Honest Book Review of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Check out all the ups and downs from Liane Moriarty’s new book Nine Perfect Strangers. From the author of Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty has another page-turning fiction that’s being made into a TV adaptation. Read the book and my full book review here before you watch!
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“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.“
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Full Book Review Without Spoilers
Liane Moriarty’s latest book is about nine strangers at a 10-day retreat which does pull you in at the beginning as a promising plot. All the characters are there for different reasons which makes for an interesting set-up that does make you keep reading as you want to learn more about these characters. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read even if it’s not Moriarty’s best book.
This Liane Moriarty book does make you think after you read the twisty ending and just how the life changes can affect the different characters. I found the ending to be pretty satisfying for all the all the characters involved even though it wasn’t the storybook happy ending.
For being marketed as a thriller/suspense book, the whole first half (even first two-thirds) has very little suspense. Everything happens pretty fast at the end, and it is a good ending. But it does make the middle of the book really drag along.
So, if you like Moriarty’s writing and story-telling, you’ll like this one as well.
Characters
One of Moriarty’s strengths in her writing is her complex characters. Not only are the characters interesting on the surface when we’re first introduced, Moriarty really gives us a complete look into the characters’ heads. She does a great job of making each character deep and complete once you really get to know them.
Plot
The downside of the book for me was the plot. The initial idea is intriguing, but the plot quickly becomes slow and uninviting. The plot twist comes a little too late in the book, so you start to get bored.
Once the plot twist does hit, the end of the book is engaging and probably worth the read in the end if you like Liane Moriarty’s books.
Writing
I think Moriarty has a great writing style for this type of book. The writing is robust, easy to read, and really dives into the character development. However, the plot and pacing of this book makes the writing seem slow in the middle.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
This was an enjoyable book to read, but I thought the suspense came too late. Being locked in the room and the supposed near-death experience of the characters is really when the pace of the book picks up, but that happens towards the end of the book. However, the characters and the set-up are still compelling enough to keep you reading throughout the book.
A lot of times when the secrets were finally revealed, they weren’t as shocking as I would have thought. But they were helpful for better understanding the characters and shaping the completeness of the story.
Nine Perfect Strangers is not the first book I’ve read by Moriarty, so maybe I came in with high expectations of her talented writing. But this wasn’t as good as the other ones I’ve read. I do see how it would make a good screen adaptation if a little more drama or suspense was added. So, if you’re a big fan of Liane Moriarty this is worth the read, but probably won’t be your favorite.
The characters in this book were very well-written, and so different-from a romance novelist, a famous rugby player, a divorced mother, and a rich young couple- that there’s always something interesting about at least one of them going on. I did like the different points of view because we get to hear from lots of different characters and different perspectives. Masha, the leader of the retreat, was also one of the interesting parts of the book because of her way of thinking.
Pros of the Book
One big pro of the book for me was the characters. They were all so different and in-depth that I really wanted to keep reading about them. And I liked how Moriarty ended the story for all of them, even if it wasn’t what was expected.
Another pro of the book is definitely Moriarty’s writing style. While I had a few complaints about the plot, I thought she’s a very enjoyable writer, and, for that reason, I would continue on with her other books.
Cons of the Book
The biggest con for me in this book was the lack of suspense or thrill. For a few chapters when the characters think they’re going to die in the yoga studio, the suspense is pretty high. But that’s a very small percent of the book and happens near the end, so everything before that seems a little boring.
Another con of the book that goes along with the first is the pacing of the book. It does seem slow all throughout the middle, maybe due to the lack of suspense or just lack of things going on. While there’s no shortage of secrets, none of the revealed secrets are truly shocking or compelling to the thriller part of the story.
Conclusion
I think this book is worth reading is you like Liane Moriarty’s other books or you like thriller/suspense that’s not too intense. It’s an enjoyable read, especially because of the writing and the characters, but not the best one in this type of books. I would recommend the book to fans of this specific type of book for sure.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points.
Rating- 3 out of 5 stars
This book got a 3 out of 5 because it has really solid writing and some very well written characters. I liked reading it enough that I finished it pretty easily in just a few sittings. However, there were a few bigger complaints that makes me not love it.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
If you like books that have a mild amount of suspense with nothing too dark or crazy this would be a good pick for you. Additionally, if you liked Moriarty’s other books, you’ll probably like this one, too. This would be a good read if you’re looking for a ‘fun’ thriller or relaxing but page-turning read that’s pretty fast.
What to Read After
Here’s a few suggestions of what to read next if you did like this one. These have the same feel of mild suspense and some really great writing.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Again, I think Moriarty is a great writer, so if you want more of hers, try Apples Never Fall. This one too is getting a TV adaptation, so Moriarty really shows she’s a master of her craft. You can find it here.
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
This new book was both captivating and a lot of fun to read. The book is a real page-turner that stuck with me after I put it down when I really wasn’t expecting that. You can find it here.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Another book that weaves a very convincing, but suspenseful web of secrets is First Lie Wins. This book has even more suspense than Nine Perfect Strangers, but still nothing too crazy. You can get it here.
