Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

14 reviews

hayleyvharrington's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, and Child death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

Minor: Addiction, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship

becksreadsbooks's review

emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Suicide, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Moderate: Animal death, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent

frogglin's review

dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I saw this book discussed under an advert for the Amazon Prime show and decided to read it rather than getting Amazon Prime. I was delighted to find it's Australian!

The story should be known by now, due to the show I suppose, but essentially 9 people have signed up for an expensive and exclusive wellness resort. Some are there to heal grief, others are there to lose weight and become healthier and others aren't sure why they're there at all. Under the watchful and caring eye of Masha, they are sent off on a Wellness Journey. Rounding out the main cast are Yao and Delilah, Wellness Consultants there to help their guests along. 

At first it feels like a struggle to keep up with so many characters. Is Heather the wife of Napoleon or is that Carmel? It doesn't take long to get everyone sorted though, mostly due to the shifting viewpoints. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, which is the perfect way to slowly unveil their stories.  Unsurprisingly, everyone has a deeper reason for needing healing than they admit on day one. It would be a boring book if they didn't.

The ending

at first left me unsatisfied. After all the events and traumas of the retreat, Masha goes on to remain a wellness expert, cashing in on her vision for guiding people. After I'd let it settle for a while I realised that was actually the most realistic outcome. The snake oil industry is constantly full of shamed and disgraced people still making a name for themselves. 

The snapshots of the guests over the years following the retreat are very brief and teasing, but that lets the reader fill in the blanks, which I did (to my own satisfaction) later. Well done me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Suicide, and Confinement

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Death of parent and Eating disorder

kateschu's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide

Minor: Blood, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, and Vomit