Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
I was super excited to read this book, mostly because of the author. I loved the show Big Little Lies, so I could tell Moriarty must be a story-telling genius and she proved this to me through this book that I absolutely adored! This book is hilarious, heart-warming, relatable and simply wonderful. I definitely think you should give it a shot if you like books that feature the lives of multiple people and discuss real-life scenarios that occur in people’s lives everyday. It truly makes me smile when I read a book that feels so real even though it’s fiction, because the characters and their lives/struggles are things you could see happening to one of your loved ones. There’s just something super cool about that, to me.
Even though this book features nine main characters, plus a few others here and there, the book focuses mostly on a middle-aged romance author named Frances. Like all of the other eight characters, Frances has decided to go on this wellness retreat in order to relax and decompress. She signs up for the retreat hoping to heal from a terrible relationship gone wrong and maybe even lose a pound of weight or two. The health regimen all of the guests are being put on seems very strict and severe to most of the nine strangers, but they all seem to be handling it incredibly well and are having a wonderful time. The nine strangers soon realize they are in for a rude awakening when they discover just how unorthodox the methods of this Tranquil House are.
You guys know me, I love a good psychological thriller and this one did not disappoint! I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know how it would all turn out. And I truly enjoyed that I got to know and love the characters. Being able to express intimate details about multiple characters within a short (well, 464 pages is short for me but not everyone and that is okay!) chapter book is awesome in my opinion. Especially when it is done as well as Moriarty did it within this book.
One aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is the idea that everyone can overcome any obstacles that are in their way. Whether it is grief and loss or fear and change, etc.
Another thing that really sold me on this novel was the humor throughout it. Lots of really witty pop culture references, a bit of NSFW language and just a lot of funny remarks that really resonated with me. I love to laugh and I am always amazed by a book being able to cause such a pure emotional response. Topics discussed in the work include talk about familial issues, marriage issues, body image issues, commitment issues, trust issues and more. Definitely feel like a lot of adults and even young adults like myself can relate to the scenarios that are discussed in this book. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone in feeling these things!
Reading about the beautiful and pure connections/relationships these strangers develop with each other in such a short time really touched me. I don’t know if it is because I have been so starved for human interaction during this pandemic and social distancing time or what (LOL), but it really did! I wish we could set aside our differences and just focus on all of our similarities more in our society so we could experience the value and love that human interaction brings. Maybe this is just the extrovert in me talking but I believe we truly need people in our lives in order to fully enrich it. Without other people and learning about their experiences, life would be a lot more boring and scary, to be honest. Like I said earlier, it is so nice and so important to know that you aren’t alone in the world or in your feelings and emotions that might sometimes seem “abnormal”. This book really expressed this idea through the stranger’s friendships that grew from acquaintanceships and it reaffirmed the importance of friendship and relationships to me.
Something else that I found to be super interesting is that a lot of book lovers online that I have met through this blog absolutely hated this book. Most didn’t even finish it! So going into this, I was a little taken aback. But I can honestly say before I was even halfway finished with the book, I was hooked and I have no idea why people didn’t like it. The twist is a bit unique, but I think that’s what makes it so cool and exciting. Plus - the book is set in Australia and most of the people I spoke with about it are American. Perhaps the people who I spoke to have a hard time connecting with things outside of their realm. Nevertheless, I loved it and recommend it to all who love a good twist!
I chose this quote because it encapsulates a main idea within this story. All of these people are coming from different backgrounds and wanting to completely change their lives because they aren’t at a place where they want to be.
“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?' But other times, life changes in an instant with a lightning stroke of good or bad luck with glorious or tragic consequences.”
I think all of us can identify with this feeling of disappointment or disbelief that we aren’t where we thought we would be at whatever stage in our lives we’re currently in. But, what I loved about this book was how each of these people grew from these experiences and gained positive new outlooks on life. Especially right now as we are all dealing with a pandemic, I think we could all use a good, positive outlook on our lives and cut ourselves some slack for just waking up every morning. We are living through some tough, unprecedented situations and that is not easy. We are all doing great and we should all be proud of ourselves!!
Final, Personal Opinion of the Book
This book was great!! I loved it, it made me laugh and cry and I definitely did not see the twist coming. It was unique, relatable and witty and I truly enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. I had a good feeling about Moriarty, but now I am utterly impressed and can’t wait to begin reading more from her.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Because this book completely wowed me, I give it full marks. I know, you’re probably all thinking I give 5 star ratings a little too easily on this blog. But, I like to think that I just pick out really awesome winners to read and share with you guys ;) this book is wonderful in every aspect and I recommend it to all psychological thriller lovers and people who just love a feel good story with a little bit of a kick to it!
