I honestly don’t know how to start reviewing this book. From the first page I was gripped and intrigued, wanting to find out more about Sally Diamond. .

As a story unfolds, my initial perception of Sally was turned on his head . The behaviours she displayed, are not purely characteristic traits, but they are symptoms of her deeply entrenched, traumatic childhood experiences.

I will not go onto the storyline as a feel readers should come into this book blind, enjoying the story as an each revelation is slowly and expertly revealed.

Sally Diamond stole a piece of my heart,. First class writing by Liz Nugent who takes a dark, bleak story and makes it page turning, moving and thought provoking.

Strange Sally Diamond might end up being one of my best reads of 2023. I think it will certainly be a very popular book these next few years.

We meet Sally, just at the point where she has possibly committed a criminal act. She’s a neurodivergent character and suddenly, everything she has known her 40 odd years on earth has been turned up side down and we go on a journey with her trying to figure out how to navigate her new life.

As the story unfolds we learn more about her past and how she came to be Sally. Her past trauma is disturbing and at times upsetting. However, as well as having some grim, heartbreaking moments this book is also heartwarming and at times laugh out loud! That scene in the coffee shop with the racist Texaco worker had me in stitches! The subtle comedy was brilliantly written.

This book is fantastic and will be very popular this year! It was well on its way to being 5 star plus right up until 98% of the book but that ending wasn’t for me. It felt rushed and a little pointless.

This book is still a cracker though and I’ll shout about it all year, a definite must read?!

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is my favourite book of the year to date, and I have a strong suspicion that it will still be high in my rankings come year end. Sally Diamond is a wonderful creation, vividly brought to life on the page by Nugent's excellent characterisation. From the very first paragraphs it is clear that there is something different about Sally, and as her story unfolds and the reasons for these differences are revealed , she becomes more understandable and more loveable despite being as blunt and socially awkward as ever. Being a Liz Nugent book, I knew to expect darkness and bite along with the humour, and I was not disappointed. It is difficult to write this review without giving too much away, but this is definitely a case where the reader will benefit by going in almost blind.
Sally has had a lonely and isolated upbringing in rural Ireland, and even more so since her mother died leaving her to be raised by her reclusive and over protective father. She has always been regarded as a little strange, probably because she is bluntly honest to a fault, takes everything literally and gets upset if her routines are challenged in any way. Now in her forties she is contentedly taking care of her father, and doesn't understand why people are shocked when she did what he told her to do, and put his body out with the bins following his death. Unable to understand that he was joking, she thinks she was honouring his last wishes and is surprised at the legal and media interest in her actions. As she makes headlines someone from her long forgotten past reaches out and opens a rather large can of worms .
Seeing Sally's growth over the course of the book was such a joy, as were the many wonderful characters that Nugent surrounded her with. The second narrative voice, who will remain unnamed in this review was an inspired choice and really added another dimension to the story. The pacing of the book is excellent, I could hardly bear to put it down as both narratives unfolded, each with their own surprises , and I have already been raving about it to friends and colleagues.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

Strange Sally Diamond. I remember when I first saw the cover and heard the title, it was not what I was expecting. Then again I don't know what I was expecting. But quite honestly there couldn't have been a better title for this book.
Sally Diamond...I wonder will that name be forever etched on my mind.
What a brilliant story from author Liz Nugent. I am in awe of her mind, her words and her stories.
Strange Sally Diamond is so dark, it's harrowing and quite quite disturbing.
The talent the author has shines through the pages in her story telling.
It really is quite a creepy story but ultimately a devastating one...
I feel I will be recommending this one forever.

An incredibly absorbing and quirky read. Sally Diamond is such a likable, incredibly well crafted character that you can’t help being sucked into her life - and what a muddle she’s made!
Her difficulties as she struggles through her mistaken interpretation of her Dad’s instructions after death are so poignant and believable.
This story gripped me from the beginning and I read it in two sittings. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Strange Sally Diamond was fairly different from the book I expected, but I hugely enjoyed it. It’s a dark story which is emotionally challenging at times – there are some serious topics addressed including violence, sexual and physical abuse, and more – but well rewarding because Sally is such a great character.

She has been described as ‘socially deficient’ and is well aware that people in her community and around her think she’s different and perhaps a little odd, but she is who she is. She takes things literally, doesn’t always behave as people would expect in social situations, and very much tells it like it is, and I thought she was brilliant. There is quite an array of people in this novel, some of whom are definitely not likeable, but Sally shines through.

I really enjoyed reading about Sally’s development as she deals with her father’s death and finds out more about her shocking start to life. As more threads are pulled and we discover more and more clues, we realise that Sally’s life started in a truly appalling way.

