Nine Perfect Strangers – Liane Moriarty (2018)
The ten-day retreat at boutique health-and-wellness resort Tranquillum House promises healing and transformation. Nine stressed city dwellers are keen to drop their literal and mental baggage and absorb the blissful meditative ambience while enjoying their hot stone massages. They are all on a path to a better way of living. Or at least a better waistline . . .
Watching over them is the resort’s director, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate these tired bodies and minds. But to what lengths will she go to achieve her goal?
These nine perfect strangers have no idea what’s about to hit them.
My Review of Nine Perfect Strangers
(4 / 5)
I admit, this is only my second Liane Moriarty book. I read Truly Madly Guilty back in 2016 and I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t totally blown away. Back then I promised myself that I would read more of her books, so when I saw this at the shops I decided to pick it up. I’m glad I did! I thought it was better than Truly Madly Guilty and I really enjoyed the characters and story.
Nine people seeking relaxation and change go along to a health retreat. Each of them want to get away for ten days and transform their lives for their own reasons. However, the owner and operator of the retreat has something quite unique in store for them…
I am actually having trouble fitting this book into a particular genre. Its not quite a thriller, its not quite a romance, its not quite an action story, or a comedy even though it has some funny moments. I guess I will just have to class it as “fiction”.
What appealed to me about this book was the ten-day meditation and mindfulness retreat story line. I have done two completely silent ten day meditation courses, however it was not a “pampering” experience. It was extremely mentally demanding and exhausting at times. But the experiences that I had there have remained with me throughout the years and I was interested to see where she was going to take it. I felt some similarities occasionally with the characters and their journeys throughout the novel but then WOW it took a bit of a turn there!
The characters are all original and complex, with their own unique personalities and idiosyncrasies. I really enjoyed getting to know them gradually as the story went on, examining their backgrounds and what brought them to the retreat.
It was not all fun and relaxation, these people have difficult, and sometimes tragic pasts and I enjoyed all of their stories, even the heartbreaking ones.
What I was expecting to happen was NOT where the story went at all! I was surprised, but not at all disappointed with where it went.
I really enjoy how Moriarty gives away the story slowly. Piece by piece it unravels and the characters transform into people you didn’t quite expect them to be.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. I would have preferred a bit of something more. But overall it was a great read! No doubt she is a brilliant author. I have got to get to some of her others!
Would I Recommend Nine Perfect Strangers?
Yes, I really enjoyed it! I loved all the characters and I didn’t mind that it went off in a bizarre and interesting direction. I actually thought it worked really well and I enjoyed not knowing what was coming! It was well worth the read!
*I purchased Nine Perfect Strangers at my own expense.
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