Monday, November 5, 2018

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

By Melissa Amster

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. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I've read several of Liane Moriarty's books. My favorites so far are Big Little Lies and What Alice Forgot. After reading Nine Perfect Strangers, I'd like to add that to the list.

Going into the novel, I didn't quite know what to expect. However, it captured my interest quickly. I had a hard time putting it down and was concerned for the characters when I had to do so. Each character had a compelling, and sometimes heartbreaking, story. I was initially worried that there would be too many people to keep up with, but it wasn't a problem at all. I enjoyed getting to know everyone and felt like I was part of their group by the end. I liked how they connected and bonded with each other in different ways.

My only concern is that some parts of the novel seemed a bit far-fetched, but I've never had those experiences so I can't say one way or the other.

Overall, Nine Perfect Strangers was engaging and thought-provoking. It made me look at winning the lottery in a new way, as well.

Casting suggestions (since Big Little Lies was moved to the US for a TV series, I didn't focus on the actors being from Australia all that much):
Frances: Mira Sorvino
Lars: Kit Harington
Heather: Gabrielle Anwar
Napoleon: Matthew Lillard
Zoe: Angourie Rice
Jessica: Dakota Blue Richards
Ben: Luke Bilyk
Tony: Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Carmel: Michelle Trachtenberg
Masha: Donna Murphy (It was really hard to cast this role, but when I saw her come up on IMDb, it was like kismet!)

Thanks to Flatiron for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Liane Moriarty:

1 comment:

Janine said...

I enjoyed your review. You definitely piqued my interest.