Strange Sally Diamond effortlessly blends an emotional, character-focused plot with hints of humour, darkness and mystery, making a complex and absorbing novel. Definitely recommended.

This is absolutely Liz‘s best book yet. I’ve read it in one day and the storyline is extremely clever if somewhat (well very to be honest) dark. I’m going to need a couple of days book mourning for this one I think!

I was recommended this book by a friend, and I'm so glad I picked it up!
WOW!
It was a slow burn, but it really gripped me in the end, and I was totally absorbed with the characters and plot. I loved it all!
The book felt so real, and I was right there with the characters - especially the central character of 'Sally' - she is so complex, and you completely understand why. She is difficult, yet still likeable.
The writing of Liz Nugent is phenomenal - this book spans different genres, and is very special!

Loved this reading experience! This book will stay with me for a long time!

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.
Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.
But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again . . .

Everyone has seen on the news the very sad and unbelievable cases of a girl snatched and held in captivity for many years and finally escapes – but then what happens next?! This is that story of what happens after and oh my goodness what a rollercoaster, powerful, inciteful, emotional dramatic ride it is. I was hooked straight away thinking what on earth has happened previously to make Sally Diamond how she is and what is going to happen or be discovered now.
This was the first Liz Nugent book that I have read and it definitely won’t be the last. Amazing concept for a book and so well written.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I really appreciate the opportunity to review the ARCs.
#NetGalley #StrangeSallyDiamond

A great read, very compelling and the sort that you get completely lost in and just have to finish, very well written. I was intrigued by the blurb and at first wanted to know more about why Sally was labelled as strange, odd or weird by those around her. She was presenting at first as neurodivergent, then her Dad refers to her behaviours as possibly autistic and I wondered how cliched this might become. However, as the story continues we learn more about her early life and see that her behaviour in adulthood is down to childhood trauma followed by a very socially restricted young adult life. It is very dark and can be quite graphic but there is also humour and glimpses of hope for healing. It's not all tied up in a pretty bow at the end, neither is life after such horrific events, we see the damage families can inflict upon one another and the power of friendships. A clever storyline told from different perspectives and across different timelines. Highly recommend.
With thanks to the author and publisher for an advance proof read in exchange for an honest review.

Just by reading the first paragraph of this book you will be completely and utterly hooked and will instantly want to know more about the person that is "Strange Sally Diamond". Sally has always been very different from the other children, bullied at school with no ability to make friends she lives on a remote farm with her elderly father. When she does have to go into the village, she pretends to be deaf so that she doesn’t have to interact with anyone. Sally leads a very literal life, and so when someone asks her to do something, she’ll carry out their wishes, to the letter. She does not have the ability to read between the lines, and at the start of the story she doesn’t possess a lot of emotions, but this is something she works through. Bought up by her adoptive parents, we learn more about Sally’s upbringing and what happened to her previously with her back story.

This book will send shivers down your spine and make the hairs on your arms stand up, which is what we have learnt to expect from Liz Nugent and she certainly delivers that again in this book. She has always been one of my go-to favourite authors and I find myself waiting rather impatiently for her next offering because you know it’s going to be brilliant! I would personally say that this is her best book to date.

You are going to love this, and there’s no doubt that this will be one of the most popular books of 2023 which will fly off the shelves. You will race through this story, so when you buy it you’ll need to clear the decks and make sure you allow yourself 24-48 hours completely void of any distractions or disturbances. I am desperate to talk to people about this book there are many things I want to talk about!!

If I could have one wish, it would be that I could go back and read it again for the first time.

This book caught my eye on Netgalley and I was really pleased to be given the opportunity to read and review it.

Liz Nugent is a new author to me and I thought she created a wonderful character in Sally Diamond. I have quite a few neurodivergent family members and I find that sometimes in books authors can cast these characters as completely stereotypical and have them tarred with the same brush - Sally Diamond, however, felt authentic and not just a ‘quirky’ character. I was very much invested in the story of Sally and found her history and the revelations of how she came to be the way she is fascinating, as well as disturbing.

There are so many positives about this book: the characters are interesting, the writing is good, there is a balance of deeply unsettling and heartwarming moments and I was really enjoying the story until the last few pages - it just felt like something was missing in my opinion, the ending felt rushed and fizzled out.

