Sally Diamond has a reputation in her small village for being a strange woman. In her 30s, never married, still lives at home and very reclusive, she is a bit of a mystery. After her adoptive mother passed away years ago, it was just Sally and her elderly father, who she took care of until he passed away. Her father always told her to put her out with the garbage when he died, that is exactly what Sally did. With this act, much unwanted attention came Sally’s way. Slowly, she began to open herself up to a new way of living and building friendships, even getting a job. But when the dark truth of Sally’s early childhood comes to light, she starts to find that some of the new people in her life can’t be trusted and her healing is threatened.
I really loved this story and the characters and different points of view. So well written and at times very dark. But I rooted for Sally all the way and hope she finally found the happiness she deserves.

This was a highly anticipated read, & it exceeded my expectations!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 :
- Alice Feeney
- Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
- Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
- Character driven stories
- dark themes
- dual pov
- neurodivergent main character

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 :
Nugent writes with exactly the right tone - painting a picture of darkness & humour, despair & hope, of empathy & optimism. The plot was intricate, with well placed twists.

Despite her tragic upbringing & blunt exterior, Sally manages to become a resilient, capable, quirky adult. She is a character you can’t help but root for.

The audiobook was impeccable. Sally’s point of view was narrated perfectly & the addition of the interview audio recordings were so authentic.

While the ending was a tiny bit underwhelming, Sally & her story deserve 5 stars, one of my most memorable reads of the year. I’ll be thinking about Sally and her strangeness for a long time.

**the topics discussed in this book are heavy - I definitely recommend checking trigger warnings.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for the paperback rerelease!

Pretty dark; not for the faint of heart. Yet I was captivated by Sally’s story and her journey from being born under horrific circumstances, and then having an overly sheltered existence well into adulthood, and then suddenly being forced to figure out how to function independently. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: July 30, 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

This book had me from the very first page. The way that Liz writes always blows my mind and I was so impressed with even this read. This will be one of my favorite reads that I will recommend to my friends and book readers. Our main character is so well written and so interesting in so many ways. I want to leave this review vague because you can give so much away so easily. The dark aspects and eerie vibes of this book leave you with a heavy atmosphere that will keep you turning pages and needing to know what’s next. Sadness, intrigue, fast pace, dual timelines and well fleshed characters make this an amazing read.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Dual Timelines, Fast Paced, Short Chapters, Suspense, Dark, Family Secrets, Crime, Mystery, Small Town, Neurodivergent Character, Twisty

While this story starts out with a disturbing albeit somewhat humorous misunderstanding, from there it heads into some seriously disturbing events. I was intrigued through the entire book, right up until the ending. I was disappointed with the open ending of Sally's character development that's portrayed throughout the book. While the ending was not what I hoped for, the book did keep me intrigued throughout. And I hope that the epilogue is indication that the cycle has been broken and the next generation will prosper.

Before I go, can we talk about the egos of the men in this book? I'm not sure how Mark and Peter fit into the same house.
3.5 stars

I did not see ONE plot twist coming in Strange Sally Diamond, Full marks! Cannot recommend highly enough! Will purchase for libraries.

My book of the year! Loved the setting, the multi-layered story and the characters. This book isn’t talked about enough, it’s absolutely brilliant! Sally is one of those characters that stays with you for your entire life! I cannot wait to read more from Liz Nugent!

I loved that most of this was from Sally’s POV, and she’s a very like able and relatable character. The book gets off to a crazy start and I couldn’t quit reading it! Highly recommend!

This one is hard to describe. At times this was hard to read but then sometimes it was humorous. I liked probably the first 80%-ish of this, but then the last 20% felt a bit convoluted and rushed. It kept me interested and reading to see what would happen.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Strange Sally Diamond is just what the title says, strange but in the best way. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark fiction about Sally Diamond, a woman who keeps to herself in her small community. But after her father’s death her world completely changes- he divulges information about her past that shocks Sally and encourages her to build friendships and independence. Sally is a complex, vulnerable, deep character who overcame many challenges. I love the positive light this book placed on therapy and the refreshing honesty Sally displayed. This book forces you to feel things and to really root for Sally, who again shows such amazing character growth. This will be a book I definitely won’t forget anytime soon!

3.5 stars

This book started off so strong! I was completely invested in Sally's character, her oddities, and the darkness that made her who she was. The story was disturbing and heartbreaking yet equally fascinating. I can see why many readers were drawn to this one. Unfortunately, somewhere in the middle, I became a little bored. The writing was well done but the plot just seemed to drag on for me. When I reached the point of feeling any sense of completion and resolution for Sally, it was over. Nothing was resolved! Some insinuations could be made, but why? I really needed an ending to the turmoil that I was put through while reading this story. Others may be okay with an abrupt ending, but I needed more. I would still recommend this one. It was a unique and interesting story. I did like it for the most part. Just extremely slow moving.

Thank you to Gallery Books for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I read this when it initially came out. For lack of a better word, this book is strange. It reminds me of We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. It’s old school weird and atmospheric. Not sure I would recommend this to everyone.

Thank you, Gallery Books for the copy of Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent. The description did not prepare me for the immersive and compelling story, and I sped through the first half of the book before taking a break. Sally is the greatest character I have read in a long time. I felt so much empathy for her and I loved how she was able to preserve despite her past. I’m not sure the second half completely lived up to the promise of the start because Peter wasn’t as great of a character and his story wasn’t as interesting, but it did have some surprises. This is an immensely readable book that will make you think about nature vs. nurture, families, and friendships. 4 stars

Just WOW what a book! I totally devoured this one. The characters were crazy great and had me flipping pages, unable to stop . One of my favorite books of the summer. Haunting, chilling and expert storytelling. Huge five stars from me, don’t miss this gem.
Thank you NetGalley and Liz Nugent for the opportunity to read and review this cracker of a book.

I really enjoy this book - it kept me engaged from start to finish and I didn’t have any difficulty understand or relating to the prose. The characters were well developed and easy to like. I’d definitely recommend reading this book!

A captivating story that I could not put down. This book was thought provoking and entertaining. I will be picking up more of Nugent’s books.
Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of this 2024 addition.

I’ve been a Liz Nugent fan a long time - since an Irish friend told me about her. Unraveling Oliver was the first book with her wonderful jacked-up characters. Skin Deep is one that never got an American release and may just he her most messed up character ever. I was glad to see Strange Sally Diamond get some buzz and see widespread appreciation for Nugent. It's great for so many to get some exposure to Nugent's writing. This book was on a lot of “Best of ‘23” lists. Sally is a great character - but she’s not really the messed-up character is she? Don’t miss this book or any books from Nugent.

All of the stars for this quirky, twisty read!

Synopsis: Sally Diamond is a bit strange, and she takes everything very literally. When her sick father asks her to "take him out with the trash" when he dies, she does exactly that. This mistake is the catalyst that unearths some long buried secrets from her past that make national headlines.

Thoughts: This was such a refreshing take on a thriller. It is absolutely dark, twisty, and disturbing, and I was immediately intrigued by Sally's character. The way Nugent develops her personality, as well as the "why" behind her isms is pure perfection. I think that this story is best going into without too much information, but if you like twisty reads, bump this to the top of your list!

Read if you like
-Karin Slaughter/Lisa Jewell books
-Quirky characters
-Dark and twisty
-Dual POVs

I loved this one so so much. Easy 5 stars. Sally Diamond was such an interesting character and I throughly enjoyed following her story. This was a pleasure to read.

A crazy story full of twists and turns that you won't be able to put down. Dark and moving and I am completely in awe of Liz Nugent's writing. Maybe there is a little of Strange Sally Diamon in all of us.