NINE PERFECT STRANGERS might be the most amusing book of Liane Moriarty’s. Not to say that the entire book is funny, but certainly some of the characters are pretty quirky. Nine people, known of whom know each other, set out to go on a ten-day retreat at a health spa, each with their own various reasons of what they hope to attain. There is a sense of mystery about the spa that they have chosen. It is in an odd location, nobody has been there before, and they are not sure what to expect. What they find when they get there is not what they anticipated. At all. The story has all the makings of a reality TV show – who is the weakest link, who is the darling, will the couple be able to sort out their differences, who will be the first couple to lock lips, you get the picture.

Not Liane’s best work. I found the concept mildly interesting but too many characters to follow and too much inner dialogue for me. I was ready to give up about half way through, so much emphasis on weight. I got a few laughs but as a whole found the book clunky to read, rather than a page turner like many of this author’s other books.

Title: Nine perfect strangers / Liane Moriarty. Description: First U.S. edition. | New York: Flatiron Books, 2018. Identifiers: LCCN 2018036328 | ISBN 9781250069825

i’ve only read two other books by liane moriarty (big little lies and the husband’s secret), and i loved them both. nine perfect strangers has her signature humor, an amazing and diverse cast of characters and a storyline that is hilarious, depressing and moving all at the same time.this is the story of a group of people at a health resort, who’ve all chosen to visit for different reasons. the story isn’t just about the nine strangers — it’s also about the three people who run the resort, and how they got to where they are. despite the large cast of characters, each of them got enough time in the story, and no one was neglected or forgotten, which isn’t easy to do at all.the story starts off bright and happy, but then (very gradually) becomes sinister and creepy. there were so many times where i was stressed and worried for the characters. the best part is how hilarious it sounds when you try to explain it — how exactly can a hippie health resort have people worrying for their actual lives? but it can happen, and the contrast between the hilarious story telling and the actual content is one of my favorite things about this book.there are also very important conversations had about mental health, wealth, body shaming and food, and it is especially refreshing to see these problems discussed with humor and a few jokes that in no way detract from the actual issues.as with her other books, it’s the characters that elevate the story. they’re all so different from each other, have distinct voices and each of their stories are interesting and important in different ways. i especially love the fact that there are so many different age groups. the interactions they have with each other are also amazing — from awkward to weird to downright crazy. masha was my favorite, just because she was so weird and awesome and i’ve never seen a character quite like her before.this book has has made moriarty one of my favorite authors, and i cannot recommend it enough.

Another page turner of a book by liane Moriarty. A great insight into people and life with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.