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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
This is how it goes for me and Liane Moriarty. Some of her works, I inhale and fall in love with, others leave me feeling meh.
This is on the "meh" side of the pendulum. Overall, I love Moriarty's writing. She can sure spin a fantastic story, that is never in debate with me. It is that with some of her books, I am not compulsively pulled forward. Sometimes, her style backfires on her and it seems tirelessly drawn out, as is the case with Truly, Madly, Guilty.
Before I even reached the halfway point, I started saying in my head, "who cares what happened at the BBQ!!" I like her tack in getting to the climax, but something was off and I got frustrated. I wasn't frustrated in a propelled way, where I couldn't wait to rush to the reveal. I truly started to not care about the reveal, but I kept reading because that's what I do with her books. They are highly readable, she is an author that I really enjoy.
The reveal was a satisfying surprise as the book kept hinting at something lascivious. There were little earthquakes of revelation along the way as well. I found the backstory of Oliver and Erika to be very compelling and though she really took us through Erika's childhood, she only hinted at Oliver's. But, that is Moriarty's signature- women, women are always her story's focus. The characters were relatable and she did a fine job of exploring them.
I can't point to a specific issue that dampened my reading pleasure. If someone asked me whether they should read it or not, I would recommend it.
It was a great mystery with great twists and turns and reveals, it just wasn't a page turner for me this time. Would I read it again, absolutely.
This is on the "meh" side of the pendulum. Overall, I love Moriarty's writing. She can sure spin a fantastic story, that is never in debate with me. It is that with some of her books, I am not compulsively pulled forward. Sometimes, her style backfires on her and it seems tirelessly drawn out, as is the case with Truly, Madly, Guilty.
Before I even reached the halfway point, I started saying in my head, "who cares what happened at the BBQ!!" I like her tack in getting to the climax, but something was off and I got frustrated. I wasn't frustrated in a propelled way, where I couldn't wait to rush to the reveal. I truly started to not care about the reveal, but I kept reading because that's what I do with her books. They are highly readable, she is an author that I really enjoy.
The reveal was a satisfying surprise as the book kept hinting at something lascivious. There were little earthquakes of revelation along the way as well. I found the backstory of Oliver and Erika to be very compelling and though she really took us through Erika's childhood, she only hinted at Oliver's. But, that is Moriarty's signature- women, women are always her story's focus. The characters were relatable and she did a fine job of exploring them.
I can't point to a specific issue that dampened my reading pleasure. If someone asked me whether they should read it or not, I would recommend it.
It was a great mystery with great twists and turns and reveals, it just wasn't a page turner for me this time. Would I read it again, absolutely.
BLAH! I have been trying to finish this book for an entire month, but I just can't do it anymore. It is SO SLOW and once you finally get to what happened "the day is the barbecue," it's not even worth it. I got 80% through this book only because it's Liane Moriarty and I love her books. Well, this one just falls flat. How in the world did this win Goodreads 2016 Best Fiction Book?
BLAH! I have been trying to finish this book for an entire month, but I just can't do it anymore. It is SO SLOW and once you finally get to what happened "the day is the barbecue," it's not even worth it. I got 80% through this book only because it's Liane Moriarty and I love her books. Well, this one just falls flat. How in the world did this win Goodreads 2016 Best Fiction Book?
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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 would give this book 3.5 stars. It's typical Liana Moriarty, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed her previous books. The title is an on point description of the characters and their reactions around "the event."
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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 kinda disappointed by this book. I really liked Big little lies, but this one is not as good. The writing is the same: you know something happened, but you don’t know what. I was still curious, but the fact that it was written the same way disappointed me. Also, the plot was « meh » and I didn’t really like the characters, even though Erika’s mother was an original character. I hope the next book will be better; I will read it even if I didn’t like this one!
4.5 stars. Do not read this book unless you are prepared to devour it in one sitting. I could not put it down. Like many of her other books, in this one, Moriarty begins the novel by telling us something Very Bad has happened, but the big reveal doesn’t come until about 2/3 of the way through the book. The complex cast of characters each brings their own complicity to the Very Bad Thing, and we get to see it through many perspectives. Sure, there are a lot of predictable tropes in this book, but they all make for a really entertaining and enjoyable read.