so instrumental in forging the psyche of our protagonist, I felt the story just glossed over her fate like an afterthought.
Fox’s mother. I can’t get over her character because I’m so torn between wanting to love her and give her the benefit of the doubt, but also hating her and wanting to scream at her to be better. To not dig her head in the sand and say something when she noticed it. To recognize pain and suffering and in Blythe’s time of need, to be more maternal and loving than she was.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Anyone who enjoys dark psychological suspense that makes you think and leaves you feeling haunted long afterwards NEEDS to read this book. Now. But beware of the following triggers [because Audrain did such a phenomenal job writing & they are extremely hard to experience]: child loss, psychosis, gaslighting, psychological/emotional/verbal/mental/physical abuse, neglect, self-harm, depression, violence, sociopathy, adultery.
FOR FANS OF
REVIEW || ‘Darling Rose Gold’ by Stephanie Wrobel
I'm so torn on how I feel about this book right now. Did parts of it make me want to sink down in my shirt, hide away in cringeworthy horror and shower after I finished it? Yes, yes they did. But did I also obsess over it every second until I finished? 1000x yes.
★★★[3.5] Stars
“That’s what separates the sane from the not: knowing madness is an option but declining to choose it.”
—Stephanie Wrobel
★★★.5
3.5/5 Stars
Holy dysfunctional and damaged and broken and conniving and twisted, Batman. I'm so torn on how I feel about this book right now. Did parts of it make me want to sink down in my shirt, hide away in cringeworthy horror and shower after I finished it? Yes, yes they did. But did I also obsess over it every second until I finished? 1000x yes.
It's one of those reads where you almost feel guilty for loving it and enjoying it so much because the subject matter is dark, every character is super flawed and hard to root for, and it highlights retribution and revenge for a cathartic cleanse. But that being said, I did love it. I loved the writing. I loved the imagery. I loved the insight into the psychological breakdown of both minds. You're not just seeing the story from one side or another - you're given a front-row seat into the minds of both the abuser and the victim, and the character representing each of those tropes shifts throughout the book. You don't know who to root for, and once it's over, you'll have trouble figuring out which way is 'up.'
PLOT SPOT
For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.
Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.
After serving five years in prison, Patty begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. And Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...
And she's waited such a long time for her mother to come home.
WINS
-alternating viewpoints between mother/daughter; great insight into both sides and phenomenal job at crafting the language for each character [inner dialogue was completely different for mother/daughter in terms of vocabulary, sentence structure, confidence, optimism/pessimism, etc.]
-it makes you think about how you'd react in this situation; I questioned so many things I thought I knew about myself and my personality. I honestly don't know what I would've done in Rose Gold's shoes.
-Rose Gold [finding inner confidence in her appearance and wearing/carrying her scars proudly (hide spoiler)]
-hella beautiful cover; might be my favorite on my bookshelf
LOSSES
-lots of heavy, heavy content [[abuse, trauma, poisoning, unhealthy family dynamics, suicide] (hide spoiler)]; key to the story, but the reader never gets a break from it
-a few details left unexplained [[eyes in the window specifically] (hide spoiler)]
-ending felt super rushed where other chapters provided extensive detail
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I loved it. I'm telling my sisters about it and passing it on to them. If you can get past the triggering aspects of the book, it's a very enjoyable read that'll leave you thinking for days to come.
FOR FANS OF
REVIEW || ‘Mexican Gothic’ by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
I’m not sure if I’m still in shock and awe at it’s majesty or if I’m completely horrified - and that’s how I know Mexican Gothic was an absolutely perfect read.
★★★★★[5] Stars
“She was the snake biting its tail. She was a dreamer, eternally bound to a nightmare, eyes closed even when her eyes had turned to dust.”
-Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
★★★★★
5/5 Stars
I’m not sure if I’m still in shock and awe at its majesty or if I’m completely horrified - and that’s how I know Mexican Gothic was an absolutely perfect read. This book gave me serious du Maurier vibes, so picture a very similar atmospheric, gothic novel with the classic tropes of Rebecca but with a splash of eugenics, psychedelic mushrooms and dark alchemy. Sounds dark and twisted and creepy, doesn’t it? Hint: it SO is. But it’s also much, much more.
