Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

Full of suspense and mystery, Nine Perfect Strangers is an intriguing and unique novel. The story follows the lives of nine characters, as they escape to an Australian health retreat for 10 days. The characters are in for a shocking surprise, as they learn what awaits them, and what the health retreat truly entails. 

The characters come from various backgrounds, each with their own hardships and struggles that they must learn to overcome. The director of the retreat, Masha, uses many unconventional techniques, and she is convinced that these methods are the only way for her guests to achieve lifelong change. The book is written so that each chapter focuses on one character, and it makes the story go by very quickly. 

Throughout the book, there are several mysteries to unveil and significant chaos that arises. This is especially true as the characters learn more about each other, and what the director is actually plotting. The themes include power, rule and order, personal transformation/growth, mental health, and family. 

Overall, if I’m being completely honest, I was not a fan of this book. I watched the first few episodes of the TV show on Hulu, and I really enjoyed them, so I stopped watching the series to read the book (before continuing with the show). I was disappointed that the book seemed quite boring in comparison to the show. There was such a degree of lunacy throughout the story, it made it almost hard to get through. At the end, I did like that the author wrapped up all of the characters’ stories rather nicely, but the rest of the book was pretty bizarre. If you enjoyed the show, and you want to try reading the book, then go for it! Even though I have yet to finish the show, I still believe it is likely better than the novel.