NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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“If three characters were good in Big Little Lies, nine are even better in Nine Perfect Strangers.” —Lisa Scottoline, The New York Times Book Review
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies
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.
Combining all of the hallmarks that have made her writing a go-to for anyone looking for wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that will make you laugh and gasp, Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows why she is a master of her craft.
Leanne Moriarty never disappoints! I’ve read everything she’s ever written! This book is brilliant. Nine broken people sign up for two weeks at a spa to get healthy.
They are transformed alright. This is not your typical rejuvenating spa!
If you loved previous books wait till the price comes down. So scattered and rushed. Almost like get a book out to capitalize on ” Big, Little, Lies ” . Not much to recommend.
I read a lot of not so good reviews about this one by people I do not know. I read it anyway and liked it. Nine Perfect Strangers was an odd title, though. The story is about 9 people, Frances the writer, Lars, Tony, Jessica and Ben (married), Carmel, and Napoleon and Heather and their daughter, Zoe. The nine of them go to an exclusive spa for 10 days and their stories begin there with the owner of the resort, Masha, and her staff, Yao, Delilah and some unimportant other minor characters. I think the author does a great job developing these characters and I really enjoyed their interactions. Liane Moriarty creates characters that are so real and, of course, flawed. If you like character-driven stories, I think you will like this one.
An interesting new direction for Moriarty. Worth reading.
I just completed Nine Perfect Strangers and I must say the setting is what really was amazing.
Tranquillum House is a wellness center where nine folks, most strangers to each other, gather for a 10-day retreat for weight loss, getting relationships back on track or any number of reasons known only to them. Masha, the head of the House has many unorthodox methods to “help” these folks, some of which are downright scary. Yao is her faithful medical assistant and may or may not be in love with her. The other counselor, Delilah , is hard to pin down.
I don’t want to give away too much about the characters or the wellness routines but I think readers will appreciate how things change for each and every one of these people during their stay. In the end, these nine people open up to each other in a frightening episode of “transformation.” Each learns more about themselves then they ever thought possible and some connect or reconnect with folks in their lives in special ways.
I don’t want to give away too much about the characters or the wellness routines but I think readers will appreciate how things change for each and every one of them during their stay.
Ms. Moriarty has woven a good number of characters into a story that will hold your attention from beginning to end.
Rather uncharacteristically, I read this international best seller soon after its release (following a binge of childhood-era fantasy). I was drawn by several factors: Aussie author (practically a neighbour), worldwide success, and — not in the least — Moriarty’s hilarious author’s bio.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into (beyond a vague “contemporary literary fiction” label), but it fit my mood so I delved right in.
*** What to expect
A tale of a dozen people, all with plenty of emotional baggage. Their individual stories interweave together, as they come together at a health retreat, looking to heal and possibly transform their lives. There is not much in the way of plot, just enough framework to drive the continual revelations and change in the characters, and to provide opportunities for the occasional touch of humour.
And the characters are indeed the strength of the novel. They make you feel as you read — to relate to their past sorrows, current plights, and future triumphs — which is the ultimate goal of such literary fiction novels.
*** What I liked
The writing style in conversational (lots of exclamation marks — more than my editor will let me get away with), and very flowing. Moriarty uses this effectively to humanise her characters, and to provide both touches of humour and immediacy to their emotions. All the characters, in turn, are excellently drawn individuals, and one has no troubles visualising and relating to them as fully realised human beings.
The viewpoints are excellently done, each with their own tone. What’s more, events from the past are revealed in line with how a person might think about them. Those snippets are therefore continually surprising and challenging, as the reader both tries to guess and is led by tantalising half-truths to wrong conclusions about the characters’ past and its effect on their present.
*** What to be aware of
As with Dan Buri’s Pieces like Pottery (which, if you haven’t read — you should!), the stories touch on emotional traumas. It can be harrowing to read at times, when dealing with personal loss.
Also, in terms of plot, there isn’t a lot that’s going on, not is it particularly fast or twisty. The strength of the novel lies on the characters — on our empathy and interest and willingness (even eagerness) to learn more about them. In the first third of a Felix mystery he handles a corpse and runs around the city twice from or after perpetrators of more murders and violence. In Nine Perfect Strangers the protagonists check into the spa and have a quiet dinner.
