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Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty:
Year published: 2018
Book # for author: around her 19th
Genre: psychological fiction/thriller
Setting: Australia, present day
Nine Perfect Strangers synopsis:
Driven by its characters, Nine Perfect Strangers (see it on Hulu here) introduces you to the mysterious Masha. She’s the organizer and leader of a newfangled and questionably ethical wellness retreat. As we go deeper into story we try to understand what exactly are her intentions with this retreat. What exactly is her plan.
Then, there are the assistants, who possess varying degrees of loyalty to, as well as romantic interest in, Masha.Of course, there are the guests to figure out as well, each who came to this 10 day getaway with a different mission. Getting to know them is a pleasant journey.
Of course, there are the guests, who are really the stars of the show, to figure out, each who came to this 10 day getaway with a different mission.
Nine Perfect Strangers book review:
The book Nine Perfect Strangers (on Amazon here) was so well written but at the same time drove me crazy with its slowed down quality. It took me 10 minutes to read about 10 minutes that took place in the story, and sometimes those 10 minutes weren’t even that important. I needed to be able to cover ground and that just didn’t happen. I had to stop reading in the middle, but I can’t deny how well-crafted the story was. But ff you’re more of a patient reader I do recommend reading the book before seeing the show.
My rating: 5/10.
Nine Perfect Strangers show review:
Nine Perfect Strangers became a mini series on Hulu, and to my surprise and delight, it’s being renewed for a second season. I had already read the book when I heard Hulu was coming out with this mini series. It did not disappoint! This is one of those rare instances where the show or movie is better than the book. Another example of that is The Lovely Bones (trailer here).
Especially for a mini series, it featured an uncommonly used setting and structure. It’s so hard to get into those run-of-the-mill shows that all feel the same these days. Like come on, give me an actual reason to care about the show and the characters, ya know?
The Nine Perfect Strangers show gave me a reason to care. Part of that is from already knowing the characters from the book, but also again, the structure and set up. It’s almost like the retreat was the main character, giving us room to pick and choose which side characters to care about. Shows that are similar in that way are LOST (more here) and Wentworth (trailer), which were also amazing. I discuss both in My Ultimate List of Netflix shows to watch here.
The character that interested me the most was the writer in the book. In the show I most most drawn to the storyline of the family who lost their son to suicide. The episodes involving them were the best and *spoiler alert* gave the show the closure it needed at the end. It’s a must see for anyone who lost someone to suicide.
The show covered the entirety of the book so I’m wondering what the next season will entail but I can’t wait. Hulu hasn’t announced its release date yet, but it looks like it will be released at the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025.
My rating: 9/10.
Read more:
The Lovely Bones: An Analysis
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer: A Review
