Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free

Big Little Lies got a whole lot of buzz when the TV miniseries came out last year. I haven’t seen the show yet, but I was curious about the book based on the premise of the show.

I'm not going to say too much, but man is this book dark. Despite the incredibly serious and dark themes, it also manages to be insanely funny?  It's incredible how Moriarty managed this. The tension and humour are perfectly balanced and I couldn’t get enough of this story. Fortunately, I listened to the audiobook and had no trouble blasting through Big Little Lies. I consumed this delicious book in a matter of days. If you ever attended a ridiculous school that had ridiculous parents, you should read this book. It has so many shades of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, a book I adore, and I absolutely loved it.

I really loved our three main characters because they were so distinctly different and felt so wonderfully realistic. Madeline, Celeste, and Jane are so incredibly vibrant -- I would sometimes forget that the story was actually fictional. These three women are far from perfect, but I really enjoyed the way their stories wove together and their secrets unfolded. Although I absolutely loved all three ladies, Celeste is my favourite. There was something about the double life she lives that was so intriguing, and I really loved the way her story played out.

I don’t want to say too much because you should absolutely go into this book knowing as little as possible, but despite the serious content warnings Big Little Lies is an incredibly well-paced and darkly funny novel. I cannot wait to see the TV show and read more of Moriarty’s stories.

CW: multiple scenes of on page domestic abuse, on page sexual assault