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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
A 3.5 for me. Like another reviewer, I kept thinking that something awful was going to happen. I mean really, this is the 4th book I have read by this author....awful things can and will happen. Just not every time. Honestly, I am relieved, and three cheers to Moriarty for not being totally predictable. Things suddenly just seemed to resolve themselves...in some cases as suddenly as they appeared. I could not develop a deep like for Patrick, but I think that was perhaps her intention. And it was nice to see things work out in general.... The narration was very good...there was a good sense of an almost confidential conversation taking place between me and whomever was narrating at the moment. I do think it could have been shorter without sacrificing much if anything...Saskia (no idea how to spell that) got to be a bit of broken record....reading it in print might have helped it pass faster. Have another book of her's already to read and a new one is coming out!!
I have now finished all Liane Moriarty's published books, and this was (not the best, but) a winner. Even those I haven't liked as much - she is excellent at characterization. I really enjoy a fully realized character, with complicated motivations and a total story, and this is where this book, and her others, set themselves apart. I will say, though, it did not convince me to give up my suspicions about hypnotism.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was lucky to receive this book in advance from Goodreads' First Reads program. It was my second Liane Moriarty novel, and I am very solidly hooked on her work now. I was completely engrossed in this story almost immediately, and all of the plot's little twists and turns felt natural and realistic--they all fit together, but without ever feeling too neat.
In fact, I had the same feeling about this book as I had about the other Moriarty novel I read, Three Wishes: that these people actually exist somewhere and she had just observed them and written down their lives and thoughts. I think that's the best way I can describe it. The depth of the characters, the nuances of the relationships, and the plot entanglements just seemed so lifelike. And at the same time, the characters were so thoroughly engrossing that I hoped they were real people because I want to know more about them. I want to keep reading about them forever.
Moriarty's writing was absolutely delightful; the skillful descriptions and perfectly natural dialogue had me laughing or empathizing (or both) the whole way through. It's fascinating to me now to realize how many characters this book had (including several who had died before the novel's beginning), and yet, not only was it easy to keep track of them all, but I honestly feel I know them all intimately. Even the stalker's next-door neighbor who had a grand total of one very short scene. I don't know how she did this while maintaining the narrative's quick and steady pace. Liane Moriarty must have some very impressive magic (or, possibly, a huge amount of skill).
Perhaps the only minor criticism I would have of this story is the way the viewpoints alternated--the story went from first-person for the stalker to third-person for the hypnotist. That did make it easy to discern whose viewpoint we were in each time it switched, but it also confused my mind a little bit, and a few times I forgot we'd switched and got disoriented by the viewpoint change. That could be just me, but I really thought the story would have been slightly easier to read in 3rd person all the way through. Although, of course, I see the point of first-person for the stalker; it was very satisfying to read exactly what was going on in her mind at each point. It wasn't bothersome enough for me to lower my rating an entire star, but the change to first- or third-person did pull me out of the story a few times.
Lucky for me, there's still two other Liane Moriarty books to read. Lucky for you, most likely, you can still read this book for the first time when it's released in June.
In fact, I had the same feeling about this book as I had about the other Moriarty novel I read, Three Wishes: that these people actually exist somewhere and she had just observed them and written down their lives and thoughts. I think that's the best way I can describe it. The depth of the characters, the nuances of the relationships, and the plot entanglements just seemed so lifelike. And at the same time, the characters were so thoroughly engrossing that I hoped they were real people because I want to know more about them. I want to keep reading about them forever.
Moriarty's writing was absolutely delightful; the skillful descriptions and perfectly natural dialogue had me laughing or empathizing (or both) the whole way through. It's fascinating to me now to realize how many characters this book had (including several who had died before the novel's beginning), and yet, not only was it easy to keep track of them all, but I honestly feel I know them all intimately. Even the stalker's next-door neighbor who had a grand total of one very short scene. I don't know how she did this while maintaining the narrative's quick and steady pace. Liane Moriarty must have some very impressive magic (or, possibly, a huge amount of skill).
Perhaps the only minor criticism I would have of this story is the way the viewpoints alternated--the story went from first-person for the stalker to third-person for the hypnotist. That did make it easy to discern whose viewpoint we were in each time it switched, but it also confused my mind a little bit, and a few times I forgot we'd switched and got disoriented by the viewpoint change. That could be just me, but I really thought the story would have been slightly easier to read in 3rd person all the way through. Although, of course, I see the point of first-person for the stalker; it was very satisfying to read exactly what was going on in her mind at each point. It wasn't bothersome enough for me to lower my rating an entire star, but the change to first- or third-person did pull me out of the story a few times.
Lucky for me, there's still two other Liane Moriarty books to read. Lucky for you, most likely, you can still read this book for the first time when it's released in June.
Quirky and entertaining.
This is my first read from this author. I’d seen Big Little Lies on HBO and was curious. I love her writing style. The story is odd but kept me entertained. The characters are not cookie cutter, and it ends on a realistic note. Anyone who has experienced a bad breakup might be able to relate. I saw a lot of myself in both Ellen and Saskia. I will definitely read more of her work.
This is my first read from this author. I’d seen Big Little Lies on HBO and was curious. I love her writing style. The story is odd but kept me entertained. The characters are not cookie cutter, and it ends on a realistic note. Anyone who has experienced a bad breakup might be able to relate. I saw a lot of myself in both Ellen and Saskia. I will definitely read more of her work.
Once I got past the strange premise, it was an all-too-relatable story about heartache, loss, and moving on.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An engaging read
An easy and engaging read. I would recommend as a light read for the time poor who want a good book
An easy and engaging read. I would recommend as a light read for the time poor who want a good book
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked it! There was a little wavering point where I thought we were supposed to start disliking the "good guys", which was odd, but it all got back on track. I really enjoyed the empathy shown for the "bad" guy. It wasn't a full explanation/exculpation but it was an appropriately deep dive.