Helpful Score: 8
I was very put off initially by the writing device of letting you know a little of the ending and then starting at the beginning and letting the story unfold, with a further disclosure about the ending at the end of every chapter. My irritation lasted for the first third of the book until I was finally so caught up in the story that I was eager to keep reading. When the ending did come, despite all the hints, I was caught completely off guard and it all worked. Ultimately, it was a very satisfying read for me.
Helpful Score: 4
This is a story about a murder. This is also a story about three women and the love, pain, and lives they live. Jane, Celeste and Madeline all have children starting kindergarten at the same time. Their friendship blooms, but do they dare reveal their real lives to each other?
Liane Moriarty is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He books have suspense and intrigue, but they are character driven, which I love. This is not a fast paced action book. This is a book about people. The people are flawed and real. They are not perfect. Sometimes you like them and sometimes you don't understand why they do what they do. Just like real life.
I definitely recommend this book! Great story!
Liane Moriarty is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He books have suspense and intrigue, but they are character driven, which I love. This is not a fast paced action book. This is a book about people. The people are flawed and real. They are not perfect. Sometimes you like them and sometimes you don't understand why they do what they do. Just like real life.
I definitely recommend this book! Great story!
Helpful Score: 2
Excellent book! I finished this story a week ago and cannot stop thinking about it and talking about it. I had a very (surprising to me!) visceral response when the big secret was revealed. The beginning of the book was so high-school and blah, blah, blah, BUT! It is a necessary set up so that when you get to the exciting parts you understand why it is so amazing. I read it as a book on CD and loved the reading of this story. I lent this CD set to another person in my book club to read and she told me she was "chained" to the CD player! I HAD! warned her. Read the beginning knowing that there is something great at the other end of it. This is seriously a MUST READ!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Great book! I read it and passed it along to Angie.
Helpful Score: 1
This book fascinated me for a while and then I lost interest. It just seemed to drag on and I didn't finish it.
Helpful Score: 1
It's the night of the annual "Trivia Night" fundraiser at the local elementary school. Parents of the students are there for food, cocktails, and fun. What they get is an argument, a drunken brawl, and a dead body. The story goes back six months to where three mothers meet at Kindergarten Orientation after taking their five-year-old children for enrollment. Madeline, Celeste, and Jane become friends after Jane's child is blamed for an incident with another student. Gossip from some of the Kindergarten parents pushes Madeline to stand up to what she sees as unfair accusations. Tensions between many of the parents build as incidents occur. It all comes to a head at the Trivia Night party.
This was a quick read with some very funny moments mixed with the serious issues of bullying, domestic violence, body image, and sexual abuse. I loved the short police and journalist interviews with minor characters who tell different stories about incidents that happen in the book. Everyone has their own points-of-view about what happened. My rating: 4 Stars.
This was a quick read with some very funny moments mixed with the serious issues of bullying, domestic violence, body image, and sexual abuse. I loved the short police and journalist interviews with minor characters who tell different stories about incidents that happen in the book. Everyone has their own points-of-view about what happened. My rating: 4 Stars.
Helpful Score: 1
This was such an enjoyable book. It starts out with knowing somebody has been murdered but does not reveal who. Then we go on to meet young women who become good friends and are there for each other though it all. Serious topic but still had moments of humor in it. I highly recommend this book. It was a super read...
BIG LITTLE LIES was my neighborhood book club's April 2015 group pick.
Even though I enjoyed The Husband's Secret a bit more, I don't think I'm the biggest fan of these dramedy narratives, because for me, this book was all laughs and tongue-in-cheek drama that never really hit more than a very superficial note, despite all the serious things going on: spousal abuse, Kindergarten bullying and cover-ups, murder, 14-year-olds trying to auction off their virginity online...you know, the usual stuff.
And the "suspense" over what took place on the school "Trivia Night" was forced, contrived, and drawn out for hundreds and hundreds of unnecessarily repetitive pages. The characterizations and plot points are regurgitated over and over (and over!) again--Celeste is blindingly beautiful, this one can't get over her ex-husband's abandonment, that one looks more like a nanny than a mom--wash, rinse, repeat!
To me, it just became "noise," and I wanted to leave the room. You can pretty much just read the first 100 pages of this book, then the last 100 and save yourself heaps of time! No, seriously. There's about as much depth as the cover image itself.
So overall, there were some LOL moments, but I forgot them almost immediately. And I think that proves the point--the story's told in a style that makes BIG LITTLE LIES pretty forgettable. You probably won't remember it in 0.5 more books read. C+
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Even though I enjoyed The Husband's Secret a bit more, I don't think I'm the biggest fan of these dramedy narratives, because for me, this book was all laughs and tongue-in-cheek drama that never really hit more than a very superficial note, despite all the serious things going on: spousal abuse, Kindergarten bullying and cover-ups, murder, 14-year-olds trying to auction off their virginity online...you know, the usual stuff.
And the "suspense" over what took place on the school "Trivia Night" was forced, contrived, and drawn out for hundreds and hundreds of unnecessarily repetitive pages. The characterizations and plot points are regurgitated over and over (and over!) again--Celeste is blindingly beautiful, this one can't get over her ex-husband's abandonment, that one looks more like a nanny than a mom--wash, rinse, repeat!
To me, it just became "noise," and I wanted to leave the room. You can pretty much just read the first 100 pages of this book, then the last 100 and save yourself heaps of time! No, seriously. There's about as much depth as the cover image itself.
