The one good thing about having a bad cold is you don't feel like doing anything but reading. Sniff.
This was a great book to hunker down with. I have enjoyed all the Moriarty books I have read, and in this one her humor really shines through. Frances Welty, who I would call the main character, is hilarious and imperfect and oh so relatable. On a whim, Frances signs up for a Health Retreat to relax, get her head straight, mend a broken (and embarrassed) heart, maybe lose a few pounds, detox. What she gets, and who she meets, makes for one of the most creative tales I have read in a long time!
There are nine guests for this session at Tranquillum House. Some come from Melbourne, some Sydney, some other places down under. There is one couple, one family, a few divorcees, and a lawyer. The Director and staff members are determined to bring out a "new you" they tell everyone cheerfully and enigmatically. Red flags begin to wave almost immediately. Will they work together? Will they indeed go through a metamorphosis? They will certainly be changed!
I loved the pace here - different chapters give the reader insight into each of the guests, as well as the staff and director. And I loved how the author handled the end of the book. (No Peeking! See previous review for The Silent Patient.) There are so many plotlines and character traits and backstories here that it must have taken a flow chart to keep them straight, but somehow it all works when put together. Kudos to Moriarty for keeping it straight, for a wonky twist, and for giving us a book that was totally hard to predict! Definitely an author to count on for a wild ride and a good story.
No comments:
Post a Comment