I usually really enjoy a Liane Moriarty but I absolutely hated this. The synopsis was right up my street and its something I'm always thinking about. However it was just sooo dull and so confusing.
Have seen some reviews absolutely raving about this book, and then others that feel the same as me... it's good to know I am not on my own with my opinions.


It took forever to get going, and there were just too many characters to keep track of.
I hate books with too many characters and this book had a ton of characters that just were not differentiated enough. Plus there were characters that were mentioned and then not referred to again.

I'm so gutted as I honestly thought I would love this! Not for me...

Book Review: Here One Moment

I recently finished Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, and I was completely captivated by this intricate tale that beautifully intertwines the lives of several characters. Moriarty has a knack for exploring the complexities of human relationships, and this novel is no exception.

From the very first chapter, I was drawn into the world of strangers—each one caught in their own life’s chaos. There’s the flight attendant working on her birthday, the overwhelmed mother, the newlyweds heading off on their honeymoon, and the father missing his child's performance. Each character's story is compelling, and I felt a deep connection to their struggles and dreams.

The introduction of the mysterious elderly woman who makes a life-altering prediction adds an exciting layer of intrigue. I found myself pondering her true nature: was she a clairvoyant, a charlatan, or something more? As her predictions begin to ripple through the lives of these strangers, I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see how their paths would intertwine and what consequences would unfold.

Moriarty’s writing is both witty and poignant, blending humor with moments of genuine emotion. I laughed, I cried, and I reflected on the nature of fate and the fragility of life. The way she examines existential dilemmas made me consider my own choices and relationships, which is something I truly appreciate in a novel.

The pacing kept me engaged throughout, with twists that I never saw coming. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Moriarty would throw in a surprise that turned everything on its head.

Here One Moment is a brilliant exploration of connection, chaos, and the unexpected turns life can take. If you’re a fan of character-driven stories that are both thought-provoking and entertaining, I highly recommend picking this one up. Moriarty has done it again, crafting a narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned.

It started off great. I was intrigued. The concept was brilliant however I didn't find the writing matched. It dragged. I was confused at times.

Fair warning. This might quite possibly not be the book for you if you suffer from anxiety and/or are afraid of death/dying.

On a delayed flight to Sydney, an elderly lady starts walking down the aisle. While pointing at each of the passengers, she seems to be predicting their cause of death and at what age they will die. Some will shrug it off, some will consider it a joke. Others will go through an existential crisis, or make attempts to try and avert the course of their apparent destiny.

But who is this woman? Is she suffering from dementia? Is she merely a charlatan? Or does she actually genuinely have this extraordinary (?) gift. She herself is unaware of what she put the passengers through on that flight. Throughout the novel, the elderly lady's story is slowly but surely unraveled. Through learning more about her, we discover how she got to be in this place, at this time, doing what she did.

At the same time, the reader follows a few of the passengers. How are they handling, or not handling, this weird situation they now find themselves in? It's an oddly fascinating, if slightly creepy, exercise in "what would you do?" If for instance, your cause of death is expected to be cancer, would you bother having treatment knowing you're going to die on a specific date anyway? If for instance, your cause of death is expected to be assault, would you stop leaving the house? Some of these characters try to continue living as if nothing has happened, which is far easier said than done. The predictions don't just affect them, they affect the people around them too. Whether they believe in paranormal manifestations, or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Liane Moriarty. I loved getting to know these characters, following them as their lives unfolded, as they struggled with this idea that just gets stuck in the back of your head whether you want it to or not. Like some of them, I found I was nearly counting down the days to their diagnosis. Or death. Super morbid in a way, but also deeply absorbing. I became invested in these characters and desperately wanted them to prove the elderly lady wrong.

The elderly lady's story (yes, she does have a name) is equally compelling. She is a fabulous storyteller and I was hooked, desperate to find out more about her memories, about her life, about how she ended up here and why. It's quite the emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for her, and yes, I may have shed a tear or two. But there is also room for some humour and I did find myself chuckling from time to time.

This, for me, is Liane Moriarty at her best. Characters so relatable and believable that they nearly seem to jump from the pages, an emotional journey through time, and ultimately a thought-provoking and immersive story of love, family, loss, grief and life, with the most delightful conclusion. I loved it!

If you’ve ever wondered whether it might be a blessing or a curse to discover the accurate timing and nature of your death in advance, Liane Moriarty introduces us to that premise and all the questions it throws up in this intriguing novel.

As the passengers prepare for the flight, they’re preoccupied with the minutiae of their own lives and barely glance at the nondescript senior citizen in their midst. Yet it turns out she holds the key to their destiny.

During the journey, she suddenly stands up and speaks out the individual dates and reasons for their demise, while muttering that death cannot be fought. One mother receives a frightening word that her infant son will die by drowning at the age of seven.

Some can shrug off the predictions because their death is forecast many years hence. Others laugh and refuse to take it seriously because surely the lady is a nutter, not a psychic. Several are really rattled by what they hear especially when subsequent deaths happen as predicted.

Cherry, the prophetess of their doom, sits down wearily afterwards. She remains unobtrusive. But the flight attendants and worried passengers cannot forget what’s been said as the lady melts away into the crowd when they disembark.

Moriarty brilliantly examines issues of trust, grief and loss, and living with an ever-present awareness of death. There are multiple characters’ storylines alongside Cherry’s evolving backstory. The disparate tangled threads eventually unravel in a satisfactory ending. Grateful thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have read this ARC with a view to providing a review
All opinions and thoughts are my own

I've read some of this author before and always enjoyed their books
This didn't disappoint
She certainly is top of my list

Loved it

I usually enjoy books by this author but for some reason I couldn't get into this one.
I found Cherry interesting and got as far as her predictions on the plane and the arrivals hall after the flight.
Although I would like to have known if any of them came true, I found the story jumped too much from character to character and I had to keep re-reading parts. Felt too much like hard work and too confusing. Sorry.

