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tashreads2manybooks's Reviews (1.06k)
Disappointingly dull and not much of a mystery at all. Serves me right for trying to relive the magic that was P&P through any other author but Miss Austen.
3.5 stars. I mostly enjoyed this book, just found the hunt for the killer a little long winded. It was interesting and somewhat disturbing to get to know each of the killer's victims. Really horrific at times.
Winner of the 2014 Miles Franklin Literary Award
This is a mystery, but not that fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller type. All the birds, singing is more a gradual revelation, but leaves you just as hungry for answers as the classic ‘who-dunnits”.
I don’t really believe in re-writing the entire synopsis of a novel for a review, but I will give a quick run-through for context. Jake Whyte lives an isolated life on a sheep farm on an unnamed British Island. Recently, something or someone has been mutilating and killing her sheep. There are two mysteries for the reader to solve. Firstly: what kind of animal or person could harm her flock in such a horrid way? Secondly: What drove Jake from her home and family in Australia and why does she choose to live in such seclusion?
These unanswered questions kept me hooked. The answers are slowly revealed in alternating chapters. One: in the present in England, then the next concerns her past in Australia. The way her past is exposed seems to confuse some people (according to Goodreads reviews) but it didn’t take me very long to figure out that (and I don’t think this is a spoiler – but if you are sensitive to this kind of thing skip the rest of the paragraph) her story is told in reverse. I really enjoyed this literary device because once you received an answer to one question the next raised its intriguing head. Great stuff!
Evie Wyld is a very gifted writer (clearly illustrated by the awards and nominations she has received for her work). She is probably a little too good in this novel actually: her descriptions on life in Australia makes it sound awful – a dry, dead country teeming with flies and dodgy men. (I live here tourists, believe me, it is not).
There are a few dark seedy bits, a touch of lust and some undesirable characters – all makes for a rather enjoyable read.
This is a mystery, but not that fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller type. All the birds, singing is more a gradual revelation, but leaves you just as hungry for answers as the classic ‘who-dunnits”.
I don’t really believe in re-writing the entire synopsis of a novel for a review, but I will give a quick run-through for context. Jake Whyte lives an isolated life on a sheep farm on an unnamed British Island. Recently, something or someone has been mutilating and killing her sheep. There are two mysteries for the reader to solve. Firstly: what kind of animal or person could harm her flock in such a horrid way? Secondly: What drove Jake from her home and family in Australia and why does she choose to live in such seclusion?
These unanswered questions kept me hooked. The answers are slowly revealed in alternating chapters. One: in the present in England, then the next concerns her past in Australia. The way her past is exposed seems to confuse some people (according to Goodreads reviews) but it didn’t take me very long to figure out that (and I don’t think this is a spoiler – but if you are sensitive to this kind of thing skip the rest of the paragraph) her story is told in reverse. I really enjoyed this literary device because once you received an answer to one question the next raised its intriguing head. Great stuff!
Evie Wyld is a very gifted writer (clearly illustrated by the awards and nominations she has received for her work). She is probably a little too good in this novel actually: her descriptions on life in Australia makes it sound awful – a dry, dead country teeming with flies and dodgy men. (I live here tourists, believe me, it is not).
There are a few dark seedy bits, a touch of lust and some undesirable characters – all makes for a rather enjoyable read.
I was duped! I thought this would be a quirky little book about books. But it is just a book about quirky IT people and Google. Oh well....
Oh what a decadent and dangerously addictive book this is! It is your every guilty pleasure between two covers. I warn you, you will not be able to put it down. Thanks to Liane Moriarty I lost hours of much needed sleep and woke up cranky but still wanting more Big Little Lies.
The story mostly focuses on three main characters: Madeline – a stylish and high-spirited mum whose ex-husband’s daughter attends the same school as her kids; Jane – a young, single mum who is new to the area; and Celeste – a beautiful and rich stay-at-home mum with rambunctious twin boys. The events and interactions between the mums of Pirriwee Public School all lead up to a dramatic drunken riot and the tragic death of one parent. Police suspect murder.
The wonderful thing about this book is that not only are you guessing ‘who-dunnit’, but also you don’t know who died til the very end either. It is a two-for-the-price-of-one mystery.
Don’t let the size of the book deter you. This is an easy and satisfying read. Moriarty is a gifted storyteller; her writing is effortless and enticing. I felt like I knew some of these characters (Oh calamity! I probably do!). The mothers of Pirriwee could represent those at any primary school, squabbling over who was invited to a party, gossiping about an unconfirmed affair and always trying to outdo each other.
While I had to laugh at the antics of the school mums (and admit, took a certain amount of glee from their petty feuds), there are some very real and serious issues that are dealt with in this book. Bullying, domestic abuse and body image issues all play an important role.
Big Little Lies is a highly entertaining, funny yet thought-provoking novel. I will be recommending it to all my friends, book club and perhaps highlighting a couple of paragraphs for a select few Kindy mums.
Thank you to Bookworld for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
The story mostly focuses on three main characters: Madeline – a stylish and high-spirited mum whose ex-husband’s daughter attends the same school as her kids; Jane – a young, single mum who is new to the area; and Celeste – a beautiful and rich stay-at-home mum with rambunctious twin boys. The events and interactions between the mums of Pirriwee Public School all lead up to a dramatic drunken riot and the tragic death of one parent. Police suspect murder.
The wonderful thing about this book is that not only are you guessing ‘who-dunnit’, but also you don’t know who died til the very end either. It is a two-for-the-price-of-one mystery.
Don’t let the size of the book deter you. This is an easy and satisfying read. Moriarty is a gifted storyteller; her writing is effortless and enticing. I felt like I knew some of these characters (Oh calamity! I probably do!). The mothers of Pirriwee could represent those at any primary school, squabbling over who was invited to a party, gossiping about an unconfirmed affair and always trying to outdo each other.
While I had to laugh at the antics of the school mums (and admit, took a certain amount of glee from their petty feuds), there are some very real and serious issues that are dealt with in this book. Bullying, domestic abuse and body image issues all play an important role.
Big Little Lies is a highly entertaining, funny yet thought-provoking novel. I will be recommending it to all my friends, book club and perhaps highlighting a couple of paragraphs for a select few Kindy mums.
Thank you to Bookworld for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
