Check out the #1 New York Times bestseller Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, called “a surefire hit” by Entertainment Weekly. “The secrets burrowed in this seemingly placid small town…are so suburban noir they would make David Lynch clap with glee…[Moriarty] is a fantastically nimble writer, so sure-footed that the book leaps between dark and light seamlessly; even the big reveal in the … seamlessly; even the big reveal in the final pages feels earned and genuinely shocking.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Reading one [of Liane Moriarty’s novels] is a bit like drinking a pink cosmo laced with arsenic… [BIG LITTLE LIES] is a fun, engaging and sometimes disturbing read” –USA Today
Sometimes it’s the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal. . . .
A murder… . . . a tragic accident… . . . or just parents behaving badly?
What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.
But who did what?
Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:
Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).
Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.
New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.
Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.
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Stay with it, it gets better, I promise!
I chose this book because members of my book club were raving about the author. I checked the audio CDs out of the library to listen in my car during the commute. At the end of the first CD, I was really disappointed confused and wondering what the girls had been so excited about. It took me til halfway into the second disc to realize that the story was set in down under, (not in Great Britian) and understood why the school year months were “backwards”.
After that, the story took off — and the COVID-19 quarantine kicked in. By disc six, I was hoping for excuses to go somewhere in the car so I could listen more. Definitely a good listen, minus one star for the totally confusing start.
Although it got off to a slow start, once the story really started to unfold it was intriguing and surprising. Stick with this one — it gets better. Much better.
After reading (and loving) What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty, I had wanted to read more by her. When I finally got the opportunity, I chose Big Little Lies. Liane Moriarty did not disappoint!
Many things are happening for the parents of the children that attend Pirriwee Public school. Madeline is happy go lucky, but she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Celeste is gorgeous and seems to have the perfect life, but it’s what goes on behind closed doors that make her want to run away from it all. Jane, a single mom, is younger than most of the parents and has just moved to the area. With her, she brings a very big secret. As their lives intersect, things come to a head leaving one person dead. The thing is, was it murder, self defense, suicide, or just an unfortunate accident?
The plot for Big Little Lies is easy to navigate and understand. It was easy to imagine myself as a bystander in the book whilst all the action was going on around me. Most of the characters in this book lead a privileged life, so it was nice to get a sneak peek into their lives and see that they have problems as well. The pacing was done beautifully. The chapters weren’t very long, so I kept telling myself one more chapter which we all know turns into many more chapters! The prose was fantastic and flowed perfectly. I kept wanting to know more and would try to guess who the character was that died. I enjoyed the dialogue that would start off most chapters where a character was talking to someone regarding the death of a character in present day. I did predict which character would end up dead though, but I suppose that was a lucky guess. There was one big plot twist I didn’t see coming, and I loved that plot twist! The book ends with no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered.
I enjoyed every character in Big Little Lies. Each and every character was well developed and interesting to learn about. Although the story follows Madeline, Celeste, and Jane, other characters are fleshed out through their narratives. I loved how Madeline wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was. She just could not hold anything back, yet people still wanted to be her friend. Her loyalty to her friends was admirable, and I would love a friend like her! Her husband, Ed, was very supportive to Madeline, and it was easy to see that he loved her. Her oldest daughter, Abigail, was an interesting one. I liked reading about her and seeing how she would turn out throughout everything. (The virginity thing sure was interesting, and I would have done exactly as Madeline!) Madeline’s youngest daughter Chloe was cute. She reminded me so much of a younger Madeline. Nathan, Madeline’s ex-husband, and his wife Bonnie were other characters that helped flesh out Madeline. I did like Bonnie’s carefree personality though. I also loved reading about Celeste, and I felt bad for her many times with what she had to endure. Sure, to others, she had it all – looks, a huge house, a very rich and good looking husband who seemed to adore her, beautiful twin boys – but her pain was obvious throughout, and I could understand her hesitation to do the right thing. Getting to read about her thought process was interesting. Perry, Celeste’s husband, came across as very charismatic. It was easy to see why everyone loved him so much. I wanted good things to happen for Jane and her little boy, Ziggy. Jane’s love for Ziggy oozed from the pages. The love she had for Ziggy was so sweet. Ziggy seemed like such a cute little boy, and I just wanted to hug him and never let go especially after what happens very early on in the book.
Trigger warnings for Big Little Lies include death, drinking, drunkenness, profanity, domestic violence, violence, and sexual situations (although not graphic).
All in all, Big Little Lies is a delicious morsel of a book. It delves right into the lives of its characters who come to feel like close friends and family by the end of the book. I would definitely recommend Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty to everyone aged 16+ who are in dire need of a fantastic read with a great cast of characters and a plot that sucks you right in!
I loved the characters and plot of this book. Surprising and realistic. A rollercoaster ride through a neighborhood filled with the right mix of wacky individuals and sophisticated censors. Good read if you want a book you just can’t put down!
Being a school Mum this book was so relatable.
You just never know what’s going on behind closed doors, everyone is dealing with something.
I loved this book! The characters were so well developed that I felt like they were people I met real life. I became so emotionally invested in the characters and their stories as the plot thickened that I ended up flying through the last 350 pages in one night! I never saw that ending coming!
Maria P Frino This story kept me up at night, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were raw and real and the twists and turns were riveting. I enjoyed the show as well but was disappointed it wasn’t set in an Australian beachside suburb.
Loved it and the HBO show
There’s a reason they made a HBO movie about this and it won so many awards, again Liane Moriarty at her best!
Love all of Liane Moriarity’s books. Her characters are always well developed and their lives seamlessly intertwine. Good suspense and twists.
Gold Standard of witty women’s fiction.
Loved it! And loved it even more after seeing what Hollywood and a group of great actors made of it in the mini-series by the same name.
I loved this book, a real look inside what goes on behind closed doors.
I loved this book. Couldn’t out down. AND. I skipped nothing. (Yes, my reviews include a skip factor.) I hear Reese Witherspoon’s voice reading every word. Great. To read more of my review, including who should read this book, visit https://cyndiezahner.com/big-little-lies/
I enjoyed this book and the author crafted the chapters with things like main plot points, character’s thoughts and narration presented “regularly”, and then words said by minor characters were told throughout the story as a script, which is a bold choice that paid off really well. I also admired the fact that the author dived into vivid detail with something as simple as how a character wore their hair or reality playing against expectations because it leaves a lasting impact on the reader. I picked up this book because my family members would watch the television show, and I remember the credits one day in the introduction saying that the show is based on a book. I wanted to read the book because it seemed like a storyline that my family was glued to. I think this book also joins serious issues like sex trafficking with a humorous atmosphere, and almost nothing is too taboo to be covered. Everything in this book is laid out in the air, openly and honestly. I also strongly believe Big Little Lies can form space for important discussions on classism, parenthood, trust and its role with friendships, and domestic violence, which are often overlooked.
I know I’m late to read this. I thought it would be predictable and boring but I WAS SO WRONG. I loved it.
A fabulous read. Every bit as entertaining as the tv show.
I finally got around to reading this book and found it very compelling. I’m interested in watching the HBO series to see how that compares.
Great authors with great books
I actually like the show better than the book. The book was a little slow for me.