But, I must warn you. This book is not like Moriarty’s previous novels, which usually centered around the family unit, providing a taut element of suspense, blended with humor and sarcasm. This novel has the humor, sarcasm and the suspense, but the setting is not at all domestic, as you will see. Frances can’t open the gate to the Wellness Resort. She entered the correct code several times - but it still won’t open. Twenty frustrating minutes go by and new guests arrive. This book is weird, because it’s sort of a meta-thriller-character-exploration that has no genre and hates genre convention, and what’s perhaps even weirder is that um… this is Liane Moriarty’s brand now. Cover: Simply beautiful, natural, effective & purely Moriarty! P.S. - Do you see an outline of a woman’s body on the cover?

This one's written in the way so many are these days, where the narrative switches from one character to another with each short chapter. But in this case, there are NINE characters staying at the health resort, with NINE different narratives, plus another 3 or 4 characters who run the resort, who are also weighing in with their thoughts for the reader. I hope they make the book into a movie; I would love to see this on the screen. Hm…I need to think about what to tell the director about casting, lol, once I make my choices. Maybe they will make it into a movie since Big Little Lies transferred to the scene so well. (btw, I can’t wait to see Season 2, coming up in 2019, with queen Meryl Streep!) Will those strangers find what they are looking for in their lives or is something more sinister happening behind the close doors of this place push them escape sooner before it’s too late!years later - Yao is a well being consultant at the healing resort. Masha is the Head honcho. Her regimens are unconventional... ha to say the least. We learn more about the rules and tactics as time goes on. But honestly, the whole situation with the director of the resort and her decision to take things in a new direction I found utterly laughable. I was waiting to see just how over-the-top Moriarty would take things, and found some of it really hard to believe. I did like the way she tied things up with some of her characters, but I was really disappointed on the whole. If you like snarky humor, as I do, then you’ll find much to enjoy here. I appreciate an author who can write subtle satire and I loved the wit of the author and the sly digs into self-important authors, the publishing industry, our obsession with age, appearance and ‘wellness’, and the psycho-babble of some spirituality gurus. Marsha, the head of Tranquillum an extremely controlling and yet intelligent seeming woman who definitely commands everyone’s attention. She constantly talks to her group of guests, monitoring them often and having individual sessions with them.

I really enjoyed Big Little Lies and I wondered how this one would compare. Ms. Moriarty has a way of developing characters that I learned to find a bond with, even though they were all very different. The novel is told from multiple points of view and yet the audiobook flowed seemlessly between the characters. Moriarty has written a novel that delves into the human mind and the way we think and connect with each other, showing an intricate observation of human failings and frailties.She couldn’t shake the feeling that if she didn’t record this moment on her phone then it wasn’t really happening.” So there's a lot of repetitiveness here, a lot of people talking, and all about the same... exact... events. For me, it felt repetitive, and it really slowed down the pace of the story. After the prologue, the first character the reader is introduced to is Frances. This was a great opener for the avid reader who will ‘get’ the subtle and not so subtle digs at the publishing industry and the trends they run right into the ground until they become a parody of themselves, forcing authors to either hop on board the train or wait for their chosen genre to become popular again. So, right away, I knew I was going have to see how Frances fared, and was all in. I couldn’t wait to see what other sardonic observations the author had up her sleeve. Moriarty is heavy on dialogue (which I love) and doesn’t venture out into the wilderness to describe leaves and pebbles (which also gets my stamp of approval). It was only when someone thinks they see a kangaroo on the road that I realized I was in Australia! Kangaroo? I want to see a kangaroo! Must accept that it’s not going to happen here in the states, so sad. Even the word makes me laugh, it’s so playful, jazzy, and rhythmic. Title: Appealing, suspenseful, intriguing and a fabulous representation to storyline. The nine guests were perfectly imperfect!

Nine people book into a health resort, Tranquillum House, ready to be transformed into a better, thinner, healthier version of their former self.

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

A washed up romance novelist, a family broken by tragedy, a has-been football star, a young couple whose marriage is faltering, the wife who has been left for a newer model and the lawyer who has commitment issues. Nine perfect strangers all broken in their own way looking for a make-over, a rejuvenation. Nine people, all from very different walks of life, arrive at Tranquillum House, a highly recommended health resort. Each of them is coping with various life issues, from simple domestic uncertainties, or huge family problems, to marital woes, and weight loss goals. Moriarty’s usual wry, spot-on observations about the dramas of real life are missing from this book. Setting all the action in an isolated (and oddly un-chichi) health spa cuts Moriarty off from showing everyday life and culture, which has been one of her greatest strengths. These characters are stranded, unable to go about their daily business of planning, worrying, drinking coffee, and bonding with other women. (Or worrying about what other women think of them.)