Cover Image: Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect Strangers

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Member Reviews

I am a big Liane Moriarty fan. This book is far fetched but still a really good read. Nine people go to a health and wellness resort which is a house in a secluded location. They experience an experimental retreat. Parts of this story are not believable but the characters get to know each and themselves in a wonderful believable way that makes this story worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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I enjoyed this book immensely, in fact I wish that it went on longer. I felt like I got to know all of the characters, which I think isn’t always easy when there’s such a large ‘cast’. Perfect accompiment to my beach holiday!

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This was the first Liane Moriarty book I read and found this delightful.
The nine characters, their story, the events of the story kept me hooked to the page and couldn't put this book down.
It's a really enjoyable and fun read.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for this ARC

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I'm a huge fan of Liane Moriarty's writing and this didn't disappoint! I struggle to explain to friends why she is so effortlessly enjoyable to read, but I always feel as though I don't need any time to 'get into' the characters or setting; they are instantly accessible. This is an easy read, but I don't mean it isn't carefully crafted or that it asks nothing of the reader. The characters are, like so many of Moriarty's creations, flawed and lovable, unique and real. Their stories unravel slowly and challenge expectations.
There is real tension in Nine Perfect Strangers, an isolated house containing fragile egos and damaged people - I definitely lost myself in the story and would recommend this novel highly to anyone. My only complaint is that I read it before its publication date and now have an unconscionably long wait for her next novel....

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After initially being a little sceptical about how this strange group of people would all have booked into this particular health spa, I found myself under Liane Moriarty's spell once again. She can get me involved and caring about her characters as well, if not better, than anyone. This is a real escapist read, a page turner with some twists and discoveries to keep us guessing. And it really works. I laughed, winced and even cried at some points and in particular thought the family who had lost a son to suicide was sensitively portrayed. Don't pause too long analysing the plot line but just sit back and enjoy.

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Having read and loved Liane's work The Husband's Secret, Nine Perfect Strangers had a really interesting storyline. Set in a rural health resort in Australia, nine strangers come together for ten days of what should be spa treatments and relaxation. But there's some dark secrets surrounding the health resort and all of them have to work out the truth together. I liked that the strangers all came from the variety of different backgrounds. The story pacing was very slow and difficult at first to get into. At some stages, I did feel quite scared (around the 70% mark) but there was a little something missing for me. Full review on my Goodreads profile!

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omg, this was amazing. i’ve only read two other books by liane moriarty (big little lies and the husband’s secret), and i loved them both. nine perfect strangers has her signature humor, an amazing and diverse cast of characters and a storyline that is hilarious, depressing and moving all at the same time.

this is the story of a group of people at a health resort, who’ve all chosen to visit for different reasons. the story isn’t just about the nine strangers — it’s also about the three people who run the resort, and how they got to where they are. despite the large cast of characters, each of them got enough time in the story, and no one was neglected or forgotten, which isn’t easy to do at all.

the story starts off bright and happy, but then (very gradually) becomes sinister and creepy. there were so many times where i was stressed and worried for the characters. the best part is how hilarious it sounds when you try to explain it — how exactly can a hippie health resort have people worrying for their actual lives? but it can happen, and the contrast between the hilarious story telling and the actual content is one of my favorite things about this book.

there are also very important conversations had about mental health, wealth, body shaming and food, and it is especially refreshing to see these problems discussed with humor and a few jokes that in no way detract from the actual issues.

as with her other books, it’s the characters that elevate the story. they’re all so different from each other, have distinct voices and each of their stories are interesting and important in different ways. i especially love the fact that there are so many different age groups. the interactions they have with each other are also amazing — from awkward to weird to downright crazy. masha was my favorite, just because she was so weird and awesome and i’ve never seen a character quite like her before.

this book has has made moriarty one of my favorite authors, and i cannot recommend it enough.

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Lianne Moriarty is one of those authors who I always feel is very under-rated. Her books are so seemingly ‘popular,’ that she is not seen as a serious writer. Yet, she is so very clever at making you care about her characters and her novels are utterly joyful to read. In fact, I loved every page of this and I am sure this will be a huge success.

