*Spoiler Free*
A while back I was in a MASSIVE slump- the kind that wouldn’t budge no matter what I read and wouldn’t allow me to read even the teensiest of books. I needed something a little bit different… And then I decided to give this a try. Now who’d have thought the cure for a slump would be a very dense, 450 page book? Not me! Before I tried Big Little Lies, I struggled at 300 pages. But honestly, this book ended up being my saviour! I was so gripped by it that I just couldn’t get enough of it!
On the surface, it was a murder mystery and centred round a primary school. I’ll admit, I didn’t find the prospect of competitive-mummy-drama all that thrilling- and yet, somehow, it was. The story builds from a point of seeming irrelevance, telling us of the incident from the angle of a bystander, withholding vital information. Told like a police report, the reader is clued in slowly, with hints ingeniously woven into the plot. All the way through the book, right upto the final reveal, we never know for certain who the suspects are and even who the victim is! This adds so much to the suspense and keeps you guessing the whole way through.
More than that, the gossipy tone of many of the characters drew me in and had me deeply invested in even the smaller mysteries. With writing that was simultaneously dark and witty, I felt like I was being led by the hand into a mysterious maze of drama and unexpected excited. Thanks to the third person limited narration, I saw inside some of the main player’s heads, with each one being given a distinctive and loud voice.
The book’s cast felt nothing short of *shiny*. I was instantly attracted to the lead trio. I was actually amazed at myself for clicking so quickly with the likes of Madeline- she felt like the sort of person I wouldn’t be close to in real life- and yet here I was drawn to her. She was just so ruthlessly herself. Invigoratingly so- to the point where I could completely understand how she could form friendships with Celeste and Jane- two people who couldn’t have been more different.
Both Celeste and Jane were wonderful characters in their own right and the development of their stories lead to some real depth I hadn’t expected from a story like this. In fact, it was thanks to their perspectives that all my previous expectations were subverted. I appreciated the way it allowed female friendships to blossom; I liked how it dealt with family drama in a way that felt authentic and not overblown. Sure, there were divorced and blended families, which led to some issues, but it wasn’t pure melodrama and there were signs of real love and beautiful bonds between them. Most importantly, however, Big Little Lies explored the subject of trauma in a raw and believable way. It dealt with characters trying to make sense of horrible situations, coming to terms with hardship and finding some resolution. As a result of this, they weren’t just painted as victims and designed to be merely gawped at. Instead, the people pictured at the centre of the chaos felt relatable, evolving through the continuous narrative, and allowing you to grow close to them.
While you become friendlier with a select few characters, you also got a flavour for everyone else involved. What was great was how they felt fleshed out, even though they were mostly described through a biased slant. Funnily enough, I particularly liked viewing characters from Madeline’s point of view. She certainly had strong OPINIONS (in all CAPS) about Bonnie (her ex-husband’s new wife) and Renata (her sworn enemy 😉 ). Viewing them through this lens made them seem more antagonistic and never knowing their true thoughts lent to the air of suspicion that surrounded these characters.
For all my biases, however, I never got close to guessing any of the plot twists. Everything was veiled so well, that it wasn’t until the curtain was pulled back by the author that I had the AHA moment (as it should be 😉 ). With a BIG showdown, all the truths came out. And somehow, masterfully, Moriarty managed to take this explosive ending and gently nudge it to a harmonious conclusion. For all the heretofore mentioned action of the story, it remarkably finished on a sweet note. I don’t know how Moriarty did it, but the whole experience felt crafted so that I would feel the *exact* right emotions and the *exact* right time. For that matter, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more if it had been designed especially for me– it was just that good!
Rating: 5/5 bananas
So have you read this? Do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
Okay… you’ve convinced me! Lol
I’ve seen lots of good reviews for this one too. 🙂
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I’ve heard so much about this book, and there’s the tv show as well, but I have to admit that the mommy angle never appealed much to me, and it’s a big reason why I haven’t given it a chance yet, the cover doesn’t help either. Your review makes me a lot more optimistic though, I like that it doesn’t slip into melodrama, and that it tackles some heavy hitting topics, some thrillers can be very superficial so it’s great that this book goes skin deep. I’m very curious about it now, what does that winking emoji MEAN.
