Mar 23, 2017

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Title: Truly Madly Guilty

Author: Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Format: eBook

Publication Date: July 26, 2016

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Purchased

The electrifying new novel from the international bestselling author, Liane Moriarty

Despite their differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you’d think.

For Clementine, as a mother of a two desperately trying to practise for the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something, again.

But the barbecue should be the perfect way to forget their problems for a while. Especially when their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them.

Which is how it all spirals out of control…

Truly Madly Guilty was an unusual book for me. It’s not the kind of thing that I would normally read, although I did greatly enjoy it. I did start off with the audiobook, but with such a slow moving novel the pace was killing me, so I checked the eBook out and finished it that way. I definitely feel like I made the right choice. THe pacing didn’t bother me while I was reading, mostly because I’m such a quick reader.

I liked Erika and Clementine both for different reasons. I think the goal of the author was to make you feel an alliance to one of them based on who you most closely aligned with, but I didn’t feel that pull her. Erika was generally kinder than Clementine, although you wouldn’t know it meeting them in person, but Clementine was definitely more social and the kind of person who always makes you feel wanted. Erika however was quirky and a bit odd, Clementine could be cruel and selfish. They felt like regular people with their flaws and positive attributes, it did seem a little exaggerrated but it is fiction.

I was expecting more out of the “very tragic” thing that occurred, it did feel like a bit of a let down to have it end up as an “almost happened” thing. However, I do think the impact that it had on the lives of Clementine and Erika was real and could have happened even if it wasn’t fiction. Those kinds of incidents can highlight gaps that exist that you otherwise might not be concerned with. I was glad that by the end of the book things were looking up for the characters. I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and recommend for people who tend to like Women’s Fiction or Contemporary works.

3.5/5 – A Great Read, Well-Written