Book Review
Title: Truly Madly Guilty
Author: Liane Moriarty
Published: 2016
Rating: 45/100
Review:
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| Truly Madly Guilty (Cover) by Liane Moriarty |
[Spoiler Free] I had just finished consuming HBO’s twisted new show, Big Little Lies, and was blown away by the fact that I’d just devoured a show that revolved around a bunch of mums bitching about each other. If the show was a cake, there was a compelling murder mystery sprinkled on top, but the spongey part was basically one giant cat fight. There were no aliens. There were no dragons. There were no explosions. Yet somehow Liane Moriarty’s writing and knockout performances by Kidman & Witherspoon had me glued to the screen the entire time. Following the show’s gripping finale, I once again felt the urge to abandon my go-to sci-fi and fantasy genres to check out Moriarty’s latest novel, ‘Truly Madly Guilty’.
I was a few chapters into the audio book when I began having doubts. By the end of chapter 3, I was contemplating not finishing it and moving on - something I haven't done in over 5 years. The characters were already grating and annoying. The story was moving at a snail's pace. I knew the plot was based on the events of one night; a night where a friendly neighbourhood BBQ ends in chaos, but I didn't realise how slow those events would unfold. Despite all of this, I soldiered on. Going back to the cake analogy, it was clear that I was reacting to what was essentially raw cake mix. I needed to give Moriarty's story (and characters) some time to bake in the oven and rise.
About half-way through, Moriarty had me. She has a knack for writing realistic and relatable characters that seem to bounce off the page, as if they'd been plucked out of real-life. I could visualise the characters clearly. Just like in 'Big Little Lies', Moriarty's characters are what keep the boat afloat. They are the sticky glue that binds you to what is a very sluggish and boring story. I absolutely adored the character Vid. I'd light up listening to his chapters and laugh out loud. I even found myself relating to Sam a little bit, which is actually kind of sad. I just wish that these awesome characters were involved a far more exciting tale!
After watching 'Big Little Lies', I had big expectations going into 'Truly Madly Guilty'. I wanted an element of mystery. I wanted big twists. I wanted shocking moments. I got none of that. I wanted it to be as good as 'The Girl on the Train' or 'Gone Girl'. It wasn't. The big 'twist', if you could even call it a twist, is so trivial and obvious that it did nothing but frustrate and piss me off, leaving a sour taste in my mouth, hence the tone of this review. Listening to the last chapter felt like climbing a torturous mountain and, upon reaching the summit, getting laughed at by Moriarty and drop-kicked all the way back down. Overall, the book is an absolute fizzer.
In summary, I'm the first to acknowledge that I'm not Moriarty's target market and this kind of book was never going to appeal to me.
Who will like this book?
Anyone who liked 'Big Little Lies' or 'Desperate Housewives'.
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