The novel revolves around nine people going to Tranquillum House – a ‘boutique health and wellness resort.’ The guests include a grieving family, a couple with marital problems, a wife whose husband has replaced her with another woman, a lawyer who takes regular trips to health spas, a divorced ex-sports star, overweight and depressed, and a former bestselling romance author, who feels her career is over and who has recently been the victim of an internet scam. There are hints that those who run Tranquillum House tend to use rather unconventional methods. Over the visit, our guests will discover just how unconventional these can be…

It is hard to review this book without giving spoilers. Therefore, I will just say that you will care about the guests and that their stories are moving, thought-provoking and also, often, funny. A fantastic read, which would be perfect for reading groups, as there is so much to discuss and for readers to relate to. A wonderful, well deserved, five star read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

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Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of this author's books. I was extremely excited to be approved for this title. The book started off really wonderfully. I had a good chuckle at times. I did feel that it started dragging towards the end. I am not one to say books are not realistic or far-fetched. Far-fetched is sometimes good. Many people love reading as they are able to escape the realities of life. This book really took a bizarre turn towards the end and I just kind of lost interest. This is not one of the author's best works, in my opinion, however, this will not put me off from reading her future books.

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Nine perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty a four-star read that will bring you together. I think I may be one of the few people who didn’t enjoy Big Little Lies, but I thought I would give the author another try as I thought maybe it was just me. I enjoyed this one more, but once again I didn’t think it was as great as everyone else no doubt will. That being said the one major positive this book has is how the author manages to get you to see the tiny details behind each character, she shows you what makes them tick that alone saved this book and made it a compelling read.

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With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I don't want to give away any spoilers for this book but OMG Nine Perfect Strangers was amazing. The story had the perfect mix of dark humour mixed with the difficult subject of grief and general disappointment.

As the title suggests nine perfect strangers met at at health spa called Tranquillum House in a remote part of Australia. The spa was owned by ex corporate boss Masha who became a zealot about health and wellbeing after a near death experience. She was helped by her assistants Yao and Delilah.

The guests were successful romance novelty Frances who career was on the decline. She had lost her confidence after becoming the victim of an internet con artist.

Lars, a successful divorce lawyer with a love of dabbling in drugs. He was reluctant to have start a family with his partner.

Napoleon, Brenda and their daughter Zoe. The family were grieving after the suicide of Zoe`s twin brother.

Ben and Jessica who had recently come into money. Ben was determined to carry on life as normal. Jessica had become addicted to cosmetic surgery and was a shadow of her former self.

Mother of four Carmel whose husband left because he had fallen out of love with her. Finally Tony who was an ex football star who had to retire due to injury.

The nine soon realised Tranquillum House was not a normal spa when Masha told them they were not allowed to speak, or maintain eye contact with anyone for the next five days. They guests compiled not knowing Masha was microdosing their healthy smoothies with LSD. The next stage of the treatment became far more unconventional.

Nine perfect Strangers was a long book but it went in a flash. I enjoyed the guests back stories but especially Masha a immigrant from Russia.

My favourite guests were school teacher Napoleon who was unashamedly nerdy. I also liked Frances who was spoilt and wonderfully shallow.. Although the plot was over the top I had to laugh as Masha became more tyrannical as her guests did not behave well.

Well done for the unusual plot, I recommend this excellent read.

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The day I got this book I had to practice utmost restraint not to start reading at 10am. I work for myself, so it was really difficult.

I don’t read a lot of chick lit but there are two authors I will make an exception for every time, and Liane Moriarty is one of them.

I enjoyed this more than Truly Madly Deeply, and the whole experience was just plain FUN.

Nine strangers get together for a 10-day health retreat, one that promises to be transformative beyond their wildest dreams. Some are there for weightless, others for stress relief and some are not even able to admit to themselves why exactly they are there. Each character is introduced with their own back story and as always, they leap off the page.

From ethereal beauty Marsha, the owner, down to frumpy Carmel that will do anything to have another body. I particularly liked Frances and I am sure she will be favourite for most readers. And yes, the book is funny and frivolous but it also had some very poignant moments.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to take enjoyment away from future readers. Suffice to say if you want a mini holiday in your head, go read this!

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This book has a very unique concept, nine strangers come to stay at some sort of wellness retreat. They all have various baggage and reasons why they want to detox and these emerge throughout the story. There's a bit of intrigue into the motives of the people who run the centre and the book keeps you guessing throughout. Very well written with characters you really care about- would definitely recommend!

