Moriarty’s latest novel, Nine Perfect Strangers, is a locked-door mystery, but the mystery itself remains a mystery for much of the book. There’s a general sense of foreboding that builds, but what it’s building to and which of the nine is and isn’t a victim is a perplexing puzzle ... Alternating narrators usher us through brisk chapters providing glimpses into the inner thoughts of each character ... whether you enjoy this novel or find it confounding will largely come down to whether you feel you’re in on the joke or that it’s being made at your expense.
If three characters were good in Big Little Lies, nine are even better in Nine Perfect Strangers ... The other characters are also fully realized, with compelling lives, relationships and motivations ... One of the most satisfying aspects of Nine Perfect Strangers is that it is thought-provoking but never pedantic. The novel raises fascinating questions about our relentless quest for self-improvement, why we seek out others to transform us and whether external change causes internal change, or vice versa ... Moriarty doesn’t supply the answers, but trusts her readers to come up with their own, which is just as it should be.
It’s hard to share details, since each reveal is a delicious surprise. Like she did in Big Little Lies (2014), Moriarty uses several narrators to tell the whole tale, and though some story lines get more attention than others, readers will find themselves flipping through the nearly 500 pages. But even at that length, Nine Perfect Strangers is so well written and slyly constructed that it won’t feel like enough.
Liane Moriarty is simply unparalleled at infusing flawed characters with humor and heartbreak. [Moriarty possesses a] singular brand of storytelling ... Nine Perfect Strangers... [offers] an irresistible take on our wellness-obsessed culture, where the weirder the treatment, the better.
... a page-turner ... Moriarty manages to poke clever fun without being mean, and she times each reveal well. The way her characters’ back stories reel in the reader made me think of binge-watching ABC’s 'Lost.' The ending of Nine Perfect Strangers, however, is much more satisfying.
No shortage of secrets, lies, and social intrigue ... While it all hums along like a well-calibrated engine, Nine Perfect Strangers never quite hits the narrative heights of past work like BLL and The Husband’s Secret — though it does feel much more immediate and enjoyable than her last, the disappointly drawn-out Truly Madly Guilty. Moriarity has a way of nesting inside her characters’ heads and bringing them to life in a way that’s not just relatable but illuminating; we know these people not because they’re archetypes but because they’re so specifically, universally human ... the book’s innate breeziness often makes way for deeper reflections on grief, trauma, and recovery, and more than one surprisingly topical angle, too. But it’s also just good old-fashioned storytelling, full of feeling and well-wrought lines.
It may be unfair to grade terrific novelists on a different curve, but Liane Moriarty’s new novel does not match up to her captivating previous books, The Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies ... More than 200 pages of character development pass before the action really begins...And these characters aren’t particularly compelling ... evokes a potboiler more than the searing, sharp social commentary Moriarty has delivered in her previous page-turners. It’s predictable, and the twisted turns that are signature Moriarty are visible miles ahead.
[Nine Perfect Strangers] is less of a mystery than Moriarty's previous books ... It delves into the emotional state of each character, at times exposing painful truths. It moves at a leisurely pace, perhaps befitting the atmosphere at the retreat, and has a bizarre twist in the third act. But Moriarty's turns of phrase remain as sharp as ever ... Everyone comes to Tranquillum looking for transformation and Moriarty gives it to them—in unexpected ways.
In Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty expertly weaves the narratives of 12 individuals’ experiences ... Steadily and slowly, Ms. Moriarty builds a foundation that anchors the narrative before unleashing the reader and characters on a trippy and relentlessly surprising exploration of consciousness and reality. Ms. Moriarty’s impeccable narrative pace builds her characters’ credibility so that readers will easily relate to the well-crafted but flawed characters ... Her pacing, character development and knack for packing a surprise punch will keep readers engaging in literary therapy by turning the pages late into the night.
The first half of the 450-page novel is a little slow, but once the nine guests complete their five-day 'noble silence,' the pace accelerates and the story moves from a series of character perspectives (each chapter title is a character’s name) to a light-hearted thriller. As soon as the strangers can talk, they find themselves with a lot to talk about ... Readers learn much more about each of the nine as the novel speeds toward its climax. You root for them all and get the impression that Moriarty does too, so much so that she has a hard time saying goodbye, writing a series of final chapters updating readers weeks, months and even years later about what happened to them after the events at Tranquillum House. It’s an ending fit for a book destined to be a TV series.
[A] cannily plotted, continually surprising, and frequently funny page-turner ... It would be unsporting to disclose more about Moriarty’s largely endearing cast, since her progressive revelations about them contribute so much toward making this such a deeply satisfying thriller. Moriarty delivers yet another surefire winner.
