I'm a big fan of Liane Moriarty's works (What Alice Forgot will always rank in my top!), so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy for review through NetGalley and the publisher. True to Moriarty's previous works, Here One Moment does not disappoint. Imagine being on a flight and having a random stranger approach you with your age and cause of death, row by row, unprompted, unsolicited. Would this fundamentally alter the way you live your life? Would it influence you to leave that terrible job, break up with the abusive spouse, or take the chance you'd been saving away for a rainy day? This tale unravels like finely spun silk, slowly, delicately, until we at last see the larger picture. I would highly recommend Here One Moment if you enjoy slow-burn mysteries that encourage the reader to pause and think, evaluate relationships, and zoom out a bit on life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published September 10, 2024.

This is the 10th book I’ve read by this author and I’m a big fan. This book starts off on a plane, when a woman who will eventually be known as “the Death Lady” walks up and down the aisles telling each passenger “cause of death, age of death.” WHAT THE HECK?!?!

We meet a LOT of characters in the beginning but only 6 remain as their stories unfold further. My favorite story was about Timmy who was supposed to drown at age 7. I was immediately sucked in and found this to be a true page turner. There were some really funny lines, like Swiss fondue.

The ending was clever and I enjoyed the inherent messages to make each day count and live life to its fullest.

“I have never really had a nickname before. So it’s unfortunate that my first was “the Death Lady.” I’m not keen on it “

“The thing is, you can’t always choose your future. Not in a world of risk and uncertainty.”

“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on Earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it were the only one we had.” Elisabeth Kubler-Ross from the Epilogue

Here One Moment was a real page-turner! I wondered if I was really the reader for this book as I've never read anything by Liane Moriarty, but I couldn't resist the pre-publication copy from the publisher. On board a delayed flight, a woman gets up from her seat, points at passengers, and announces, "I expect," and proclaims their cause of death and the age they will die. Some passengers are told they will die at advanced ages, while others receive pronouncements of their death not far in the future. This is unsettling and unnerving for almost everyone, especially for those who are told they will die in the next several months, or the mother who is told her son will drown at the age of seven. As the book progresses, the short (and sometimes choppy) chapters alternate between Cherry's story (the Death Lady) and more details about some of the passenger's lives and reactions. There is a slow reveal of the Death Lady's details, and there were times that I wished for longer and more detailed chapters, but they did serve to propel the story forward. The explanation for the Death Lady's actions on the plane was a little weak, and some suspension of beliefs is necessary at the end, but the book was a nice examination of "Can fate be fought?" Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on September 10, 2024.

An unremarkable woman boards a plane with other passengers. After a while, she begins walking down the aisle, in a trance like state, telling each passenger how and at what age they will die. The story is told from the POV of that unremarkable woman and a few of the passengers.

Here One Moment is a very different kind of story, I find the idea of knowing how and when I will die terrifying, and could certainly sympathize with the passengers’ stories. I also, eventually, came to appreciate Cherry’s story and all that led up to that flight.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review

On a short flight to Sydney, a woman gets up and tells every passenger what she expects they will die from and at what age. Chapters alternate between the passengers on the plane and the woman who predicted their deaths. I was immediately pulled into this story and didn’t want to put this down. I enjoyed the chapters about the passengers much more than the psychic woman. I felt her chapters dragged a little and found myself skimming them. As with some of her other novels this introduces a lot of characters and has short chapters which keep it fast paced as we figure out if her predictions were correct. I really liked this ending.

3.5 stars

Liane Moriarty is one of those authors whose books I eagerly anticipate and read as soon as they are published. In "Here One Moment," a woman on a delayed flight stands up and, as if in some sort of trance, begins walking the aisles predicting the age and cause of death for each passenger. Understandably, this shocks everyone on the plane especially the ones who are predicted to die within the next year or the parents witnessing predictions for their children.
This part is on me but I assumed this book would be a mystery thriller (my favorite books of hers being Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret.) I'm a huge fan of the genre and expected to breeze through it quickly. Technically it is mystery and has it has some suspenseful moments but it's in no means a thriller or a psychological suspense. Halfway through, I realized that "Here One Moment" is really a contemporary literary fiction tale. It's pretty slow-paced, and much of the time is spent waiting for the other shoe to drop.

That said, the story was pretty unique. The opener had me excited and the multiple POV storytelling from the passengers whose deaths were foretold, was an interesting touch. As I read, I found myself becoming attached to some of the characters, hoping against hope that Cherry's predictions wouldn't come true. And I found myself contemplating what I myself would do if I were given some of these predictions.

However, the ending felt rather anticlimactic. I was expecting more—perhaps a dramatic revelation or a twist—but it didn't deliver. The epilogue on the other hand was a highlight for me—I adored it. Overall, while it wasn't my favorite, it was a unique and moving read.

