Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a striking thriller novel about a mysterious woman predicting passengers’ deaths on a flight to Sydney. It explores universal themes like fate, death, grief, and mental illness. The story offers relatable characters, an original premise, and unexpected twists, making it a riveting and thought-provoking read.
Table of Contents
Review
In this thriller, Liane Moriarty explores the fragility of human life and the complexities of our psyches and surprises us once again with a perfectly executed novel.
Nobody on the flight to Sydney saw it coming that the lady, old and poised, would start predicting the age and cause of death of the passengers and crew. For some of them, it’s a funny anecdote; for others, it’s a relief: we all want to die old and peacefully. But for Allegra, Paula, Leo, Ethan, Eve, and Sue, it might be life-changing. When one of the lady’s predictions comes true, nobody will remain indifferent. What led the so-called “Death Lady” to spout predictions? Who is she? Liane Moriarty strikes once again with a thriller that’s as fascinating as it is thought-provoking. How would you face a death prediction? Do you believe in psychics? What about other forms of forecasts? Can fate be fought? What will people think of us after we pass?
One of the stellar features of the novel is the alternating viewpoints. The diversity of the cast of characters gives everyone someone to relate to: Allegra is young and vibrant, Ethan is young but bland, Leo and Paula are middle-aged parents, Sue is a happy-go-lucky grandma, and Eve is a newlywed battling with the harsh realities of independence. None of them are extraordinary, but their lives and struggles resonate with all of us: illness, unrequited love, fear of commitment, and workaholism are all topics we have all faced in one way or another. I especially loved how Liane Moriarty gave a voice to one of the most disparaged generations: the baby boomers. When the “Death Lady” talks about her fascinating life, she also talks about a whole generation with its flaws and its successes.
Here One Moment is flawless in every narrative aspect: the pacing is perfect and captures the reader from the start. The plot’s premise is original, but its execution is particularly so. Moriarty draws flawless connections between events and characters in a transition that makes the reading experience easy and flowy but equally striking. The twists were unexpected even for a seasoned thriller reader like myself; the narrative voice is engaging, and the dialogues are organic.
The topics in this story are almost universally approachable. I found Moriarty’s exploration of the nuances of grief especially moving and relatable. I also really enjoyed the accurate and sensible exploration of mental illness. It’s hard to write a detailed portrayal of mental illness without falling into cliches or adding morbid details for the shock factor. Still, Moriarty aced the portrayal of OCD and depression.
There’s nothing negative to say about Moriarty’s latest book. If anything, the Aussie thriller master has only gotten better with time.
We’ve all wondered about life, death, and fate. We can all find a character in this novel that resonates with our story or with someone we love. And who doesn’t love a thriller that delivers even more than expected? Here One Moment is a must-read of 2024, and it proves once again Liane Moriarty is a beloved, indispensable writer of our generation.
Book Details
- Title: Here One Moment
- Author: Liane Moriarty
- Genre: Thriller
- Theme: Suspense
- Publication Date: Suspense, Mystery, Fate, Death, Grief, Mental Illness
- ISBN or ASIN: B0CVPVD2JL
- Number of Pages: 505
- Minimum Audience Age: 18
Book Themes
(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)
- Sexual themes: 2
- Religious themes: 2
- Violence, self-harm, etc.: 2
- Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 3
- Other adult themes: 3
Rating
- Content: 5 stars
- Writing Style: 5 stars
- Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
- Uniqueness: 5 stars
- Editing: 5 stars
- Other factors: 5 stars
- Overall: 5 out of 5
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