Tag: Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty: A Review

“I don’t get the obsession with strangers, her first husband, Sol, once said to her, and Frances had struggled to explain that strangers were by definition interesting. It was their strangeness. The not-knowing. Once you knew everything there was to know about someone, you were generally ready to divorce them.” – Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine strangers. Ten days at a remote health resort. All of them are looking to transform their lives at the hands of Masha, the resort’s owner who promises to help them achieve their potential. Each guest arrives with their own hopes and goals, but within days, they are questioning the wisdom of having given themselves over to Masha and her unorthodox “treatments” in their desire to change their lives.

This novel follows the style of Moriarty’s other books. There is a sharp sense of wit as Moriarty takes tongue-in-cheek aim at health resorts, romance novels and our desire for “happily every after” endings but beneath the surface runs a dark undercurrent of obsession, loss and madness. I always enjoy the way that Moriarty is able to take everyday characters – in this case, a novelist, a lawyer, or a teacher – and put them in circumstances that are exceptional to create tension and suspense. Her books are fun, scary and clever.

Nine Perfect Strangers is not my favorite of Moriarty’s novels (although I know some people who think it’s her best so far). I liked the characters and I’m not going to spoil any surprises but I will say that there is a point in the novel for me where the plot came very close to jumping the shark. Regardless, this book was a page-turner and all of the characters do leave Tranquillum House transformed, just not in the ways they expected. The novel is about change – what drives us to change and what holds us back. Moriarty examines how much of life is what happens to us, and how much is shaped by how we handle those events.  But don’t expect this novel to leave you with positive affirmations or new yoga poses … the changes the characters experience come through adversity, not meditation or spa massages.

If you are looking for a novel that is pure entertainment, then this would be a good choice. Until next time, happy reading!

December Line Up

OK, so, have you ever heard of Jolabokaflod? If you haven’t, get ready for this: it’s an Icelandic traditional that roughly translates to ‘the Christmas book flood’. It turns out that every year, publishers in Iceland release their new titles in the run-up to Christmas (side note: turns out the Icelandic are a very bookish people). So every year, the ‘Book Bulletin’ – a catalogue of the new books – is published and then everyone spends the next several weeks going through it and deciding what books they are going to give (and hope to get) for Jolabokaflod. Which is all very nice except I haven’t gotten to the best part – on Christmas Eve, Icelanders exchange books and chocolate and then sit around in their pjs reading their new books and eating their new chocolate. HOW GREAT IS THAT? So while I clearly do not need any new books this Christmas (don’t take that as a hint not to get me any), I thought I would go through my TRP and choose the books I would most like to read for the December Line Up – a little early Jolabokaflod gift to myself. So without further ado, here goes:

December 1: The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

This is the ninth novel in Bradley’s Flavia de Luce mystery series. Flavia is a twelve year old chemistry genius with a penchant for solving murders. I love Bradley’s novels because they are darkly comedic and while they play with conventions of British mystery novels, they are not at all predictable. And … Bradley’s next novel in the series is coming out in January so I really do need to get a move on.

December 8: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This one came up on so many “best of 2018” lists this year that I felt like I had to read it. The novel follows the stories of two families who are connected but ultimately divided by a community conflict. It deals with the price of secrets, the nature of art and identity and the dangers that come from following the rules.

December 15: Half Spent Was the Night by Ami McKay

I really enjoyed Ami McKay’s novels The Birth House and The Virgin Cure. This novella follows the three witches from Witches of New York (which is also in the TRP) in the nights between Christmas a New Year’s. They receive an invitation to attend a New Year’s masquerade ball at the home of a stranger – and as the witches go into the New York night to meet their mysterious host, they may be facing unknown dangers.

December 22: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

I think I’m at the point where Liane Moriarty could publish the phone book and I might buy it. I have really enjoyed her other novels which are big, generous, gossipy stories set in contemporary Australia. In this novel, nine people gather at Tranquillum House, a health resort, to recover from what ails them. The main character, Frances, is soon fascinated by the houses’ owner. Within days, all the guests are asking, should they surrender to the “recovery” that Tranquillum House offers, or run while they still can?

December 29: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

This one came recommended by a friend. The House at Riverton reminds me of The Thirteenth Tale – a story line that shifts between the early twentieth century and the contemporary world, a shocking death and secrets revealed. It sounds like the perfect book for unraveling in front of a warm fire over the holidays.

I am really excited for this month’s books. If you are planning on reading along, let me know. Happy Jolabokaflod, everyone. I wish you books and chocolate this holiday.