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Thank you to Netgalley, Liane Moriarty and Penguin Michael Joseph for my ARC of Nine Perfect Strangers.
At first glance this book seems to be about nine people going to a health resort for a ten day cleanse. Ok a little more than that, it's delving in the superficial lives some people live now, obsession with celebrity culture, obsession with weight, looks, careers and what other people think we should do/be/say/look like. And of course all of the characters have a story of their own. But in true Liane Moriarty style, there's an excellent plot twist.

Frances is a formerly best selling romance novelist with a bad back, a broken heart and a curiosity about her fellow guests. But she's most curious about the charismatic and strangely magnetising owner of the health resort. Napoleon, Heather and Zoe have gone to Tranquilim House to forget the devestating events of their past but will they be forced to relive it? Lars is just hear for his annual health spa cleanse, Carmel just wants to be thin, and Ben and Jessica are trying to save their marriage.

The twist in this one was excellent, I would even go so far as to say this is Liane's best book to date. You could tell a lot of research has been done into the subject matter and the idea was new, well done and creative.
Another fabulous book from this author.

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Well, that wasn't what I was expecting and I'm not quite sure how you'd even fit this into a genre!

As the title would suggest, the book is about nine strangers. For a start that's a lot of characters to keep in your head, not to mention the three members of staff, but the author does well to introduce them slowly, so it's not too confusing and they're an intriguing bunch, who all find themselves at an exclusive health resort for a wide variety of reasons. The one thing they have in common is they want their lives to be transformed and Masha, the owner of the resort, has some surprising methods to achieve this.

Things start off as you would expect, getting to know everyone, which takes a bit of time and I did get restless, wondering where it was all going. But then... wham, everything gets crazy!

This story is way out there, and does ramble in places, but it holds some priceless comedy moments, a lot of tenderness and understanding of the human condition and I really enjoyed the whole trip! *winks* You'll know what I mean when you've read the book!

3.5* from me.

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Frances feels like she wants to be the main character of the book, but really its Masha. Crazy, risk taking Masha.
As the owner of a health retreat Masha brings together nine people for the latest 10 day cleanse, except this one is full of radical new ideas and treatment plans.
because theres so many characters it feels like it takes a while to get in and learn about them, why they are really there and what makes them tick - especially because it feels like a large part of the retreat takes place in a mandated silence. Its amazing how much can be said when no words are spoken!

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My first Liane Moriarty novel - I was intrigued by this one after the hype surrounding [book:Big Little Lies|19486412]. This may not be indicative of the quality of her other novels, but I found this to be cliched, predictable and ridiculous.

The story focuses on the nine strangers of the title who sign up for a kind of health cleanse at a spa, situated in a remote part of Australia. We quickly learn that something is amiss, and that these people are part of an experience more bizarre and in some ways sinister than was initially advertised.

If you're looking for a quick and easy (although very far-fetched) read then this might be the book for you. However I found myself rolling my eyes at multiple points throughout this story - the characters are stereotypes who come across as pretty one-note, and the twists were not unexpected or shocking (for me, anyway). I honestly just found it very hard to care about anything that happened throughout the book.

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Hmm, this was my first Liane Moriarty book (yes yes, shocking I know!) but am not sure how I feel about it. It is basically quite a light summer read. A bit cringe worthy and cheesy and I am not sure I liked Moriarty's writing style. I did finish this though and I was sort of (?) hooked but then again, I do get into most books I read (eventually). This was ok, just ok, nothing special for me.

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I have to give this one 5* for pure enjoyment levels. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much at the same time as being made to consider life so much whilst reading a book.

A weirdly wonderful group of utter stranger's all rock up to a 10 day wellness retreat, all looking for different answers, all hoping to come out the other side all brand new. Well be careful what you wish for is all I'll say...

This group dynamic is pure dynamite as we slowly get to know this motley crew and their inner selves and life influences. Throw into the mix a fanatical health nut and all bets are off. Nine Perfect Strangers is wildly entertaining, extraordinarily thought provoking and beautifully written. You'll find your favourite (mine was undoubtedly Francis, a woman after my own heart) and get entirely caught up in their attempts to heal, their growing relationship with each other and the rather unexpected challenges they'll all face together. 

I won't give too much away but one moment I was snorting tea out of my nose, the next I was shedding a tear - I was all the way in first page to last. 

Wonderful storytelling. Highly Recommended.

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Well, that was crazy! The first 50% is typical 'women's fiction' as 9 characters come to a health retreat to heal - then at halfway through there's a demented development... There are some sharp observations about the way women are their own worst enemies, and a cute romance - ideal easy-reading with some emotional topics explored.

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