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.
I’m a fan of Liane Moriarty, and this did not disappoint. I enjoyed the diverse characters and the unusual story setting. Well developed characters and a fun read.
A thin plot with too many thoroughly unlikeable characters and tiresome back stories. And a really stupid plot. I was so disappointed.
I love all of Moriarity’s books. This was a very good new one.
Interesting character development.
Every character has problems and some work to improve their lives despite the unusual ways that the retreat environment is handled.
Fun book! Any book by this author will be a winner.
Well worth reading!! I love anything she writes!!
I’m a huge fan of Liane Moriarty, and have read all her books at least twice! Nine Perfect Strangers is one of her best–extremely clever, with a twisty plot and compelling characters that were everyday people but somehow became larger-than-life. Ms. Moriarty surprised me on every page. When I was halfway through the book, a big windstorm knocked out our power–but reading this terrific story kept me upbeat through what turned out to be 4 days without electricity!
I’ve read thousands and thousands of books in my *mumble-mumble* years of life, and over those years I’ve fallen in love with so many authors’ words and also fallen out of love with many of them. After having read every single book by this particular author (and no, I didn’t love all of them), I can say without a doubt that when it comes to creating fully fleshed, living, breathing, authentic, relatable characters, no writer I’ve read does it better than Liane Moriarty. No one. She has an awe-inspiring gift, a pure talent that I don’t believe can be taught. There’s not a single cardboard character in her stories. They all have dimension. They all feel like real people. These are the kind of stories I want to read, and Moriarty delivers it again and again.
Nine Perfect Strangers felt like a departure of sorts. Moriarty told this story through so many viewpoints, and she made it look easy. It turns into a bit of a madcap romp by the end, and that seems not to have been everyone’s cup of tea, but at the core of the story, it’s still just about people—their flaws, their fears, their spirit, and their love for one another. I was so invested in these characters and wanted so badly to find out where this crazy journey would take them that I was buckled in for the ride and was not left even a little bit disappointed. This story deals with some dark, dark themes, but it should leave anyone who reads it (and pays attention) with an overwhelming feeling of hope. Hope that no matter how broken you feel, it’s possible to heal and grow and find happiness.
I can’t wait to see what Liane Moriarty has in store for us next!
Wow! This book was such an adventure! From page to page, the reader didn’t know what was going to happen. The characters were so believable. I wanted to just set and read it.
Very original plot with wonderful character creation. Believable
The beginning of this book by bestselling author Moriarity made me laugh out loud. First, we have a woman in her fifties suffering from a horrific hot flash. Then we find out she’s a romance writer on the brink of a career disaster. What can I say? I related to that. By the time she reads a particularly nasty review of her latest book, she’s in a meltdown on the side of the road. She’s screaming when a man who looks like a serial killer stops to either render aid or add her to his list of kills. Trust me, it was hilarious. But this book isn’t a lightweight. When nine strangers meet at the spa where they are supposed to refresh themselves, they find out it’s not what it seems. The owner is more than a little off her rocker and strange things happen. I loved the whole thing. And, thank goodness, I got a happy ending. Great book. Enjoy!
Immediately engages the reader to follow the characters and the plot.
Highly recommended! Like all the novels by this author, this one is a wonderful page turner with a great plot seamlessly told.
I have a tendency to finish what I start, but in the case of reading this book, I really wish I would have been more of a quitter. I kept thinking that there was going to be a twist, a big reveal, or even a life message to take away from the 450 pages of boring chatter. To my disappointment however, I took nothing away from this book.
The story centers around 9 strangers who go to a health resort so that they can improve themselves. Each character comes with baggage of course. Masha, the woman who owns and operates the health resort, has decided it is her mission to reform her clients. At the beginning of the 10 day retreat, the clients are required to do things that take them outside of their comfort zones. For example, during the first days, the clients are not allowed to talk or look at one another. As the days progress, the requirements grow exponentially. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll stop there.
My problems with this book were numerous. The characters were all unlikeable and irritating. Even in times when I know I should have felt sympathetic or empathetic, I couldn’t. The pages of self revelation of the characters seemed endless and repetitious. I didn’t really learn much more about any character with each additional chapter about them. The idea that this was a psychological thriller is absurd. There wasn’t anything scarier or intense about it. Finally, while the ending wasn’t certain, I would say most people could predict the outcome with only a slight chance of being wrong about a thing or two.
I just couldn’t recommend this one to others.
I’m a sucker for books that seem to be influenced by Boccaccio’s 12th century masterpiece, The Decameron—where a group of strangers are tossed together under trying circumstances to endure an ordeal, generally by coming to know one another and sharing their stories. Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers is a tremendous addition to this genus—joining the likes of Jane Smiley (Ten Days in the Hills) and Ann Patchett (Bel Canto). Moriarty’s book, set in an upscale Australian health spa, captured my attention from page one and held it throughout (causing me to overlook things like dinner and sleep). Each character was well-drawn and distinctive, and pathos was evenly matched by humor. The plot had plenty of twists and surprises, and offered numerous opportunities for the reader to ask, “What would I do?” This was a page-turner in the best sense.
Good and full of surprises
Not my favorite Liane Moriarity book. It was alittle to “out there” for me an unrealistic
Couldn’t put it down. Surprising twists. Loved the ending.
Very different and Interesting. Not at all what I was expecting.
You will laugh your head off. Love this writer!