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Wonderful review! I’ve had this one on my shelf for ages, but haven’t picked it up cause I had such mixed feelings about The Husband’s Secret. But now I’m definitley going to move it up my TBR! It sounds like a really interesting and entertaining read, and the characters sounds fascinating!
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Wow, this was really a very glowing review. And it’s definitely convinced me to put this on my to read list. I like the way this sounds. I’m always looking for books that are written in a slightly different way than the “normal” books. And written like a police report definitely sounds unique indeed. Great post! 😊
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Great review! I haven’t read this book but I’ve heard great things about it. It looks like this was a major hit for you! I’m glad you loved it! 🙂
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I loved Madeline especially her white-hot views on Renata and everything that happened with her older daughter! Very true about it making sense she would be the friend that brought the other two together in a way. I think I liked those characters more because of Madeline, at least at first. The shows well worth the time as well.
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This really does sound amazing! I’ve seen this book so often too. At first, I thought it was a Sherlock Holmes spin-off till I found out that was the author’s name. I do love how the story is structured (police reports? Wow!). I do want to ask if you’d really tag this “chick lit”? It did make me wonder if it would be too heavy on romance or at least relationship drama for my taste, for example. Awesome review though! Glad to see it helped with your slump!
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Sounds like a great read! I really need to read more mystery/thrillers. I’ll add this to my list of things to check out!
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I TOTALLY agree. I loved this one. I binged it on a long bus ride and it made the ride go so quickly because I just couldn’t stop reading. Glad you loved it and it brought you out of your slump! 🙂
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An enthusiastic review – one that makes me want add it to my TBR now! 😉
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Fab review, I must check it out – I have difficulty with longer books, but sounds like this one might just hold my attention.
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I LOVED this book when I first read it! It got to pick up her other books because I was so thirsty for more of what I found in Big Little Lies.
I also think that HBO did a fairly good job of adaption it to screen. It wasn’t the best, but I
definitely enjoyed it.
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I really enjoyed this too – it definitely doesn’t feel like a 400 page behemoth. I’d initially dismissed it as chick lit but I loved the strong female leads, the relationships and the weighty issues that were dealt with. I loved how the shorter descriptions in the police reports were juxtaposed with the main characters POV’s – it really showed how much internal bias everyone carries with them. I also really liked how Madeline and her husband genuinely loved each other – you don’t get to see that very often (why?) and I loved the positive portrayals of the various different ways that the kids were being brought up ❤️💜💚💙💛
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Oooh I’ve heard about this book it sounded good
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I read this book in 2016 and I love it 😀
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It makes me so happy this is a five banana read! It’s so good!
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Oh this was a wonderful book. I have loved this author. Glad to know the book uplifted you.
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Nice review! Although school dramas don’t appeal to me, it seems this one is worth having a look at!
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This is one of my favorite books as well. I just breezed through it. Do watch the small-screen adaptation, whenever you get the time. It’s a terrific mini-series.
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I’m so glad you loved it too! Awesome- thanks for the tip!
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Loved this book!
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I’m glad!!
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I’ve been seeing this everywhere and do want to get to it! So glad this helped with your slump! I love books where it’s hard to guess what happens next.
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Brilliant! I’m glad to hear it 😀 Thank you!! absolutely! me too!
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Is this the book that the TV show is based on? I never knew Big Little Lies was a book as well (which kind of makes me feel undeserving of calling myself a bookworm). Anyways I’m glad you enjoyed this book, and even more glad it was what managed to get you out of your slump as well. Sometimes it surprising what books end up getting you back into reading isn’t it? But once you’re hooked on a story you’re hooked! 🙂
Great review. ❤️
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It does sound interesting. Have you watched the show?
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Lovely review! I haven’t read this one myself but I’ve always heard good things about the author.
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Great review! Sometimes gossipy books (or other “comfortable” types of dialogue) can be the best for breaking slumps.
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Thank you! Absolutely 🙂
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Well this is good news I have been avoiding this one a bit due to the page count. Great review:)
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