Well this was a real journey of a novel for me personally.

I have not read really anything like Here One Moment before and I was hooked. Such a unique novel with lots going on and Liane Moriarty writes about everything that a reader will find truly gripping.

Lots of different people board the same plane and a woman, seemingly unnoticeable walks around and tells them how they are going to die - she gets called The Death Lady.

Each journey goes on their own personal journey after being given the prediction, and the reader is thrust into their lives and walks with them as they get to grips with life/death.

Here One Moment covers so many different topics and I thought it was amazingly well written by Liane Moriarty.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read other books by the same author and enjoyed them so I was looking forward to this.

I really liked the idea for the book and found that I wanted to keep reading to see what happened.

I like stories that switch between characters. I also liked how the characters all joined up at the end.

Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

This book is a breath of fresh air- so different from anything else I've read and ultimately delivering a really positive message about living each day to the full. Cherry is one of those characters who really grow on you and by the end of the novel you love them and know you're really going to miss them. It's hard to say anything about the story without spoilers, but just know that if you're open to ideas about fate, determinism and love layered characters with complex thoughts and feelings, this book should be top of your TBR!

This is a really interesting premise of a plot but something was missing for me personally. It's incredibly well written and character driven which I can appreciate but I don't think it was necessary to hear so much from Cherry and I did find myself growing bored. After hoping the plot was building to something impressive, the end result actually felt a bit flat for me. I've enjoyed earlier books from Liane but sadly the last few have been disappointing.

I’ve had a look back through my reviews and made the grand statement that I have yet to read a Liane Moriarty book that I haven’t enjoyed. Well, friends, unfortunately I’ve jinxed myself (dammit, Jen!), because it’s happened.

I’m actually really sad to say that despite my excitement about having gotten my hands on an eARC of this one, the book just didn’t do it for me.

Although the novel has a clever premise, are our lives pre-destined or do we retain a modicum of agency over our destinies, it just never took off for me. It wasn’t until the last 20 percent or so of the book that I felt mildly interested and wanting to know how the stories would end.

The plot: on a flight from Hobart to Sydney, an elderly woman starts predicting the other passengers' ages and causes of death. When, not long after, some of her predictions begin to come true, a whole number of events begins to unspool.

Yes, sounds like it should have been a perfect read, so I’m not sure what went wrong. Perhaps it was too long, perhaps there were too many characters, or perhaps this one just wasn’t for me.

Don’t fret, I won’t give up on Liane just yet. I do love her other books and will remain loyal. Let’s hope this one’s just a blip…

This book is simply fantastic, I loved everything about it! The premise is very dark and gives almost a sense of supernatural, with the death predictions being handed out quite forcefully, and then starting to come through. However, as the story developed it turned out to be so much more, and the depth of it will sure make it a difficult one to forget.

I adored Cherry and was fascinated by her life story. Through highs and lows, her character really standed out and getting to know how she found herself on that flight, doing what she did, I couldn't help but being so sympathetic with her.

The way the threads comes together at the end is brilliant, and I'm so happy for the way everything ended.

This is probably one of my favourites by this author, and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley and Micheal Joseph for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It is the best book I have read in the last few months. A woman on a plane suddenly starts predicting when and how her fellow passengers will die. Some of the passengers are amused, some are worried. How do you think you would react if you were told your baby son would die by drowning at the age of seven? Time passes and it looks like some of the predictions are coming true. People really begin to worry and want to find out who this mysterious woman is. With the help of social media the search begins. The story ties a number of people together with different life stories and it is a compelling read. Was the woman really a prophet? Will her predictions come true or was she just warning people? It raises a lot of questions about whether we are in charge of our ultimate fate or not.

Liane Moriarty’s domestic suspense thrillers are gripping page turners. This outing is no different, hard to put down. Impossible to forget.

Moriarty has said she’s not a planner but this novel has a paint-by-numbers feel. For a book with such a macabre premise, it is disappointing that the end result is best described as beige

Liane Moriarty best yet. I found the whole book fascinating. How would you react if somebody told you when you were going to die ? Would you believe them ? Highly recommend this book and I have no doubt this book will make it to the big screen. The characters were so diverse and I found myself rooting for some more than others.

This book was something that I didn't expect, it actually was better. I loved the ending and yes, it is a book that makes you think of life's events and the decisions we make and the effects that all these will unravel.

Imagine you are on a plane.
Everyone on that plane is different - retired, successful, married, parents, lovers and so on.
Then one little lady stands up and starts telling each person when and how they will die..
Can they believe her?
They get off the plane and then the deaths start to happen

No one can tie a story together quite like Liane Moriarty

One flight full of strangers, one unremarkable passenger changing the lives of everyone on board… predicting their deaths. It’s definitely not real. No one is worried…. Until the predictions start coming true. What would you do if you knew the end was coming?

I love Liane Moriarty so I was super excited to read her newest book. A super super interesting concept, as with all LM books it’s a fascinating commentary on the human condition.

In all honesty it’s not my favourite book by this author. I found the transition between the first and third person narration a bit jarring. The narrator (when there is one) is unreliable* and there are A LOT of characters. It’s hard to follow and it makes it a bit hard to get into the story.

But on the positive, the second half of the book is brilliant. *There is a good reason the narrator is unreliable. The way it all comes together is unreal, just bear with the first half. I promise it’s worth it.

Thank you to #netgalley and #penguin for my #arc