Thank you to both Net Galley and Crown Publishing for sharing a digital advanced copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down
So, I’ve been a big fan of Moriarty’s other books. But as I started this one, I had no idea what to make of it. Yes, it’s got her spot on descriptive phrases and humor. But the plot ( a whole plane of passengers are given their dates and method of their death by an elderly psychic) felt a little weird. It takes until the 50% mark before the first death comes about according to the prediction. Then two more quickly follow.
The chapters alternate between those characters who were given death dates that were in the near future with those about “The Death Lady’s” back story. It took me a while to get invested in her story and I did not like how she breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader. As you would expect, each character and/or their families have a different attitude. Some of these different storylines were more interesting than others. It raised some interesting questions about fate, free will and what would you do differently if you knew what would take you out. I think Moriarty wanted the book to be deep and uplifting, a sort of live each day of your life to the fullest, but it felt like such a cliche. It’s more of a fun, doesn’t tax your brain, book. Perfect for the beach.
It’s obviously a very character driven book. Moriarty does a good job of tying everything up at the end in a six degrees of separation way.
My thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

I absolutely loved Here One Moment, a new favorite of mine from Moriarty. This was a hefty book with a huge cast of characters, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with each of them. When a psychic goes into a trance and begins predicting the deaths of passengers on board a flight, everyone seems to shrug it off….until her predictions start coming true. How the people choose to live their lives whilst trying to combat “destiny” had me completely hooked. It was heartwarming, anxiety-provoking, but also humorous at times—a perfect blend that Moriarty has crafted well. I also enjoyed the back story of our psychic. I have seen some complaints that we spend too much time with her, but I truly enjoyed this part of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

I’m always a fan of Liane Moriarty and this book is another win. I love her ability to create a slow build as a story unfolds. This book follows a big cast of characters and gives the reader a chance to become invested in so many people that it almost reads like a series of short stories expertly wound together. Loved it.

So the passengers on this crazy plane ride didn't have a choice but to listen as this fortune teller walks down the aisle, pointing at each person telling them a nugget of info about their future. It happens early on in the story.
What surprised me is how gullible literally everyone on the flight was to this self assured old lady, who comes to be known as " the Death Lady" on the plane.
What if this happened to you? Some stranger predicts the year of your death and how that death will happen. How would you deal with this treacherous trap?
Would you let fear and worry take over your life? Would you base decisions about your future on this random fortune given to you by a complete stranger? What kept me going through this choppy narrative of many characters, which can be annoying, is that I trusted the author. Liane Moriarty is entertaining in her characterizations and situation comedies that pop up throughout the story. I have read other books by her and have been entertained by her quirky talent for situation comedy.
Let me just share a bit of quirkiness : one woman is told she will die by domestic abuse and the year is soon to come. This petrifies her partner who purchases handcuffs and..... read to find out !
All I'm saying is trust Liane.... this is one bizarre and crazy ride. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because the choppy narrative got on my nerves. I like most of the characters, but not the irresponsible, self-absorbed, Cherry.
When people mess around with fortune telling, they get themselves into all kinds of trouble. We aren't meant to see our future because God prepares us every day for the tough things that will happen down the line in our lives. That being said, human nature being what it is, can I just have a peek?

This book starts with a fantastic setup of many characters on a flight being told how old they’ll be when they die and cause of death by an old woman. Then the story follows these characters after the flight and what happens when her predictions start to come true. The book also details the life of the woman who predicted all of these deaths. This book was soapy and fun and it was one of those books where I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. It explores themes of grief and destiny and inspires readers to live their lives to the fullest. I enjoyed the book and was definitely glued to the page, but in some ways I was reading Cherry’s parts so quickly to find out what was going to happen to the flight characters that I lost out a bit on that story which ended up being the majority of the book. ImIt was definitely a great book and I do recommend!

Liane Moriarty knows how to grip you. She is the queen of weaving together multiple storylines, which is a huge strength of this book. A flight is interrupted by a woman predicting everyone’s age and cause of death, and then follows the fall out. I wanted to keep reading til the end because I was invested in so many characters!

What would you don’t you knew when you were going to die?

A woman enters a plane, no one notices her, she predicts the death of several passengers, no one takes her serious until predictions start to come true

This book got me, makes me think deeper and I enjoyed it. Although I’m not sure I would want to know

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy.

This is the SEVENTH Liane Moriarty book I've read and I've given the previous six either 4 or 5 stars. I particularly adored What Alice Forgot.

I make my living as a writer, and yet I find I am at a loss for words here...I am not sure how to review this very weird book.

TBH, after reading so many of my friends' reviews, I am almost tempted to plagiarize some of the more spot-on comments--not that I'd ever do that!

