Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Slooooooowwwww, but the twists are good and unexpected.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5/5
Ultimately a very good book, just too slow for me at the beginning
Ultimately a very good book, just too slow for me at the beginning
My second Moriarty book. The mystery unfolds through a series of flash backs by a series of characters. I enjoyed how the story progressed but wonder if this is the structure of all Moriarty books. The book left me wanting more about Oliver and Erika's past and future. For the characters who were meant to be the "blandest", they intrigued me the most. It was a fast book to read.
prob 3.5 stars! it was juicy enough that i kept coming back, but i was getting prettttttty sick of not knowing What Happened for most of the book
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Ideaal zomerboek, goed uitgewerkte personages en erg vlot geschreven!
Liane Moriarty is a gem. She is the kind of writer that would get me reading anything and everything she writes. I put "Truly Madly Guilty" on a pre-order without having a clue about the storyline or the plot because ... it doesn't matter. Liane wrote it. I am going to read it. And it was delicious, it was Liane Moriarty through and through and if you love her style, you will love this book and as always, she was tackling deeper social issues in the layers beneath the actual story and plot. This book's deeper issues were: an interesting aspect of friendships where parental encouragement is behind them and the consequences of that in those friendships, hoarding, alcoholic parents (to a lesser degree), questionable earlier careers of parents, and the larger concepts of love, friendship, marriage, forgiveness, and one of her favorites: secrets.
I'll start with what I didn't care for, even though it's a 5-star and I loved the book: I don't think the book name really does it justice. Hmmm. Come to think of it, I think the earlier books could have used better names too but especially this one. Also, it is a slow start. It took me about 10% of the book before I started to care about the characters the way I'm used to caring for them in Liane's books.
How did I read this book? Naturally, I listened to it because the gorgeous and stunning Caroline Lee did the performance. She is the voice of storytelling in my ears. I think after listening to her narrate the very first story - which was also a book by Liane - I could not listen to anyone else narrate a book for me for sometime. Thankfully I'm past that dilemma but she's still my favorite and guess what? At the very end of the book, there is a beautiful surprise for you: A 16-minute interview where Liane Moriarty and Caroline Lee speak to each other for the first time. It was A LOVELY conversation that enriches your understanding of how the narrator and author create their amazing work.
As for the story, my favorite character - which happens to be Caroline Lee's favorite!! - was Vid. Vid was Tiffany's wife, an atypical character for Liane's works but one of her best! Vid and Tiffany were the neighbors who threw the barbecue, which was the central event of the story. Vid is hilarious and the audio version creates the perfect persona for him. He was enjoyable to the max. And that really speaks to the depth of this author's understanding of the human dynamics. She can create any character and take us through a conflict or a tragedy from their lens, and it feels completely REAL. She creates a world of real characters, real stories, real conversations.
Erika and Clementine are central characters to the story with their complex friendship, their own "baggage" as it affects their relationship, and the events of the story no doubt change their friendship. Usually, you can expect "happy endings" in Liane's books but there were times where I felt sad for the very likely outcomes of some events. I guess Erika and Clementine's friendship is one of those examples. It made me reflect on my own friendships throughout the years and even the decades, and it might make you reflect on yours too.
My favorite part of their friendship without a doubt: The onslaught of German insults! :)
Another brilliance of Liane is how she peels the onion and how she fits every single piece into a perfectly finished puzzle at the end. She doesn't give any detail that is out of place, she doesn't create standalone dangling subplots just because she may want to explore a certain direction for fun. She gives you teasers and clues and then she goes back and tells you why she did so. She's clean, polished, and someone you can trust (unlike some authors who make you wonder just why in the world did you tell us all that???)
What else can I say? I adore Liane Moriarty. Earlier in the year (2016) I was in a taxi going into Sydney and I remember telling the guy how my biggest wish is to run into Liane or attend one of her events but she wasn't doing anything. The taxi driver didn't even know about her!!! Australia, wake up! Liane Moriarty is one of your gems and you must celebrate her!
I'll start with what I didn't care for, even though it's a 5-star and I loved the book: I don't think the book name really does it justice. Hmmm. Come to think of it, I think the earlier books could have used better names too but especially this one. Also, it is a slow start. It took me about 10% of the book before I started to care about the characters the way I'm used to caring for them in Liane's books.
How did I read this book? Naturally, I listened to it because the gorgeous and stunning Caroline Lee did the performance. She is the voice of storytelling in my ears. I think after listening to her narrate the very first story - which was also a book by Liane - I could not listen to anyone else narrate a book for me for sometime. Thankfully I'm past that dilemma but she's still my favorite and guess what? At the very end of the book, there is a beautiful surprise for you: A 16-minute interview where Liane Moriarty and Caroline Lee speak to each other for the first time. It was A LOVELY conversation that enriches your understanding of how the narrator and author create their amazing work.
As for the story, my favorite character - which happens to be Caroline Lee's favorite!! - was Vid. Vid was Tiffany's wife, an atypical character for Liane's works but one of her best! Vid and Tiffany were the neighbors who threw the barbecue, which was the central event of the story. Vid is hilarious and the audio version creates the perfect persona for him. He was enjoyable to the max. And that really speaks to the depth of this author's understanding of the human dynamics. She can create any character and take us through a conflict or a tragedy from their lens, and it feels completely REAL. She creates a world of real characters, real stories, real conversations.
Erika and Clementine are central characters to the story with their complex friendship, their own "baggage" as it affects their relationship, and the events of the story no doubt change their friendship. Usually, you can expect "happy endings" in Liane's books but there were times where I felt sad for the very likely outcomes of some events. I guess Erika and Clementine's friendship is one of those examples. It made me reflect on my own friendships throughout the years and even the decades, and it might make you reflect on yours too.
My favorite part of their friendship without a doubt: The onslaught of German insults! :)
Another brilliance of Liane is how she peels the onion and how she fits every single piece into a perfectly finished puzzle at the end. She doesn't give any detail that is out of place, she doesn't create standalone dangling subplots just because she may want to explore a certain direction for fun. She gives you teasers and clues and then she goes back and tells you why she did so. She's clean, polished, and someone you can trust (unlike some authors who make you wonder just why in the world did you tell us all that???)
What else can I say? I adore Liane Moriarty. Earlier in the year (2016) I was in a taxi going into Sydney and I remember telling the guy how my biggest wish is to run into Liane or attend one of her events but she wasn't doing anything. The taxi driver didn't even know about her!!! Australia, wake up! Liane Moriarty is one of your gems and you must celebrate her!
3.5*
I usually love everything from LM, but this one was just 'meh' for me.
I couldn't name anything that was missing, but I just wanted more.
Can't wait to read her next one!
I usually love everything from LM, but this one was just 'meh' for me.
I couldn't name anything that was missing, but I just wanted more.
Can't wait to read her next one!
3.5*
I usually love everything from LM, but this one was just 'meh' for me.
I couldn't name anything that was missing, but I just wanted more.
Can't wait to read her next one!
I usually love everything from LM, but this one was just 'meh' for me.
I couldn't name anything that was missing, but I just wanted more.
Can't wait to read her next one!