I’m exaggerating a bit, of course, but the point is that this book is truly just about the lives of the characters, their past, present, and future. You will want to read this because you will find yourself caring about them and their troubles. I think any dark fantasy / horror author can learn from this approach — one can impact the reader without resorting to graphic violence. In fact, in order for the horror element to be horrifying, it needs to be personal (or, perhaps, are those readers looking for the descriptively-gory-but-emotionally-distant experience?) Seeing different treatments is why I read across genres in the first place.
*** Summary
I loved this novel, even though (or perhaps because) it was extremely emotionally hard to read at times. That is its strength, what makes for a satisfying (albeit a tad sappy) experience. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to see a masterful treatment of view points, and how to construct a story purely on character and emotion.
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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Really good but stressful. Never knew where this story was going. I’m not going to a spa anytime soon.
This book is odd. I’m not sure if I liked it. I was waiting and waiting for something to happen then stuff did happen and it wasn’t very exciting. The characters were fairly good Andy the idea of the book was good, I just don’t really care for where it went.
I DID really like this book, but I have to say it got to a certain point and it began losing me. It’s just a personal preference thing. I have read every single one of Liane Moriarty’s books and this was my least fave, but look at my rating, I still really did like it. I just liked her other ones, all of them, better than this. I LIKE that I wanted to go back to certain parts of the book now that “I knew the whole story” and re-read them and make things click like they couldn’t before, because I didn’t know everything yet. It was haunting, it was inspirational, it was deep. It was funny, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. I could NOT believe it when I was the FIRST person from our library to get their hands on this book, because I read Truly Madly Guilty last and was like, “When is her next one?” and true to promise, it came out when they said it would, so I had gone ahead and done something I never do…and I got first dibs!
Good book
Liane Moriarty’s an amazing author. Period. Nails every single character with incredible articulation and vivid depth. She’s the kind of writer who makes other writers up their game.
Good book with an unusual theme.
Disappointed all I can say. Story line was crazy. Ending predictable. Since I paid full price I felt like I had to finish. Loved Lians other books. This one was a total waste of time. Someone else wrote this book maybe? I so wanted to enjoy this book
Not my favorite of Moriarity’s books. I laughed a time or two, but I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, they seemed so shallow, although I’m certain that was the point.
I just finished a couple of hours ago. I am going to have to sit on this for a few hours before I can review. Hmm.
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UPDATE:
So, I finished this book a few days ago, but needed time to sit and process my thoughts before reviewing.
I am a HUGE fan of Liane. I preordered this book and was happy it was finally released.
Honestly, this is probably my least favorite of all her books.
I don’t want to include any spoilers, so I’ll just say that it was a bit over the top in the believability department. Of all the nine characters, thankfully there was Frances and Tony (Tony only because of Frances.)
The other characters weren’t developed enough for me.
It’s possible that Liane didn’t see the need for major character development, just developed enough so that you’d be able to identify their “transformation” after the retreat.
There were some really good interactions between Napoleon, Heather and Zoe and the peace they found.
I don’t know, just a tough book for me to review, as I have so much love and respect for Liane’s work. I look forward to reading other reviews.
“’Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow death comes.’ The Buddha.”
There are several themes threaded throughout this novel, and in my opinion, they all lead back to the above quote. Whether it’s embracing gratitude, processing grief, or simply finding self-acceptance, don’t let another day pass without making a mark on your journey. In Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty introduces a multitude of characters that learn there is no better day than the present. Of course, committing the next 10 days to Maria “Masha” Dmitrichenko is part of the process. A little psychotic, a little psychedelic…apparently genius requires an open-minded audience. Little do they know what they’ve just signed up for.
When I began reading this book, I immediately started taking notes. There are a ton of characters! But believe me when I say you don’t need to. Moriarty’s strength has always been in her characters, and this novel is no exception. By the end of the book, you will know everything possible about these people as if you are right there with them in Tranquillum House bonding over holistic jargon. Nine Perfect Strangers is funny, insightful, tearful, crazy, and 100% entertaining. In my viewpoint, it’s about 80% character development and 20% plot, but that’s not a bad thing. The characters are relatable, mysterious, and just so real. “In ten days, you will not be the person you are now.” No truer words were said. Check it out!