Perfect Strangers

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Think of Masha as a mad scientist. She prioritizes the result more than the process—even if the process involves people's sanity. Her "ends justify the means" attitude culminates at the end of the book, when she pushes her experiment to the limit. I have to give this one 5* for pure enjoyment levels. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much at the same time as being made to consider life so much whilst reading a book.

read: A luxury retreat that promotes itself as being able to transform lives in a ten day stay in which you cannot leave. Nine people with body and/or psychological issues seek transformation. The story told from the perspective of each of them and the three main consultants at the retreat. The setting Australia. The key phrase - 'which you cannot leave'! These people and others expect that their stay won't be all pampering and relaxation, but they're not prepared for all that the health resort is going to throw at them. It's going to take some work to make change happen, but they have no idea just how far the director of the resort is willing to take things. It's going to be more than fasting, yoga, massages, and hikes in the beautiful countryside. In some sense, their very survival may be at stake—certainly their willingness to fight for themselves will be challenged. Sometimes it’s just a matter of the right book at the right time! This audiobook was just what I was looking for and I spent much of the time listening to it on a beach while often laughing to myself.Prior to this, they each had their phones, alcohol and any treats described as “contraband” confiscated. Instead, they start to enjoy Masha’s homemade smoothies, which one of the guests, Heather Marconi, later correctly believes to have been spiked with drugs after her family begin to open up like never before. It became pretty apparent to me, as the ending loomed, there was only one of two ways the story could go — veer into crazy territory, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or take the easy way out. The gate opens easily when Ben enters the ‘correct’ button code. “Just needed a man’s touch”, he says. Ha!

I thought the idea of a strict health resort made for an interesting setting. I mean, it made me ponder whether I could handle not just the clean living and digital hiatus, but total silence for 5 days. After the prologue, the first character the reader is introduced to is Frances. This was a great opener for the avid reader who will ‘get’ the subtle and not so subtle digs at the publishing industry and the trends they run right into the ground until they become a parody of themselves, forcing authors to either hop on board the train or wait for their chosen genre to become popular again. So, right away, I knew I was going have to see how Frances fared, and was all in. I couldn’t wait to see what other sardonic observations the author had up her sleeve. Nine Perfect Strangers follows the same chilling premise as Liane Moriarty’s bestselling Nine Perfect Strangers book, with nine complete strangers joining controlling Russian retreat owner Masha at Tranquillum House. Each person arrives hoping that the 10-day retreat will help them to solve a huge problem in their daily lives, ranging from the breakdown of a marriage, to being conned and the death of a son. Ben drives a canary yellow Lamborghini. Jessica has a ridiculously tiny waist, skintight Capri pants.. walking in stilettos.Moriarty’s ability to bring out the small idiosyncrasies in each person is extraordinary. She slowly dissects each character, their thoughts, fears and hopes are revealed through her writing. It was easy to see something of yourself in these everyday people. Seriously, I don't know if I loved this book or absolutely hated it. Half way through I was done with it...but, there is a pull to keep you reading to see what happens to the Idiotic Nine, whom I also loved and hated. Napoleon, Heather, and Zoe, are a family that certainly looks healthy. But they're carrying around a lot of grief, anger, regret, fear, and guilt related to a tragedy that happened just three years ago. While it might have been a better idea to go on a cruise or some other vacation, they hope that the time to meditate and reflect might help them move past these issues.

On the run from a bad relationship, Emmy is desperate to leave Boston as well, so she involves Leah in her plan. The two head to a small town in Western Pennsylvania, where Leah gets a teaching job, and they can both keep off the grid. Leah and Emmy live on parallel schedules, and the two rarely if ever see each other for more than a few minutes, especially when Emmy starts dating someone new. But Leah keeps getting the sense that Emmy is still on her guard, that she's waiting for something to happen. Kristin Reid of Paste magazine praised the Hulu series for creating a "compelling group of individuals", noting Nicole and Michael's "standout performances" in particular. However, it seems that not everybody agreed with this glowing assessment.Each of the "strangers" enters Tranquillum House with a problem—actually, multiple. The Marconi family is grieving the loss of their son, Zach. Frances suffered the twin blows of losing her heart to a con artist and having her latest novel rejected by her publisher. Ben and Jessica's relationship has been frayed by winning the lottery, a burden disguised as a blessing. Great veins,” he said. Nurses often said that about Frances’s veins. She always felt momentarily proud and then kind of depressed, because what a waste of a positive attribute.” In Nine Perfect Strangers, Nine people gather at the Tranquillum House Resort for a 10-day wellness retreat, run by a former businesswoman named Masha. While these strangers get to know each other and grapple with their own issues, they start to have questions about what exactly is going on at this retreat.