Plot spot:
Noemi Taboada is a wealthy socialite from Mexico City, and the story starts with her father sending her on a rescue mission of sorts. Noemi’s cousin, Catalina, has written a rather crazed letter that seems like the rantings of a mentally ill individual. She mentions the house has ahold of her - she talks of hauntings, poisonings, rot and decay, etc. So naturally, Noemi’s father sends her to investigate, assess the situation and to bring Catalina home to receive psychiatric treatment. What Noemi finds at High Place, the home Catalina, her husband Virgil and his dark&twisted family share, is so far beyond anything she could have ever imagined. And the longer she stays, the more she realizes Catalina really isn’t crazy after all.
Top 3 Reasons I Loved It:
1. Supernatural elements fit together perfectly and were horrifically believable.
Normally I don’t gravitate towards anything with supernatural or other world-ly vibes, but this book may have changed my ways. While it was still a complete mind-blow, the intricacy and details with which Moreno-Garcia developed the supernatural elements played out beautifully and made complete sense [which added even more to the horror].
2. The haunting descriptions are an assault on the senses [smell, sight, taste, touch] in ALL the right ways. You can smell the room with Noemi, picture it, taste it and even imagine how things felt in her hands. I can't. It's so, so beautiful.
Colorful descriptions and haunting metaphors really set the scene and create the aura of darkness infused in High Place. There were pages I re-read by choice just to ensure I was painting the proper picture of the beautifully rotten and decaying world in my mind. The author’s use of color as a tool really allows readers to paint the scene alongside her. And not just with piece-parts, but with vivid clarity and understanding of the scene around them. I almost felt like I was reading a movie, if that makes sense…? [probably not, but go with it]
3. Hella-great character development at an appropriate and sensical pace.
Don’t you hate when authors try to throw character development in at the end? We’ve all seen it…feels like an afterthought and leaves you feeling angry that they even bothered. Well that’s so far from the case in this one. At first, Noemi appeared to be a spoiled, naive heroine who thought of few others but herself. But my opinion of her changed at a very appropriate and enjoyable pace throughout the book. By the end, it’s hard not to openly cheer for her and applaud her bravery and bad-a**ery and overall girl boss status.
Final Thoughts
I’m sure you’ve all seen that Mexican Gothic was a Goodreads Reader’s Choice Winner in 2020. And I’m sure you’ve heard about it, read a lot of reviews or seen the beautiful cover on 1000+ #bookstagram posts. I realize I’m not the end all be all here, but don’t pick up another book from your TBR shelf until you devour this one. Things that go ‘bump’ in the night will suddenly take on a whole new meaning, and I promise this is one story that will leave you haunted, yet desperately wanting more.
REVIEW || 'The Girl Before' by Rena Olsen
“So how can my normal not be normal? If it is what has always been, isn’t that normal? And how can that be wrong?”
★★★★★ [5] Stars
“So how can my normal not be normal? If it is what has always been, isn’t that normal? And how can that be wrong?”
★★★★★
5/5 Stars
Holy dark&twisted, Batman! I consider myself a psychological thriller aficionado (because really, in this day and age, who isn’t?!), but “The Girl Before” took that genre to an entirely different level — and in the best way.
Without giving too much away, I can tell you the story revolves around Clara Lawson, a 23 year-old girl who finds herself taken from her home and led to a room for questioning. As she’s dragged from her home, she hears her husband urge her to stay quiet and say nothing…The chapters alternate between “now” and “then” to paint a perfect picture of Clara’s dark, disturbing reality.
Olsen does a brilliant job bringing Clara’s emotions and inner turmoil to life. Often times, I find myself wanting more in psychological thriller protagonists — more development, more raw emotions, more believable scenarios. “The Girl Before” left me with NONE of those feelings. Clara’s development through the novel progressed (and regressed) appropriately, and to me, it was exactly as it should be for a protagonist in her shoes. I don’t know that I would have changed a thing about the novel, and that’s a rare statement coming from me.
I hate that I read this so soon after it was published…now I’ll have to wait a hot minute for her next book. Good thing every author is on the dark & twisty bandwagon and there are (quite literally) thousands of options to keep me occupied through at least 2025.
**Sidebar: while this novel is amazing in every way, it does touch on some serious themes including rape, murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, prostitution and abuse. If any of these are triggers for you, I’d recommend skipping this read.