Review: Here One Moment

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liane Moriarty is an incredibly gifted author, as evidenced by the popularity and critical acclaim of each of her novels. The beauty of her body of work is that no two pieces are alike. Her literary choices seem to develop organically, rising to the occasion each plot presents, allowing Moriarty to create profoundly moving characters brought to life through the carefully crafted development of each unique voice. Here One Moment is this author’s most recent offering.

The premise of the story is that a flight from Hobart to Sydney is suddenly disrupted when an elderly woman who, just before the flight lands, moves down the aisle, points to each passenger in turn and shares at what age that person will die as well as their eventual cause of death. Reactions run the gamut from shocked to dismayed, from entertained to horrified. As they deplane, they each take with them a new burden—the burden of facing their own mortality and the forced exploration of their foundational beliefs. The remaining chapters alternate between those told by Cherry, the elderly woman passing sentence, and those that explore the lives of the passengers themselves as they face their new reality. Even many of those aboard who were initially skeptical begin to feel more than a little uneasy as the pages turn and predictions are realized, in exactly the way they were shared.

Cherry’s chapters move through time like mercury, slipping smoothly from decade to decade as she steeps her story in pop culture references that anchor her in time. From Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran, line dancing to the Lion King, the reader is able to follow Cherry’s footprints as she traverses the timeline of her life. The passenger chapters aren’t, by design, as dependent upon the past and are instead firmly planted in the present with a wary eye to the future. One constant is repeated in each passenger’s story—in some way, Cherry has brought to them chaos and discomfort.

Whilst the writing itself is truly memorable and moving, as are many of the stories shared by both passengers and Cherry, the book was, for me, a very slow burn that never transformed from smoldering to actual flame. The payoff of the build fell flat and was more anticlimactic than the plot of a Lifetime movie. I wanted fireworks and instead received a fizzling sparkler. The disappointment was real.

I encourage readers to find joy in the clever wit Moriarty brings to the page. Revel in the details as they unfold and enjoy feeling like they are insiders when they can identify with current events. Read for the beauty of Moriarty’s art and allow the denouement to occur without judgement. In the case of Here One Moment, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. 3.5 stars rounded up, because…Liane Moriarty!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to receive an ARC. Publication is slated for late September of 2024.

#NetGalley #HereOneMoment

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Review: Her Last Cry

Her Last Cry by Pamela Fagan Hutchins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Her Last Cry is a prime example of what happens when an author can’t focus on a linear plot and so meanders, hopelessly lost in the weeds. Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a gifted storyteller, but reading this piece of her work reminded me of listening to my grandmother try to tell a story. Oh, she’d get there eventually, but HOLY MOTHER OF GOD she took the long way! Hutchins does just that—takes the reader on a circuitous journey to an ending that offers no resolution, making it tedious and difficult to follow her path and not feel cheated when the trip is over.

In short, too many characters; too many spidering story lines that squandered opportunities to fully develop any one into a meaningful plot; and too many loose ends hurriedly explained in a conclusion that is anything BUT “conclusive” and instead reads as a thinly veiled promo for the next installment.

Three stars for effort—I had to take two to make up for feeling betrayed by the last ten pages.

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Review: First Lie Wins

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this one up with zero expectations. I had no prior experience with work from this author, didn’t read the synopsis, and went in cold. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

The story is that of a young woman hired by an anonymous (not to mention overbearing and sanctimonious) boss to carry out cons. Each con requires her to assume a new identity, relocate and immerse herself in the lives of her marks. While the length of the games vary, each is relatively dangerous and with the acceptance of every new “job”, the risks, as well as the rewards, increase exponentially.

Author Ashley Elston creates for readers a main character that rises from the page and feels as real as our own friends and neighbors. She is relatable, though not always likable, clever and vulnerable; she makes mistakes and obsesses over her failures while also reveling in her successes. There is something in her that appeals to our nurturing nature, as well as a slice of rebellion that is as bitter on the palate as it is refreshing. Elston’s brilliance is in her ability to make us sympathize with this somewhat unsavory character, who takes advantage of her environment at the expense of others. Though her days are filled with criminal behaviors and nefarious activities, we somehow, in the midst of the story, forgive her transgressions and root for her to succeed.

The most impressive strength of the work, however (aside from the character development), is in its structure. Chapters travel through time from present to past then back again, with each revealing a little more of the protagonist and the short and long cons she has managed to either pull off or at least escape from unscathed. The plot twists are deliciously embedded, and while some may not be particularly unexpected, others surprise as they slide into place like pieces of a complex puzzle, one building upon the next until the entire picture is assembled. The clever way in which they all come together left me in awe of the how well Elston kept all the balls in the air until the last possible moment. Truly inspiring to see it all unfold so seamlessly.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next offering from this author—I intend to be first in line for a copy! #fanforlife



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Review: The Deceiving Look

The Deceiving Look by Victor Methos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So here’s the thing. Methos could write a dissertation on how to peel a grape, and I would dive right in and devour the pages. Seriously. I love his style and his balls-to-the-wall approach to every story he tells. With that said, this book can be summed up with one word: dark. The characters, setting, plot, themes—all somber, oppressive and almost suffocating. Whilst on one hand that feeling of hopelessness is a testament to Methos’ ability to create pervasive and believable tone and mood, on the other hand it was SUCH a downer as to at times be uncomfortable. I had to take short breaks to recenter and remind myself that not all is lost in life, an experience I’ve never had before while reading. I suppose having an existential crisis every fifty or so pages should be a credit to the genius of Methos, but my therapist is going to work for her fee this week—not quite the result I was hoping for when I opened the cover.

