Tag: liane Moriarty

You Must Read ‘Apples Never Fall’ in 2023!

You know me. I love books. I absolutely adore reading fiction and biographies, as well as YA novellas and graphic novels. Most days I dip into several different books. There will always be a drama that I am half way through, a YA story I am enjoying and a celebrity biography. Today, I am going to focus on a book that I have truly enjoyed – ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My signed copy is a treasured possession.

A Talented Author

I was first made aware of Liane Moriarty when I saw Big Little Lies laying on a book shelf in a shop, with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman on the cover. I went on to read the book and watch the TV show. This was thrilling and gave me a taste for Liane’s writing.

Soon after that I was hooked on ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’, ‘The Hypnotist’s Love Story’ and ‘The Last Anniversary’. Recently I lapped up ‘Three Wishes’ and finally finished ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My Review

This book is absolutely a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ contemporary drama.

It is about an elderly couple who used to run a very successful tennis school. We start the narrative when Joy, the wife and mother of four, has disappeared suddenly. The storytelling then flicks back to months before, when a new arrival seems able to rattle the family and begin the drama.

Things I especially enjoyed about book:

– She uses the close third person to zone in on each character.

– The family dynamic is fascinating. Troy and Logan were competitive children. One grew up to be a millionaire, the other a teacher. Amy and Brooke always sought their mother’s approval and were especially jealous of the new arrival.

– The story went backwards and forwards on a well organised timeline. Sometimes a police interview would draw out an intriguing incident. Then Liane would go back three months to when that actually happened.

– An ex- student of Stan’s had become a tournament-winning tennis player. His autobiography was set to tell stories which involved Joy and Stan. This link was important throughout and left you guessing.

– The use of dialogue was really good and balanced carefully. It moved the story onwards but there was also plenty of exposition.

– The clever way that characters would be arguing and suddenly flash back to previous events or conversations. This happened so naturally and helped me understand the backstory well.

In A Nutshell

It is fair to say that I found this book incredibly entertaining. There are no negatives as far as I am concerned. The brilliantly woven scenes and fully developed, relatable characters made this satisfying to consume. Little tidbits of detail were strewn around like chicken feed. I was kept in the dark but constantly asking questions as I went further into the book.

I have enjoyed every Liane Moriarty book that I have read so far. However, this novel felt even more brilliant than the rest. Even though it is a family drama and not a thriller as such, it had plenty of twists and dilemmas. I was totally invested in the narrative right from page one.

Final Thoughts

I totally recommend checking out an extract of ‘Apples Never Fall’ and grabbing yourself a copy. It really was a great read and I cannot wait to see what the Harry Potter producer – David Heyman – does with it. He has bought the TV rights and will soon convert it into a TV series.

For a previous review of a Liane Moriarty book, check out my review of Three Wishes. Thank you for taking the time to read my book review.

Perhaps consider following my little blog for similar future content about books, TV and the climate crisis. My recent thoughts on The House of the Dragon may interest you too.

Three Wishes – Book Review

AF – This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy a product I may get a small fee, at no extra cost to yourself.

Happy Easter everyone! As we all crack open the Easter eggs and spend time thinking about our history, let’s make the most of the tradition and rest up, ready for a busy summer ahead. I am not especially religious but Easter represents new life and symbolises how everything starts to become green again, during the Spring.

What better time to read some books? I love nothing more than putting my feet up in a quiet room, flicking through the pages of a good quality novel. For those of you who are new to my blog, you may not realise that I read mainly contemporary dramas and YA fiction, as well as a sprinkling of biographies.

Three Wishes

Although I am a massive fan of Liane Moriarty, I am never surprised when an author writes a book that doesn’t quite meet up to their usual standards. ‘Three Wishes’ is definitely not a book that lowers expectations. With Liane, I am yet to come across any that are sub-standard. For a previous review of one of her masterpieces, check out Bewitching Books which also includes a classic by my other favourite writer, Joanne Harris.

Review

Three wishes is all about three triplets who are in their thirties, living in Australia, going through the usual challenges of modern living. Their parents split up when they were young, but are still a big part of their lives. Two sisters, Lyn and Cat, are identical, while Gemma isn’t. What I love about Liane’s books is that they are grounded in normality, exploring family life in forensic detail.

Liane usually writes in the ‘close third person’ which means that each chapter focuses on a particular character and examines their thoughts, but remains written from a third person angle. We follow each sister as they deal with issues relating to mental health, motherhood, dating and marital upheaval.

Cat , for instance, is keen to have a baby with her husband, Dan. Her career is soaring and she envies Lyn, who balances having a toddler and teenage step daughter effortlessly. Lyn, meanwhile, is having anxiety issues related to car parks. Both sisters have used their identical features to their advantage in the past. They recall a time when one pretended to be the other on a date, for example.

Gemma is used to dating and being happy in short term relationships, which she is always ready to terminate. Being engaged to a guy who suddenly died in an accident, everyone feels sorry for her, but she harbours some resentment for her apparently romantic ex.

A celebration at a suave restaurant for their 34th birthdays turns into a battleground when the sisters finally let loose some revelations that upset the rest of the family. Some things just have to be said, but these women bottle stuff up and let it all out in one explosive evening.

Summary

I love this wonderfully told story, which is no thriller but is definitely compelling, with moments of humour along the way. Liane is very good at making sharp observations about modern life and her playfulness is really amusing. If you have never read a Moriarty book before (Why ever not?) then why not start with this one?

Check out the book on Amazon, here:

https://amzn.to/3KS1WG8

Thank you for taking the time to read my little review of this brilliant book. Please drop a comment about your thoughts or questions related to this. If you enjoyed my article, please consider following my blog for future similar content.