Usually when you read a book by a bestselling author, whose books have been adapted into main stream television series, you have high expectations.
When you read a second by the same author after having enjoyed the first book, the expectations are even higher.
Thus, when I picked up this novel, after having read and enjoyed Big Little Lies, I knew I would most likely be disappointed. After all, if this one was as good as that one, why hasn’t it been adapted into a televised drama yet?
However, I was pleasantly surprised. Although not as good as Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers holds its own. In fact, the only reason I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Big Little Lies was probably because this didn’t have any children and so those cute little elements just couldn’t be there.
Nine Perfect Strangers sets up an amazing scenario from the very beginning. A quiet health retreat in the middle of nowhere, people who are coming to this retreat for all sorts of unhealthy reasons, and the hints about each characters’ back story, just gets you all intrigued. And the novel does deliver.
The plus point of books with multiple characters at the center is that you know it won’t ever get dull, unless the entire story is boring… I mean, even if one character’s narrative dips, the next chapter offers a whole different story to lift your interest again.
And Liane Moriarty intertwines the stories really well. Even though you are reading about nine different individuals (add on the health retreat staff), you never get confused cause each character is introduced in such vivid detail that they get edged in your mind.
My only disappointment was the end to the climax. I mean, (keeping in mind that I can’t reveal the end) the twist at the end seemed a bit too 180 degrees.
Over all, it’s just the right amount of funny, emotional, is quick and has just a dash of mystery. In all, I would say that’s a pretty nice combination for a fiction book.
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