NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Now a Hulu original series
“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.
Liane Moriarty is one of the authors who inspired me to write my first book five years ago. I’ve read a couple of her others since then, and I intend to read more again soon. When I saw Nine Perfect Strangers had become a television show, I decided to add it to my TBR for the summer. I finally got around to it this week; the premise sounded delightful and easily drew my focus to it each and every night. Now that I’ve finished reading the novel, let’s chat through some initial impressions.
Immediately drawn in. All the characters felt real and reachable. I disliked some, but they had moments where I could recognize their plights and pain. When the opening scenes focus on a woman having cardiac arrest, I made a big assumption. A few chapters in, everything changes when the 9 people show up at the health resort. How could these parts be connected? Well, it comes together, and I loved the surprise. Overall, the way in which each character arrives and accepts the boundaries of the ‘experiment’ was magical. I felt the connections right away and knew this would be a wonderful book.
As each character’s journey unfolds, we find reasons to suspect something else might be going on. Most of the book isn’t suspense-oriented, rather an emotional saga of figuring out why the person has come to the resort. When we see the rules being laid down by the director and then being broken by the patients, little things begin to unnerve us as readers. Did she really say that? Did he truly do that? What is behind that door? It keeps you alert, but it also hides the stuff you’re not meant to see. By the time one of the major scenes arrives, readers are going to be demanding secrets to explode.
Some do. Some don’t. And that’s where the ending got a bit off track for me. I wanted an über climax, and while I got a mini one, there was also a sense of “but wait… after all that, this is how it ends?” I felt a little let down, yet then again, that is life… not everything gets wrapped up with a bow. There wasn’t an explanation that covered all the reasons why someone did or said something. Maybe there is room for a sequel. All I know is that the book forces you to think about what is acceptable and what is not… what you could tolerate to get better and how much faith you have in others. I recommend this one, but know you won’t have a perfectly sewn together ending.
Good glory! Couldn’t figure out where this one was going, but I couldn’t stop. At one point, I laughed so hard–on a Sunday night at 11 p, no less–I almost fell out of bed. And then the book spun into another direction, a sad direction, but in the end, with a good point or two about understanding suicide. If there can be such a thing. Moriarty does a good job of getting into her characters’ heads, making you love them or hate them, but at least understand them. Nine Perfect Strangers is a perfect page-turner for those who like to visit a bit of the weird.
What fun! I was worried Moriarty had lost her touch after reading her last offering (Truly Madly Guilty), but I’m proud to say her classic awesomeness has returned! Nine+ may seem like way too many narrators, but it worked here and I loved it. The concept was unique, shocking, and just plain fun. You could practically feel the characters taking deep yoga breaths right beside you. Highly recommend!
A fast-paced, entertaining and funny read. I love Moriarty every single time, and this one got me through a tough weekend.
Nine people go to a health spa for “transformation.” Some just hope to lose weight, some want to fix their broken marriages, some are suffering from grief and guilt. What starts out a little unorthodox becomes terrifying and all secrets come out as they’re forced to fight for their lives. Author Liane Moriarty combines humor and tragedy to write a compelling, story that grabs you at the beginning and won’t let go until the end. The characters’ and their observations are funny, but as their secrets come out, the sadness of their real lives is revealed. (The book is NOT a tear-jerker, though). I loved the humor and the way current/pop culture is woven into the story. This is one of the best books I’ve read all year.
The author of Big Little Lies does it again.
This is the first book by this author that I’ve read. For the most part, the prose held my attention. I wasn’t ever sure where the story was going other than the evolution of the main character who was trying to reenergize her life by going to a health spa. The book is more a deep-dive into the characters than a memorable story. I would have preferred to have had the conflict set more firmly—or any conflict at all for that matter. The forward motion of the story was limited, overshadowed by all the character studies. I am a big proponent of the character driven story but in this structure, there are too many character points of view and they feel more like individual vignettes. The only likable character was the primary character so every time the story ventured away from her, to some degree, I lost interest in the story. The character studies were well-drawn and compelling.
This book was totally crazy from start to finish — it’s a bit of a departure from Liane Moriarty’s normal women’s fiction in suburban Australia meets mystery + murder, which took some time to get used to, but was something I really appreciated and enjoyed in the end. This book takes place in a health resort, and you know from page one that something messed up is going on, so there is a really nice, seeping sense of dread that coats each chapter. I loved the mixed narratives, loved the weirdness and the locked-room thriller playing out right alongside some romance and family drama. Just an enjoyable, often wacky read!
