Book Review: Big Little Lies

Author: Liane Moriarty

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Publisher: Berkley

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

“Reading a novel was like returning to a once-beloved holiday destination.” 

“It’s because a woman’s entire self-worth rests on her looks,” said Jane. “That’s why. It’s because we live in a beauty-obsessed society where the most important thing a woman can do is make herself attractive to men.”

“Champagne is never a mistake.”

“Nothing and nobody could aggravate you the way your child could aggravate you.”

“The only woman who deserved a philandering husband was a philandering wife.”

I was inspired to read this book after watching the first few episodes of the show on HBO. I had to stop because I had a strong urge to unravel the mystery on my own time instead of waiting for the show to end. So, I headed out to the bookstore and started reading. It took me no time at all to get through the 400+ pages that make up this book. This book has something for everyone. Essentially it follows the politics between a number of Kindergarten moms, which sounds crazy I know, but the story is very pleasing and the murder mystery is what will ultimately reel you in – YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED! I love all three of the “main moms” that the story follows: Madeline, Celeste, and Jane. The story is told from each of their perspectives, so you get an intense look into the secrets of their lives.

The deeper you dive into this book, the more powerful the writing and story line becomes. You will rack your mind trying to guess who has been murdered and who is to blame, but I promise you will never guess. The writing is fast-paced and makes 4oo+ pages feel like a breeze. I fell in love with both Madeline and Jane right away. Celeste took me some time to get used to just because of what she puts up with in her marriage, but I won’t spoil that for you. The children are also a key point in the story and really make it extra edgy because they are involved in a little drama of their own. I am now anxious to see if HBO lives up to the book, but I can tell you they probably won’t. This is a great book that really does deal with some complexion themes and issues, while still being highly entertaining and even comical at times.