As a reader, I’m hesitant to dish out five-star reviews but Liane Moriarty’s mysterious Big Little Lies is entirely worth the five.
If you’re a fan of mystery, comedy, and an all-female character list, this book is for you! Big Little Lies has become such a success that it’s also been adapted into a TV show, starring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. I devoured this book in two days after seeing a recommendation on TikTok, and here’s why.
What is Big Little Lies about?
Big Little Lies is a comedy-thriller, all about how school playground politics can come from the parents. Set in Australia, this 500-page book details the lives of three women.
They’re all mothers to children in the same nursery class. As the book goes on, we learn more about their private lives and how they’re intertwining with one another. The result? Murder.
One of the things I love about this book is the character lineup. It’s nearly an exclusively women character list. They all have very different lives and very different secrets. It’s not only a gripping book, but it is genuinely interesting to read about these women’s lives.
There is always something going on in women’s lives. Moriarty has mastered the skill of keeping readers entertained throughout, as there are no boring parts to this book.
A playground becomes a murder ground
The premise of the book is very clever. There is a real comedic side to it, in that what starts off as mothers in the playground dropping their children off eventually turns into murder.
I won’t drop any spoilers in this review, but the actual murder itself is interesting. Initially, I wasn’t sure whether the murder would be revealed at the beginning and the book would be building up to that. Yet Moriarty only drops minuscule hints that leave you guessing to the end.
This book is certainly a triumph and it’s no wonder that Moriarty has had such success with it. It’s a showcase of all of her literary talent. Big Little Lies is a book that is impossible not to love and devour. It keeps you guessing and keeps you hooked till the very end. For that, it’s certainly a five-star book.