Genre: Literary fiction
Rating: ★ ★ ★
The book club is in love with this author! My feelings are somewhat neutral. I mean I enjoy her books, but I don't devour them like some do. Not sure why, but there it is!
This latest read was probably my least favorite of the ones I've by her (which are Big Little Lies and What Alice Forgot.) And again, I'm not sure why. Just didn't grab me fully I suppose.
It's about three couples all dealing with life and especially some incident that happened at an impromptu BBQ they all attended two months before the book actually takes place. The incident drives the story, and we bounce from the current day, to the "day of the BBQ." We are strung along forever it seems, dying to know what actually happened and trying to guess the whole way what it is. I didn't guess it. And when all was revealed, I was a little surprised by what caused all the stress.
I won't reveal this incident in case you want read this book, but it did hit home for me since a very similar incident happened in my own family just last year. So given that, it was a bit painful to read, but I'm happy everything.... spoiler.... ended okay. Otherwise I may have felt very different.
Anyway, the characters are all really well written and so true to life. This is the biggest strength of this author I think, such realistic characters. But that being said, I really didn't like any of them! And as you know, not liking the characters goes a long way to how you end up enjoying the book I think! I just see that they all have pretty awesome lives, and yet they complain like crazy! Maybe it means I should take a look at my own awesome life and stop complain, right?
Have you read this one? What did you think?
I can understand why this book was hard for you. I totally thought of you as I read it. It was my least favorite of the three as well, but I didn't hate it, which I know you didn't either. The characters were kind of evil in this on, but I did like picturing the one couple with a New Jersey accent even though they're from Sydney, lol.
ReplyDeleteI feel like a bad Australian in saying that I don't love Liane Moriarty's books and I certainly didn't enjoy this book. I can see why this might be painful or you to read though.
ReplyDelete