Tag: novel

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.

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers

As a big fan of both the book, ‘Big Little Lies’ and the HBO series, I thought it would be great to sample another book by Liane Moriarty. I started to read it and was soon drawn into this novel which centres around nine characters who venture out to a Health Spa in a remote Australian venue.

Liane is very capable of writing characters that are full of life and have incredible back stories that are not only relatable, but also fascinating. I love the fact that each chapter comes from a different character. In the third person, each character bounces back and forth with their takes on events that unfold.

The story is interesting as it really makes you think about mental health and the desire to make your mind and body better. Each person has a reason for needing some nourishment and mindfulness. Some are tormented while others are merely after time away from the mill.

I enjoyed the setup of the storyline and loved the modern references and context. It made me think about how much faith one can put into therapists and how we trust certain people purely because of their job titles. The situation seems intriguing early on as the visitors are banned from using phones and forced to remain silent for a few days. THEN things start to get weird.

Her way of outlining a tale is magical with a real prowess over the English language. This book will draw you in and I hope that you will pick up a copy and join in the discussion about the scenarios that unwind. This book deserves five stars and I cannot wait until Nicole Kidman turns it into a series or film.