Nine Perfect Strangers

4.5 stars , I really liked and enjoyed this book, truly , it was a page turner. I just couldn't wait to see what would happen to the nine ,not so perfect but good people none the less that had circumstances change their lives .This book had me laughing out loud, the witty banter was so well done but it's not to say this book doesn't touch on so many emotional and heartwrenching topics because it does and some of the storyline is heartbreaking and I personally think the author does a great job of keeping it very respectful of these issues..It's a story about nine different people looking for a change , a healthy escape from their lives for so many reasons, some very tragic, and sad others more narstasitic and self absorbed but none not deserving of their 10 day tranquil spa getaway. What starts out as very "Namaste " turns into "Holy double hockey sticks ".Our tranquility resort turns into nutter resort and that is when the reading and amazing talent of author Laine Moriarty kicks this read into high amazing reading gear.I seriously laughed out loud more times than I could count, I also teared up with heavy emotions at times, I was all over the emotional map in a good way.I was shocked, endeared, weepy, laughing and couldn't wait to see how it all ended yet didn't want it to end at the same exact time. The Epilogue was so very good, you basically get it all and will be very satisfied. And one of the biggest questions about Zac we aren't meant to get , sadly as in life not everything is given a solid reason but Zac is in the pages and for that I was very endeared and sappy happy.Would this read make another great HBO series , you bet and who would make the best Masha, well that would be the best guess and the best role of all I think.Enjoy fans , it's good , it's different but amazing,it's pure fiction at its best and it's not a slow burn the pace is perfect, Laine gets you there at her speed as usual but not anything like the speed of her last book Truly Madly Guilty I promise.It's definitely worth your time and money and a all nighter.

I loved this book. I found it to have a little bit of everything for everyone. My favorite thing is how the author puts you into the mind of every character. It made me feel like I completely got to know who everyone was and I found myself relating to some and cheering for others. It’s a fast paced fun read. I couldn’t put it down long enough to miss it. If you liked Big Little Lies, chances are you will like this one.

"You suppose you are the trouble. But you are the cure. You suppose that you are the lock on the door. But you are the key that opens it." --Rumi--

This wasn't my favorite Liane Moriarty novel. I'll get that little truth out of the way immediately. It's entertaining...her stories always are. But the plot seemed a little thin this time around.

The characterization? On point.

Yes, there were twelve separate points of view, but I found it quite easy to keep track of each character's individual story. In fact, it kept the story progressing. One thing I've always found so endearing about Ms. Moriarty's writing is the realness she brings to each person, particularly the females. For instance, one of the female characters talked about getting a UTI on her honeymoon. Another was having horrible hot flashes. Another was dealing with acne, and another with body dysmorphia and the resulting plastic surgery. These aren't the "perfect" leading ladies you often see in romance novels...but they're so much more believable. I mean, let's be real here...a woman is much more likely to get a UTI on her honeymoon than she is to have 397 orgasms.

Anyway. ::ahem::

I was trucking along pretty nicely until we got to Masha's new health resort protocol. At that point, I lost interest. It was just so over-the-top. Thankfully, my interest picked back up again as we glimpsed our nine perfect strangers in the future. It was fun and the perfect ending to the story. In fact, it bumped my 3.5 star rating to a 4.

I'm not sure this book will be for everyone, but it is humorous, and I think those who enjoy contemporary women's fiction will probably give it a thumb's up.

Nine people check into a deluxe health resort and spa for various personal reasons. They are promised dramatic results by the resort’s owner, but no one anticipates the morally-questionable things they’ll have to do in order to achieve them. Buckle up, y’all, it’s about to get weird…

Our cast of characters:

• Frances, a (dare we say, washed up?) former bestselling romance novelist, is feeling frantic and perhaps just slightly too dependent on her daily allotment of wine and chocolate.
• Ben and Jessica are a married couple who can’t quite seem to connect after winning a significant sum of money.
• Napoleon and Heather, along with their daughter Zoe, are trying to deal with overwhelming grief after a devastating loss.
• Carmel is obsessed with her weight after her husband dumped her for a woman half her age.
• Tony is a man’s man who’s in a rut. He fully acknowledges that he needs some help—but he’s not exactly thrilled to be at such a frou frou resort.
• Lars is a playboy. Also a wellness junkie. He does what he can to keep his body beautiful. You’re welcome.

The resort is run by Masha, an eccentric and luminous Eastern European woman who had a wake-up call to wellness in her former life as a business executive. She literally died from a heart attack at her desk and was resuscitated back to life. One of her senior resort assistants, Yao, is the paramedic who brought her back.

If this seems like a lot of characters to keep straight, well, it is. Author Liane Moriarty takes pains to develop each of their stories, and it’s a lot of info to absorb. But it’s doable.

Each of the characters is unique and appealing in their own way, though not all are created equal. Frances is supposed to be our anchor, our main, and though I warmed up to her over time, she still annoyed me. I wasn’t impressed with almost all of the male characters either. I kept feeling like I was watching them through frosted glass, never fully getting to know them or understand their true motivations—they were mysteries even to themselves. The only exception was Yao. His backstory (and his weird little obsession with Masha) intrigued me.

By far, the strongest characters in the book are Heather and Zoe, the grieving mother and daughter—which I guess should come as no surprise. Creating believable and lovable, yet troubled and mysterious female characters is where Moriarty excels. Big Little Lies is the perfect example of that.

