It has been known for a long time that reading is good for you. But some people are still unaware as to all the benefits that come with taking time out of our busy lives. 

 

Studies have found reading is good at reducing anxiety and stress. Reading is also capable of relaxing you 100% more than drinking a cup of tea. 

  

This book is the work of author Liane Moriarty. Many may think they’re not familiar with her, until you hear that she is the author of Big Little Lies. Big Little Lies is a loved TV mini-series, featuring Reece Witherspoon, Shailine Woodley and Nicole Kidman. It has won five Emmys and been watched by millions; It is also an award-winning book, becoming a New York Times bestseller after its release in July 2014. 

 

This, however, is Liane Moriarty’s eighth book called Nine Perfect Strangers. It’s about a group of people taking a wellness journey to improve themselves. Liane Moriarty has written in a range of genres, mainly focusing on domestic fiction in her adult books and science fiction within her young readers’ novels. 

 

Tranquillum, the fictional place where this book is set, has very mixed reviews on Trip Advisor and for much of this book you can understand why. The Tranquillum health and wellness resort is located in New South Wales, Australia and the nine guests have all signed up for the 10-day Mind and Body Transformation. The modern-day recollection hears from all the main characters, each opening up their deepest thoughts about the current events. This book covers a range of everyday first world problems which seem to grip our society. 

 

It’s strange what can lead an individual to book a health retreat. Especially one that claims to transform you into a different person. The 10-day Mind and Body Transformation promises to not only change their lives, but to send each of them away as a new person. It is clear that this thriller has been expertly researched by Liane Moriarty. This is recognised in the knowledge of the director of Tranquillum, Macha, an ex-corporate triumph who wants to transform these guests like she has herself. 

 

As for the guests, there is Frances, a romance author very set in her middle-aged ways, Tony, a former football player with not much left in his life except some excess weight. Carmel, an anxious and self-loathing mum of four and Lars Lee, a divorce lawyer whose partner is desperate for a family. There is also Ben and Jessica, a young and very rich couple who already aren’t who they used to be and The Marconi family, Napoleon, a retired teacher, his wife Heather and their daughter Zoe, all struggling to cope three years later.  

 

Will this Thriller pull these people together or tear them apart? 

 

Although Liane Moriarty does not explicitly abandon the idea of not ‘judging a book by its cover’, she creates characters who are well-known stereotypes. Further on in the book, there does seem to be further complexities to these characters however, there doesn’t seem to be any major twists in character to begin with. 

 

For a new reader of Liane Moriarty’s books, it’s not clear whether the prolonged exploration of each character is to make them so complex that nobody is able to completely relate to any of them, or whether she is trying to do the complete opposite. Providing the characters with so many traits that every reader will be able to ally themselves with at least one of the guests or staff. 

 

The second half of the book felt rushed, as if Liane Moriarty had spent too many pages on setting the scene. What was meant to be gripping got lost in confusion. As events seemed to be limited in the first half, there wouldn’t have been a plot without a lot occurring in the second half. However, there was still a lack of plot in this book making it not as captivating as it had the potential to be. 

 

In some ways you can say that the transformation had an effect on each of the characters, causing them to be different people when they leave. It’s questionable as to whether this book has managed to transform the lives of anyone reading it, or if this book has provoked them to do something drastic to change themselves.  

 

If you have read any of Liane Moriarty’s previous work, you are likely to enjoy this. However, if you are new to her writing style you should start with something more gripping and highly rated to get yourself familiar with her books. She has sold over 14 million books worldwide and had her books translated into 39 languages. So, don’t take this book as an accurate representation of what this author can achieve. 

 

Nine Perfect Strangers is published by Penguin Books Ltd and will be published in paperback on 4th April 2019.