Nine Perfect Strangers | At a Glance
Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Published: November 6th 2018 by Flatiron Books
Pages: 453
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Fiction,
Goodreads Rating: 3.6 out of 5 Stars
October was an exhausting month for me, so when the November Book of the Month picks came out, I was looking for something light. The picks for the month include the following:
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Honestly, I didn’t give a ton of thought into picking my November book. Looking back at the descriptions a month and half later, if I hadn’t been so exhausted at the time I probably would have picked Unsheltered, which is a contemporary fiction read. The Proposal probably would have been the best ‘easy read’ choice since it is said to be a rom-com. But the idea of a proposal a. being so public and b. being rejected, is entirely too cringe worthy for me. Which is why I ended up picking both A Ladder to the Sky and Nine Perfect Strangers. It took me over a month to actually pick up one of these two reads, which is why my December pick ended up being reviewed first, but i’m still pretty satisfied in what I picked.
Summary
“Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? In Liane Moriarty’s latest page-turner, nine perfect strangers are about to find out…
Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.
Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can?
It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.”
My Thoughts
Full disclosure, I’ve heard great things about Liane Moriarty’s novels (author of Big Little Lies, What Alice Forgot, and The Husband’s Secrets) I had never read one of her books. It had been on my ‘to do’ list for a while, and so picking Nine Perfect Strangers really pushed me to check that off.
Moriarty’s novel is told through multiple POV’s, which if you’ve read some of my other reviews, you’ll know that I can appreciate the extra depth this can give a story. However, 9 POV’s (give or take) all with some baggage can be a lot for some folks. Personally, I think it’s interesting but it did make it challenging to become attached to some of the characters. There were also just so many stories and past events the characters were running from that a person could easily become overwhelmed.
This book is long but moves at a good pace. I’m a pretty fast reader and was able to finish this in two days time. I could have finished this in one sitting, but the main reason it took me two days to finish was honestly because I needed a break from all the characters and their ‘issues’. Once again, all the characters have a ton of baggage.
The story had such great potential and I truly love the premise of the book. But mid-way through the story I started to lose faith in the plot line. This is the same point in the story were things got weird, for lack of a better way of describing that. I felt as if I had stumbled into reading notes on some weird scientific experiment conducted in the 70s. The absurdity of some of the events had me rolling my eyes. 
And seriously, (without given too much in the way of spoilers) how do they not get more prison time? How does everyone just go on living their lives without being even a little freaked out about how they were treated at a wellness retreat they paid for! Did they demand a refund? Did they submit a class action law suit? I need more in the way of closure.
I’d give this book a solid 3 out of 5 stars. It’s entertaining but it didn’t reach it’s full potential, in my not so humble opinion. Reminder, this was my first Liane Moriarty book, and I did like this book enough that I’m interested in reading some of her other books. Especially since most reviews out there said this was their least favorite out of all the books Moriarty has written. Give it a chance and get it here.
Happy Reading Folks!
What is Book of the Month?
For those who haven’t heard of Book of the Month club or BOTM, it is a subscription
program, similar to audible or other box subscription services, where you get (you guessed it) a new book every month. Each month members are given 5 different books to choose from. BOTM generally focusing on debut and emerging writers, and is known for having helped launch the careers of some of the most acclaimed authors in American literary history. In an attempt to read more books outside my favorite genres without having to siphon through all the duds, I decided to sign up for the monthly subscriptions. It costs me $14.99 per month, I choose 1 of the 5 books on the first of every month, and it’s delivered straight to my door. You can skip any month or roll your credits over to the next month, at any time. Since I started getting BOTM in 2018, I’ve really enjoyed some of the new authors I’ve been exposed to. If you’re interested in joining BOTM, I’ve added my referral code to the bottom of this post, which if you use, you’ll be able to get your first month (book) free!
Interested in joining Book of the Month? Get a free book when you join using my referral link.
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