Sometimes it’s just a matter of the right book at the right time! This audiobook was just what I was looking for and I spent much of the time listening to it on a beach while often laughing to myself.
I really enjoyed Big Little Lies and I wondered how this one would compare. Ms. Moriarty has a way of developing characters that I learned to find a bond with, even though they were all very different. The novel is told from multiple points of view and yet the audiobook flowed seemlessly between the characters.
So from the blurb you know that nine people check into a health resort, named Tranquillum House for a variety of reasons. The book started a bit slowly for me as I wondered how the first few introduced characters would fit into the story.
Soon we arrive at the health resort which is run with almost military precision. Silence for 5 days, all devices, i.e. phones, tablets, etc. must be turned in. Any banned items found in guests rooms will be confiscated (which included wine, chocolate, snacks, etc) We meet the staff of the “resort”, each guest will have specially prepared menus for them which always included a morning smoothie and then lunches and dinners tailored to their needs.
Marsha, the head of Tranquillum an extremely commanding and yet intelligent seeming women definitely commands everyone’s attention. She constantly talks to her group of guests, monitoring them often and having individual sessions with them.
There are surprises ahead for the guests and readers and they aren’t all about hiking, healthy eating and yoga. Marsha has two other counselors working for her, Yao and Delila, I will leave you to discover all of their backgrounds as I don’t want to spoil this story for anyone.
In the end the guests are indeed challenged in many ways, some of which they definitely didn’t consent to or want to be a part of. There is some healing, some transformative times for the guests and then bonding together to try to figure out the answer to a most urgent puzzle.
As in Big Little Lies there are important issues behind some of the lighter flow of the book. In this book we touch upon family life, divorce, sibling interaction, infidelity and even suicide. I loved every minute of listening to this audiobook and highly recommend it!
Loved this book! Especially the characters,most of all Frances.A must read!
Liane Moriarty has another winner with Nine Perfect Strangers. As a writer myself, I especially loved that the main character is a romance writer. Will she get her own happy ending? A clever and entertaining story that showcases how tragedy can unravel lives and tangle them back up. With Nine Perfect Strangers, there is dark as well as light…
Absolutely loved it! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m anxious to get more. The story unfolds and you think you know what’s going to happen, then whammy! Loved the twists. Can’t recommend it highly enough. I can see why it’s on the bestselling lists. One of the best books I’ve read.
I love the author but this was not my favorite book of hers.
I really liked this book. I don’t think it was as good as Husband Secret or Big Little Lies. It was entertaining with good characters. Easy to read. Great vacation book.
Nine Perfect Strangers is a book you want to get to the end, yet hate the idea of leaving–especially the characters.
What these people signed on for when they entered Tranquillum House was a “life-changing” experience–something wonderful and restorative. However, they’d never met Marsha, the director, and they had no idea how she planned to execute that change until it was too late.
Each person comes with needs, a story, a tangled relationship, a loss. The surprise, the shocks, the revelations for each one continue throughout their nightmarish experience.
Suspenseful and redemptive, you’ll have to burn some midnight oil to read to the end.
All of the people who go to this health spa have secrets and that is why they were invited there.
I really enjoyed this fictional suspense book. As others have noted it is much different from the author’s other books at it takes place at a spa retreat and not a neighborhood.
It made me think how trusting we can be of others especially if we perceive them to have a medical background and how we really trust them when they do have a medical background. I have never been to a spa retreat before and after reading this I am not sure I want to. I would probably fall for some of the things these characters did.
Now, I think I will go watch the HULU interpretation and see what it is all about.
Had this on my shelf for awhile and decided to read so I could watch the series on Hulu. Book was wonderful and CRAZY!! I wanted to scream sometimes run….. We all have our demons and this book shows how we often times try to deny it. Made me think why do we hide it when everyone has that something that we all might visit Tranquillum House for. BUT… the series in nothing like the book as usual book is better.
What a wonderfully written twisty book! #LianeMoriarty has the ability to set up a story like no one else. She can go from having 3 or 4 characters to 9 or 10 and still be just as intimate creating them. You like some, others not so much, but if you enjoy suspense, and love to get to know a character, then this one is for you!
Love the way nine strangers with their individual problems were able to come together to heal. They had to be broken down in order to be put back together. This is a must read.