Title : Nine Perfect Strangers
Author : Liane Moriarty
Narrators : Caroline Lee
Genre : Contemporary
Publisher : Macmillan Audio
Listening Length : 16 hours 18 minutes
Rating : 2/5
Narrator Rating : 4.5/5
I look forward to Liane Moriarty’s books. Out of the 5 I’ve read, I’ve reviewed 4 on this blog (my favorite still remains “The Husband’s Secret”). So I had high hopes, but I’m sorely disappointed in “Nine Perfect Strangers”.
The premise is interesting – nine strangers check into a pricey health resort, Tranquillium House. Each of them is seeking different things – weight loss, rest, therapy, couple’s counseling etc. Marsha, Tranquillium House’s Director, is a Russian immigrant and erstwhile corporate boss. She has transformed herself after her heart attack and now wishes to help others do the same.
Thus the ten day retreat promises wonders, but also demands sacrifices. All “smuggled contraband” – chocolates, liquor etc, is confiscated. The guests are taken aback when they realize that about half their time will be spent in the “Noble Silence”. Along with therapy and yoga, they are plied with healthy smoothies by the attentive staff.
I looked forward to these fascinating people interacting, clashing or finding common ground. However it took forever to get things moving beyond the description of each character. Each one of them has an interesting backstory – something Moriarty is very good at sketching. She gives every one a distinctive voice and a unique perspective, but it takes too long to get to the action.
And yes, given the premise, I expected each of these nine people to find absolution or something close to it, by the end of the 10 days. The how and the why was where Moriarty could work her magic! Sadly this book went in an unexpected direction, and the plot went from interesting to completely ridiculous.
Moriarty’s books generally have surprises and a big bombshell or two. The story revolves around this big shocker. However in Nine Perfect Strangers no such surprises were sprung; things progressed rather tepidly, with some mild starts along the way. The ending was extremely weak, and matters wrapped up in a most convenient fashion, no unspooling threads, no frayed edges.
From Moriarty I expect the extraordinary; scintillating plots driven by captivating, quirky people. While her brilliance is visible in some passages, she is in poor form here. Nine Perfect Strangers is a big let-down from the writer of the fantastic “Big, Little Lies”. Narrator Caroline Lee remains her dependable self, but there is nothing she can do to save this book.