I had so much hope and expectation for Nine Perfect Strangers. After Big Little Lies, I think we all did. I wouldn’t say that this book is a total disappointment, but it wasn’t all it could have been either. Too many characters and such an outlandish plot meant that the story didn’t hit as deeply as I wanted it to. The book is quirky, fun, and entertaining, yes, but it left me feeling dissatisfied and wanting more. Oh well. I’m still excited for the next one.

A bit of a difficult book to review, as I had mixed feelings. It had keenly drawn characters, uneven pacing, a fascinating mid-book reversal, and a satisfying ending.

I was reading it for research, or I never would have made it through the first half, which is why I'd rate it at only 3.5 stars. The pacing was slow, and there was no dramatic question in sight. It was all tell not show, explaining the characters. The characters themselves were very well drawn, realistic and multifaceted and SO recognizable like they were people who might be at the periphery of your next barbecue, double dipping in the guacamole when they thought no one was looking. But simply being told about their thoughts and backstories wasn't particularly riveting. Then, halfway through, there was a development that led to several hilarious and interesting scenes. After that, there was some suspense and I genuinely didn't know how it would end.

I really appreciated the varied and interesting ending. The peek at how people deal with epiphanies and life changing experiences...how after the initial shock, some things change and some things stay the same. I like the paths she chose for each character, and I very often laughed out loud at the portrayal of the romance novelist character, which was spot on. This was imperfect but still interesting and I would try another of this author's books.

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:

As Nine Perfect Strangers gather to meditate and deal with their emotional and physical stresses, this reader felt that nothing good could come of this little retreat. After all, none of the guests really know the resort owner/director, and that could be their biggest mistake.

Each guest is introduced to the reader with some back story, and we are hoping for good things, in spite of our misgivings.

My favorite character was Frances, an author, whose last book was rejected, and her love life has definitely gone bad. She will probably be seeking for something she won’t find here.

Masha had so many red flags swirling around her, and the guests did wonder. But perhaps what they see is just the authority she carries with her.

I have had this book since 2018, but I eagerly devoured it now because of the upcoming Hulu original series. I am glad I read it.

Throughout the tale, we come to know more about each character, but less about Masha, and by the end, we wish they had all done more “due diligence.” A twisted story that left me with more questions than answers, this one earned 4.5 stars.

The book starts wonderfully. The reader is given a glimpse into the complicated lives of nine interesting strangers as they embark on a 10-day spa retreat. Rich character development, smooth dialogue and steady intrigue are all the requisite ingredients for a signature story told with Moriarty’s deft touch and considerable talent. All of Moriarty’s skills are on display in the first half of the book, with the exception of one discordant note. The character of Frances, a romance novelist, remarks about the extraordinary attractiveness of one of the spa attendees in this way, “He was too good-looking even to be the tall, dark, and handsome hero in one of her books. The only way it would work would be if she put him in a wheelchair. He’d look great in a wheelchair. Honestly, she could probably get away with removing both his legs and he could still play the lead.”

Wait. What?

Admittedly, this is something that the character of Frances muses about, not Moriarty. Presumably, it is meant to be an amusing, flippant throwaway line from a light-hearted, clueless character. Nonetheless, the remark stunned me. It’s insensitive at best, bordering on plain crass. The statement implies that the way to diminish the physical appeal of someone would be to put him in a wheelchair. Frances then backtracks by saying the man would look “great” in a wheelchair, but the further reference to “leg removal” does nothing to correct the already awkward and inappropriate verbiage, and only further compounds the offensive paragraph. It sounds as though Frances is trying to be oddly complimentary in a backhanded sort of way, but the exchange just doesn’t work. This passage just doesn’t belong in the book.

That being said, the second half of the book also takes a peculiar and disturbing turn that disrupts the tone and flow of the entire narrative. Strange events appear abruptly in the story, and it suddenly feels that the book has veered into uncharted, unappealing territory. Likely, these events were intended as “necessary” catalysts, so that all of the characters could reach their own personal epiphanies at roughly the same time. Shortly thereafter, the book returns to Moriarty’s warm, relatable style, the bizarre occurrences are glossed over and everything is tied up with some happy endings and “feel-good” messages. The end result is akin to reading two distinctly different books. There is the warm, wise, witty and engaging first portion, minus the odd, random disability slur, and then the second section ventures into the proverbial Twilight Zone. I usually love Moriarty’s books and often pre-order them with eager anticipation, but this one disappointed me.

My first initial thought on this one is "Man, I wish I liked it better." I had initially given it 4 stars because I really enjoyed parts of the story immensely. I liked where the story ended up, I was like OK, I really liked this book! But as time passed, and my book club had our discussion, my rating slowly started to decline. There just wasn't enough in the book to make me really hold onto the 4 star ranking. The story didn't stay with me, and I don't find myself thinking about it now that it is finished. While parts made me laugh out loud (a certain drug filled scene LOL), and other parts touched my heart (everything involving Napoleon, Heather & Zoe), there was just not enough umph in this one for me. I thought all of the characters were extremely well rounded and likeable, it just wasn't the powerful, page-turning story I'm used to reading by Liane who is one of my favorite authors. Frances, one of the main characters was amazing! She was relatable, hilarious, and a writer! And Masha, she is CRAZY and I CANNOT wait to see Nicole Kidman play her on the big screen! As I am writing this not quite positive review, it is making think about Frances and the book reviewer who really rips into her on the internet. Liane, if you read this review, please don't hate me! I love you, I really do. I could never even come close to writing the amazing novels you write, nor would I ever even try. But as a teeny little book reviewer, I'm just saying I didn't love this book. But I did like it! Sorry :(

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