So overall, there were some LOL moments, but I forgot them almost immediately. And I think that proves the point--the story's told in a style that makes BIG LITTLE LIES pretty forgettable. You probably won't remember it in 0.5 more books read. C+
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Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty starts off with the revelation that a death has occurred. The reader knows where and when. But not who, how, and why? It takes the rest of the over 450 pages of this book to reveal that. The beginning sections of the book set up the characters and the plot. The ending specifically highlights the serious issues being addressed and resolves the mystery. The center sections just seem a bit too long.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/02/big-little-lies.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/02/big-little-lies.html
It has the same narrative structure as Those People but with way more time spent on the run up to the actual event. Nearly 400 pages of this book is flashback. This isn't a mystery. It's petty people being horrible.
It's a gender swapped Lullaby of Broadway (as seen in Gold Diggers of 1935, not the up tempo retooled version for the 1980 stage play version of 42nd Street).
It's a gender swapped Lullaby of Broadway (as seen in Gold Diggers of 1935, not the up tempo retooled version for the 1980 stage play version of 42nd Street).
I read this a while back but remembering enjoying the twisted story. Many have seen the TV series now, which captured most of the story, but the book is still better!
Another great book from Liane Moriarty. She lures you in and keeps you going until the end
Entertaining, surprises keep you engaged!
Was going to read the book, ended up watching the show. Too easy to figure out. Decided to skip reading the book. If you have not seen the show, read the book.
This book is what I imagine is called chick lit (a phrase I detest but understand). It's an easy read and the author includes some humor in her writing. I'd recommend it as something for a plane ride or sitting watching a kid's football game. It's not a great book, but it's somewhat entertaining and easy to read.
The adult cliques in this story created a believable senerio. A bit of a mystery and great character development.
If there was a way to give this book more than 5 stars I would. It is the one of the most powerful, realistic and well written books I have read in some time. It was easy to identify with all of the characters, at times I thought the author was following parents around from my children's own school, myself included. I loved the twists and turns, the way the author gave you just enough to know something big was happening but you had to continue on to keep reading. I cannot praise this book enough. This is the first book from this author that I have read and if this book is any indication of her tremendous style and character development, it will not be my last.
Excellent book. My new favorite author!
A relatable bunch of characters that make this very believable. It is a page turner and keeps you wondering till the end. We all know women like the ones in this book.
Funny; but not as funny as my wife thought.
I LOVED this book! It was the first I've read from this author and I've found a new favorite!
I loved the execution of this story but the story itself was one that has been told over and over again leaving me feeling bleh. The crux of the story deals with spousal abuse, bullying, rape, marriage problems, etc. It is probably better suited for readers who have not read about these subjects time and time again. The fact that the reader knows right up front that someone has been murdered is what interested me enough to continue to the end. I wanted to know who was murdered! All in all I guess it boils down to that I want to read something I haven't read before.
This author is simply wonderful....once you start one of her books you never want to put it down!!! Have read several more of hers since then and have decided she's definitely one of my favorite authors.
Without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read! Liane Moriarty never fails to keep me enthralled throughout the book. A wonderful story that gets the reader right into the lives of those young women and their families. Good tale about friendship, childhood bullying, motherhood, fatherhood, secrets and lies....
I don't understand AT ALL why this book got any 4 or 5 stars for it? It didn't take very long to be bored to tears, the writing was awful, and where in the world did this take place--London, Sweden, Africa, Timbuktu? It only took 3 chapters to dislike these characters to the point of hating them, and again the writing was just awful. I was amazed the reviews made it past a 2, and NO I didn't finish it, I thought-well I guess you can tell what I thought!
If there are actually any mothers anywhere that talk like this then it must be on Mars.
If there are actually any mothers anywhere that talk like this then it must be on Mars.
this was a good book filled with suburban drama and cliques and schoolyard fights with three women who were the primary characters and lots of other characters. But there were deeper messages and story lines about abuse and learning to forgive as well. You know from the beginning that someone dies but don't figure out how many or who until the end. really enjoyed this book.
Wonderful, funny, tragic story about a murder at a school fundraiser. Who did it and why turn into quite a lavish story. The characters were real, well defined and flawed while being funny. I could see myself in a couple of them. Loved the true life family drama, but also this work is about a terribly serious topic. Well done Ms. Moriarty
Beautifully constructed multi character story about parents and kids in an upscale Australian suburb. Every character has their own challenges, misunderstandings and opportunity for grace. The plot has numerous surprising yet believable and satisfying turns. There's humor too. Highly recommended.
So many stories in here-so many secrets-if I mentioned any of them, it would be a spoiler. It did sort of take me back to the days when my kids were in elementary school, and the cliques that were formed by the parents-very well written-every married woman, or any woman in a relationship should read this, I think there is a little of all of us in this book.
Really enjoyed this book
Funny and thrilling and you won't be able to put it down!! Three interesting women, the school their children go to and hurt feelings, an erotic book club, mummy wars, a French nanny, nits and a murder investigation.
This is the second of Liane Moriarty's books I've read and I absolutely fell in love with this book. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! I'm picky with my books and don't give very many of them 5 stars but this one deserved all 5! Ms. Moriarty has a way with story telling. Her character development is at the top of her field. Each character is beautifully revealed though out the story in an interesting, mind grabbing way. I felt like I knew each character and was drawn to each one! The biggest lie at the end completely caught me off guard and I believe I even gasped when I read it. Her unique choice to include secondary character dialogues to the detective at the end of each chapter was superb and catchy! Job well done! RECOMMEND!
I have enjoyed every book by Liane Moriarty that I have read, and this one is no exception. It was funny, dramatic, and a bit mysterious. The story line was interesting and kept you wanting to read more.
Really enjoyed this book and her writing style. She keeps.you.guessing until the end!
