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A review by powerpuffgoat
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
I didn't hate it but I would be lying if I said this book had a hold on me. In fact, it sat on my Kindle for nearly a year, half-read, because I weren't even sure if I wanted to finish.
The writing was really good. I haven't read Moriarty's other books, so it was a pleasant surprise.
The plot... Let's just say there isn't much of it. It gets moving a little towards the end but it almost feels too late. It feels like a great set up (nine "perfect strangers" at a remote retreat where something wicked may be happening behind the scenes) that doesn't pay off.
I would guess that the focus on characters is intentional. However, a lot of their backstories and present feelings are just so mundane. Or downright unrelatable.
As a result, many of the resolutions at the end of the book also feel incredibly mundane and cliché.
"Look, I've learned to appreciate my body, except I also lost weight and I am only mentioning it to tell you how much I don't care."
"Look, I never wanted kids but now maybe I've changed my mind because my partner wants them."
The best story line belongs to the Marconi family. Perhaps if the rest of the characters were simply in the background, this would have been a better (and shorter) book.
The writing was really good. I haven't read Moriarty's other books, so it was a pleasant surprise.
The plot... Let's just say there isn't much of it. It gets moving a little towards the end but it almost feels too late. It feels like a great set up (nine "perfect strangers" at a remote retreat where something wicked may be happening behind the scenes) that doesn't pay off.
I would guess that the focus on characters is intentional. However, a lot of their backstories and present feelings are just so mundane. Or downright unrelatable.
As a result, many of the resolutions at the end of the book also feel incredibly mundane and cliché.
"Look, I've learned to appreciate my body, except I also lost weight and I am only mentioning it to tell you how much I don't care."
"Look, I never wanted kids but now maybe I've changed my mind because my partner wants them."
The best story line belongs to the Marconi family. Perhaps if the rest of the characters were simply in the background, this would have been a better (and shorter) book.