OK. Here is my (rather brusque) review: I did not like this book. I found it to be-for lack of a better word--trite. And oh my, but there was just so much DEATH in it (like, OTT too many deaths). And paranoia. And whining. And loss. It was readable, oh yes yes yes. I mean, Ms. Moriarty is a writing goddess, but, but, the story was so flimsy and sad and confusing. There were a lot of POV's and, at times, I had to reread the first few sentences to find out where I was and who I was hearing from.

In the end, I actually didn't even admire Cherry, and I THINK we were supposed to. Plus, I didn't get to know her, the MC, as deeply as I got to know some of the other minor characters. Is that odd? I felt it was odd. The storylines that followed the "victims" were far more potent, although, in the end, I felt that they were mostly unrelatable (not a real word) and unrealistic.

Three stars because, even though I was pretty disappointed in the story, I couldn't stop reading.

An absolutely GLOWING five stars for this one.

It's been a while since I ready any Moriarty and this was exactly what I needed to get out of a small reading slump. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this advanced copy!!

I've enjoyed most of Moriarty's books (with the exception of 9 perfect strangers...it was ok just not my fave) and I forgot just how enjoyable her books are.

She gives us REAL people with REAL thoughts, emotions and observations about life. And she gives us lots of them! Her books are relatable and just funny enough without being over the top.

This one gave us something interesting to think about - would we want to know how and when we die?

I loved how this story unfolded and fell in love with many of the characters introduced. I could see myself or others I know in them and I loved thinking through their actions alongside them.

The ending was utter perfection and left me wiping my eyes and I rarely cry when reading.

This would be an AMAZING book club book and while I read my advanced copy on my kindle I already can't wait to listen to this one again on audio.

FIVE BIG STARS!!!

Liane Moriarty's characters and storylines have gotten less and less engaging with each successive book, and this one was the pits. Great premise, poorly executed. Too many characters to form an attachment to any particular one; each seemed to get the surface treatment and felt me feeling un-invested.

Having been a fan of Liane Moriarty for years, I was thrilled to hear about this title. While the last two she wrote weren't my favorites, this one definitely was a reminder of some of her earlier books. I was intrigued from the first chapter, and continued wondering how each of the characters would end up by the end.

Liane Moriaty is back with another page turning novel Here One Moment. A plane full of people stuck on the tarmac for a few hours, what else could go wrong. During the flight an older lady later dubed The Death Lady has been going passenger by passenger to tell them what they will die from and at what age. Does she really have the ability to foresee the future? When some of her perdictions coming true the passengers start a Facebook account as a platform for disscussion and to find out who The Death Lady really is. By the end of this book almost everyone has a connection with her through other people. This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The question remains can you change your future to avoid your death? Are phyics real and can they actual see the future. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Crown Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Liane Moriarty.

I actually finished this book over the weekend but needed time to process what I just read. My only thought is "what did I just read?" This book was not what I expected and I had to think about it. I expected more of a psych thriller but found it more thought provoking. I had feelings and thoughts that I was not expecting. It really had me thinking, what would I do if I knew when my death was going to happen and how. Would I become more cautious to the point that I don't end up enjoying life? Or do I just live the best life that I can?

I felt overwhelmed when I saw that this book had over 100 chapters. I do appreciate that they were short chapters and I don't believe there was much fluff in those chapters so the book was manageable. It did take me 2 days of reading but I also read it over a weekend. So glad that I did because it was tough to put down. I had to know what was going to happen to these characters that I've gotten attached to and I was invested in their lives.

I will admit that it took me awhile to get into this book but I think it was because there were so many characters that needed to be introduced in this book. As you can imagine, a plane full passengers means a plane full of different personalities and backgrounds. I think the author did a great job of providing enough information that was needed to not only understand the characters, but to somewhat get attached to them. Now not all of the characters are featured in the chapters after the plane ride which was kind of a disappointment. I would have liked to get to know a couple more a little more.

I will not disclose much about the mystery woman who was predicting the passenger's deaths, since she has her own story in this book. There were times that I didn't like her but then there were times that my heart broke for her. It just goes to show that everyone has a story and we shouldn't judge people on first impressions. At least sometimes.

It was amazing to see how many allowed her predictions to rule their lives and even changed some of their lives. It seemed like she made an impact on many of the characters and their lives. How a stranger could just impact a person with just a few words?! Granted those words weren't positive, but they did get some of them thinking about the lives they were currently living. Would some of them have continued living their lives without her predictions? We just never know how our words will impact others even strangers.

I went back and forth with 5 or 4 starts, so I will say 4 1/2. I just feel that even though the ending was interesting, it was missing something. I won't give it away but I did expect a little bit more. I also think this book could be triggering to some since there is a lot of talk about death and causes of it. I know it triggered me in some ways. So reader be aware!

I love Liane Moriarty but I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one based on the description. But I ended up really liking it and actually wished it followed more characters from the plane. A great beach read!