Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
As I’ve said on Lit and Flicks before, Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, this book fell a bit flat for me and was not my favorite of her novels I have read. It was a 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist for Best Fiction.
The Analysis:
The premise of the novel is that nine people are coming to a pricey health resort called Tranquillum House for a 10 day wellness retreat. Each character has their own set of problems and their own reasons for seeking rejuvenation and transformation. Once at the resort, guests are shown around the beautiful historical mansion and facilities. Run by a mysterious and exotic health guru, Tranquillum House uses some unorthodox methods of treatment and meditation. Will the guests be truly transformed or is this wellness retreat more than they bargained for?
Liane Moriarty is a master of character development and this book is no exception. Nine Perfect Strangers features different character perspectives in each chapter, giving the reader more background and insight into each person. A romance novelist, a former athlete, a single mother, and a young wealthy couple are just some of the unique guests that are sharing their time together at the resort. I could visualize each character clearly and had no trouble keeping track of them due to their well fleshed out personalities.
I had high hopes for this book but it didn’t wow me in the way I wanted. I enjoyed some of the thought provoking ideas about wellness and self-improvement, but the actual plotline fell a bit short of my expectations. The book kept my attention but as more details about the mysterious health resort and the guests were revealed, I wasn’t shocked or excited. I think the story got a bit lost by the end, with the final chapters feeling disjointed from the rest of the book. This was a mildly disappointing showing by Moriarty for me but I would call it average overall.
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