I will continue to be first in line to grab anything and everything that Victor Methos pens, but for the love of all things holy, could we have something a LITTLE more upbeat next time?

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Review: The Breakaway

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, here’s one that will test the tolerance of the conservative right, whilst it feeds the hopes of those left of center. Author Jennifer Weiner has managed to craft a beguiling tale of romance and nestled it in an excoriation of societal norms in terms of body image, the expectations of women and the acceptance of behaviors in men that would not be accepted if they were exhibited by those of the opposite sex.

Abby Stern is a plus size woman in her mid thirties, still searching for herself and her direction. Her entire life is clouded by feelings of inadequacy related to her weight, and the lens through which she views the world is one full of skepticism and self doubt. Where she experiences freedom from the chains that bind her is on the seat of a bicycle, where she rides like the wind and is able to sometimes forget and often reflect.

Abby agrees to help her friend, Lizzie, and lead a group biking excursion through NY when the scheduled leader backs out. Abby sees it as a way to escape making immediate, life-altering decisions regarding moving in with her current boyfriend, and she embraces the opportunity with cautious optimism. When she meets the riders she will lead, however, Abby is shocked to discover that one of them is Sebastian, the guy with whom she had a prior one-night stand—a man who had rocked her to the core, made her feel beautiful and left her with memories she could recall when she needed a boost. That she left before he woke the next morning was an act of self preservation—a way to avoid the walk of shame that she was certain would be seen free of the “beer goggles” Sebastian has most certainly worn the night before. Her “fat girl” hurt runs deep. As they navigate the long trail to Niagara Falls, Abby navigates the pitfalls of both facing the man she was sure she’d never see again and forcing herself to take an introspective, unfettered view of her life.

Again, Weiner’s liberal values are definitely front and center here as she squares off as a pro-choice feminist. I enjoyed every page, but the agenda was not only evident, it was “in your face” and crystal clear. Four stars for a job well done and a story well told. Conservatives beware!

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Review: What Lies in the Woods

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Naomi Shaw (Cunningham) is another in what seems to be a never-ending parade of unlikable characters propelling their tales to the top of book lists—and I have to say that it’s a trend I hope disappears as quickly as it came into vogue.

The story is that of Naomi and her two childhood friends, Cass and Liv. Together, the three survive a chance and violent encounter with a suspected serial killer. It is Naomi, however, who ends up carrying the scars of that day on her body and in the very fabric of her being. The lies that surround the event, like a stagnant marsh, seep between cracks in the lives of each of these characters as they make the journey to adulthood, eventually drowning them in rank and fetid waters. The resulting rot manifests differently for each, and the truth of what really happened is unwound in slow-turning pages that expose the dark underbelly of what it means to be a victim.

There’s a LOT going on here—a wide-net cast in an effort to keep the reader guessing. To that end, the author succeeds. In the final third of the book, though, I found it sometimes difficult to follow the convoluted series of misadventures that culminated (finally) in a “show down” during which I felt as if I didn’t have a horse in the race—I simply didn’t give a damn who lived, who died, who suffered or who got the short end of the proverbial stick. I was disengaged, uninvested and ready for the whole thing to just be OVER. A more direct route to the end would have perhaps earned this an additional star.

Three stars for this author’s ability to keep her own story straight as she brought together myriad parts that reminded me of a box of legos—just too complicated to make the read feel worthwhile.

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Review: All the Dangerous Things

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Isabelle Drake is quite possibly the worst judge of character in the history of female protagonists. Author Stacy Willingham has created for readers a woman who wallows in self-doubt, makes impossibly horrible choices and, though she possesses the ability to reflect and react in hindsight, lacks any capability to identify red flags that are very nearly dropped at her feet. Additionally, this chaotic character consistently misinterprets intention, self-flagellates, and has far too many “suddenly retrieved” memories that conveniently surface after years of avoidance. In short, she’s a hot mess. One might expect this from a woman whose son was abducted from his nursery, the kidnapper leaving nary a clue, but Isabelle Drake was a disaster long before baby Mason disappeared. All of her profound character flaws render her wholly unsympathetic and unlikable—not a good foundation on which to build.

The story itself is actually a “tale of two cities”—an attempted melding of the past and the present that never really blends. Instead, the two plot lines meander as if in search of one another. When they fail to connect in any meaningful way, the result for me was a feeling of “bait and switch”—a betrayal by the author after the hours of reader investment.

Three stars for being intriguing enough for me to keep optimistically turning the pages, even if the end result was a slow burn that fizzled out before it gained momentum.

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