Thank you to Penguin General & Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An Irish woman who decides to cremate her own father in the garden incinerator is certainly strange - and her actions lead to all sorts of repercussions when the world's media focus on her and discover who Sally Diamond really is. She herself didn't know the tragic story of how she came to be adopted by an eminent psychiatrist, but it explains why at 42 she is a loner with severe anger management issues.
As the story explores how Sally, with the help of sympathetic neighbours and family, comes to terms with her past and grows as a person, another person is brought in to the narrative; a little boy called Peter brought up by a single father who isolates him from the world to "keep him safe".
As the two threads of the book draw together, a story emerges that is horrifying, yet so very engrossing. It's harrowing to read at times, but Sally is such an appealing character - so vulnerable and yet so strong, she's a reminder that it's possible to overcome the vicissitudes life throws at us,
Peter elicits sympathy, too - but he is never as strong as Sally, who carries this emotive story beautifully from beginning to end.
For fans of books like Room, Sally's story will touch your heart - though be warned, it's darker and probably reflects the reality of the tragic repercussions a kidnapped child will carry forward throughout their life.

Strange Sally Diamond focuses on 'socially deficient' Sally as she uncovers her dark past and the reasons she finds it difficult to interact with others. She has lived a quiet life in a remote village, but when she is thrust into the limelight after a tragic event, she could never have known how significantly her life was going to change.

It is a dark tale covering some tough subjects around physical and emotional abuse, but there are pockets of humour and Sally is a unique and special character that you can't help but warm to.

What a fabulous book! Sally Diamond is a strange person. Her father has always told her that when he dies, she needs to put him out with the bins. So, she does.

This book makes you feel joy and pain and it makes you want to smile and cry. All at the same time. Liz Nugent is an amazing author... I’m already looking forward to her next book!

A huge 5 stars *****

Just fantastic. I haven’t rushed through a book so quickly for some time. Told from the point of Sally and Peter who then are thrown together. It’s full of darkness, sadness and plenty of twist to keep the reader racing along.

Absolutely loved this. Every page. Is it dark? Yes. Is the subject matter intense and awful? Yes. But it is GRIPPING and one hell of a page-turned and story. Liz Nugent has done it again! I can’t wait for this novel to hit the shelves; it’s a must-read for fans of any/all psychological thrillers. A page turner that’ll keep you up for hours and not let you go until you get to the very last page.

There’s been a trend of books from the perspective of a neurodivergent main character recently, and after listing one of these - ‘The Maid’ as one of my 2022 Kindig Gems of the year, I was excited to read Strange Sally Diamond.

Sally’s father has always told her when he dies to ‘throw me out with the trash’, so it’s to her surprise that when he does die and she tries to incinerate him at home, that she gets in trouble and a spotlight is thrown on her previously secluded life. From there, we start to learn that Sally’s past isn’t all she had been led to believe…

I really loved this book and Sally is a great narrator - her character is interesting, flawed and charming, and she has a real progression throughout the plot which takes the reader on a journey. The story is also nicely paced and the idea of spacing the letters out (which tell important exposition), as to not overwhelm her and give her time to process things, was a very clever technique to keep suspense and drip-feed information in a realistic way. The writing style was incredibly engaging, and I found it hard to put the book down!

The chapters also alternate between Sally’s perspective and flashbacks from Peter’s childhood – a man we are initially unsure of how fits into the narrative. He is also a flawed character and we feel somewhat sorry for him at times as he has been shaped by his unusual upbringing. There are plenty of twists and turns and I couldn’t guess what would happen next, with a few red herrings interspersed in as well. The ending may divide readers, but I thought it was perfect and really leaves you thinking about the book for a long time after you put it down.

Overall, Strange Sally Diamond is a must read and one of my Kindig Gems of 2023! Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin General UK – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton and Viking for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was worth waiting for! I have read and really enjoyed Nugent's previous books, I think this is her best book to date. Unputdownable. I was hooked from the first page , this was a compulsive read, so perfectly paced and impossible to guess where the story was going. I loved Sally Diamond, one of the most interesting characters I have read in a long time and I loved how her character was developed as the story unfolded. She was written with great care and empathy as were the darker elements to this book. There is nothing gratuitous , just careful, excellent storytelling.
I think this book will be huge and it will be a wonderful choice for book clubs. Well done to Liz Nugent, I think this book cements her position as one of Ireland's current finest authors.

4.5 star.

A wonderfully fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, tale of Sally and her difficult life in rural Ireland. It starts off with the strange details of her father dying and Sally putting his body out with the rubbish, as this is apparently what he’d instructed her to do. You then quickly realise that Sally does not think the same as most people and her character is so fascinating. I really could not put this book down and found myself thinking about it long after I had stopped reading. Sally’s sad story unfolds slowly throughout the book and had me gripped. Amazing!