About the Book
Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February, 2017
Pages: 512, Paperback
Big Little Lies is my first introduction to Liane Moriarty’s work, and I must say, I am not at all disappointed. It was hard to put down once I picked it up.
Synopsis
Someone is dead.* Scratch that* a parent is dead. On the school grounds. During a trivia night!
Three women of seemingly different lifestyles meet on orientation day. Celeste, the beautiful, successful, and super-rich with her twins, Josh and Max; Madeline, the talkative, overly-protective and somewhat meddler with an outspoken daughter; and Jane, a new-to-town single mother to her son Ziggy and an unknown past.
They all have troubles and secrets. And amidst all the happenings that threaten to push Jane out of town, Madeline takes it upon herself to protect Jane and her son Ziggy. Unfortunately, all the secrets and little lies seem to reach saturation, and trivia night is perhaps the culmination of it all— where it unravels, and one parent meets their untimely death.
Was it an accident or an outright murder? I don’t want to spoil it for you.
Get Your Copy of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My Thoughts
I honestly enjoyed the mystery of this book more than some of the mystery-thriller books I have read recently (again, points finger at Verity and Dr. Glass). The story’s flow, the character’s backstory, and the portrayal of their private lives are undoubtedly addictive. All I wanted to do was keep turning the pages, consume it all, and solve the death mystery as quickly as possible.
While the book starts with the death on trivia night, it explores the happenings of the last 6 months to that night. Through these, we learn more about the parents of these kindergarten children. We get glimpses into their personal lives and involvement in their kids’ lives. So involved they are, they turn to gossip and revenge missions to sort out the differences between their children. This might be fiction, but it is relatable, where many parents fight their kids’ battles, even when they have no idea what is happening.
There are several themes to explore in this book, from school bullying and the effects of rumours to society’s outlook on working mothers vs. stay-at-home mothers. But the book’s highlights, at least for me, were the themes of physical and sexual abuse. Moriarty broached these subjects so that you are left with no prejudices as a reader. You can see the characters for whom they are, especially when it comes to dealing with the effects of the abuse. Most importantly, it is also quite relatable to real-life daily happenings. As well as the effects such abuse has on family and young children.
Despite these depressing themes, Moriarty manages to add humor and keep you glued to the story. I also loved the in-between witness statements from parents about the big trivia night. These are filled with gossip, rumors, and downright speculations about other characters’ lives.
So yes, I’d recommend this! And perhaps the adaptation, too. I watched it after reading the book; it wasn’t that far off.
Get Your Copy of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My ★ Rating 4.0
Goodreads ★ Rating 4.30 (as of August 2022)
