I have been having a hard time finding anything good to read lately and I have been in a massive reading slump. I decided to pick up this upcoming thriller by Liz Nugent, and I was not disappointed. In fact, I was captivated and invested in the story from the very beginning. When Sally Diamond's father dies, she puts him in a trash bag and outside in the incinerator in the backyard, thus beginning a fascinating journey into the life and history of Sally Diamond. Sally was born into captivity; her mother was kidnapped when she was only 11 years old. There were so many layers to this story and it has a little something for everyone. Sally is neurodivergent and she struggles with every day interactions and what is considered to be "normal" behavior. Her little village of people rally around her after her father's death, and it is really sweet to see the way they look out for her and really do become her friends. There is also the story of Peter, who is Sally's brother. Although he doesn't live in captivity to the extent that Sally does, he lives with their father who has told Peter that he has a rare medical condition in which he will die from human touch from non-blood relatives. Essentially he keeps Peter isolated and reliant on him in a very manipulative way. When Peter is older, his father abducts a girl, Lindy, and her story intertwined with Peter is one that will break your heart. You can't help but feel for Peter and Lindy, Sally and her mother. There are parts that mixed with humor to lighten up the mood a bit, but this is a very heavy story about life in captivity and the aftermath of it. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Strange Sally Diamond. This might just be my favorite Liz Nugent book yet!

4.5 Stars
I wish to thank #Netgalley and Galley/Scout Press for the eARC of Strange Sally Diamond. This was my first Liz Nugent book and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories. I thought it was brilliant the way the author allowed us to see what a childhood of severe abuse and trauma and then an adulthood of constant testing and isolation, could affect the psyche of the main character, Sally Diamond. Sally was fascinating, deeply scarred, insecure, a woman with necessary routines, who lives with a child-like POV. I thought Nugent gave us an incredible insight into how severe emotional trauma as a child, will deeply affect the adult you become.
I thought all of the main characters were developed quite well and we learned of their stories through POV chapters. I wouldn't call this a thriller, because we actually had most of the story from the beginning, but we did learn background information and the severity of the trauma that unfolded. I was happy to see how much credit was given to successful counseling to address the many mental health issues that Sally had. Sally grew in many ways by putting into practice the suggestions she learned through therapy. It was difficult to read in some areas and trigger warnings must be shared, but I thought it was a fascinating story.

Strange Sally Diamond was interesting and quirky, but also traumatic and disturbing. While each of these qualities are wonderful in a book, the combination of all of them in one book is odd and left a strange after-taste. I felt guilty for the delight I experienced in one chapter, when tragedy continues to strike characters in the book. This was a strange experience and the plot arc and ending was disappointing and not what I have come to expect in contemporary fiction. I am eager to know others’ reactions to this unique book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Strange Sally Diamond took me a bit by surprise when I first started reading it as judging by the cover, I almost thought it would have an element of horror. I am happy to say it did not. This book is part mystery with a strong element of character growth and development thrown in with many twists. I grew to really feel for Sally and Peter who were the two main protagonists.

This story centers around a young woman who was captured at the age of 11 and held hostage by a man until she is in her late twenties and suddenly found. Since this is a thriller, I do not want to give away too many details, but the writing of Sally's character was done in an excellent capacity for what the character struggled with.

This is my second or third Liz Nugent book and my favorite! I can't wait to put a copy in my friends’ hands upon release date.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read an early copy!

Whoa! This book was not afraid to go there and it was all the better for it. Sally is such an intriguing protagonist and the people that rallied around her deserve medals of compassion. Even though I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going, I was riveted by how it all unfolded. And for a story so dark, it really had a lot of heart. Loved it!

Dark, sad and moving. I wasn't sure what genre to put Strange Sally Diamond in. It was a book where you cringed at the protagonist's actions but couldn't look away. I predict it will be a bestseller and will be recommending it.

Strange Sally Diamond captivated me from the very first page. The easy writing style and intriguing storyline had me up way past my bedtime “just one more chaptering”. The story of Sally Diamond, a woman who we meet burning her father’s corpse in their barn, is both sad and shocking at every turn. Told between alternating viewpoints over 40+ years, each chapter is a new discovery and a new shock. My only complaint is that I didn’t want the book to end.

*Goodreads cover is really different from the NetGalley ARC.
This one was a wild ride. In the opening scene, Sally is "putting her dad out with the trash" and incinerating his dead body in the back yard. You learn quickly that Sally is on the spectrum as she describes herself as having social difficulties. While the story of Sally's unfolds, you learn about her terrifying past and how she is functioning in the present with friends and family support. This one will be a popular read for sure. Highly recommended.

I am a Huge fan of Liz Nugent and have read every book she has written so when I saw there was a new book out I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of her book!
Liz Nugent writes such unique stories with wonderful characters. Stange Sally is indeed strange but so are alot of other characters in this twisted dark book . This story does include warning ⚠️ violence, rape, child abduction and emotional abuse.
The story does not get graphic however which I was happy a out. The story was so captivating it was so easy to keep reading as you just have to see what happens next. I have found every one of Nugents books fantastic as is this an easy 5 star read.
Thanks again to Netgalley and publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Deeply Dark and Disturbing

Strange Sally Diamond is a chilling psychological thriller about a child born into mysterious circumstances, a kidnapped eleven-year-old child, and a woman trying to incinerate her father’s remains. How these stories are connected is shocking, horrific, and heartbreaking.

Meet Sally, a woman in her 40’s who has grown up sheltered. She is neurodivergent and unable to read social cues. When her father dies, she takes his advice literally to throw his remains out with the trash. With this act, Sally becomes a media sensation, exposing her mysterious past and making her vulnerable in ways one couldn't imagine.

My advice is to go into this book blind. I eliminated a portion of my review because the less you know about Sally and this book, the better. However, beware that this book delves into some sick and twisted topics. Thankfully, it is not overly graphic, but just knowing what was happening was enough (I was so disturbed that I couldn't sleep the first night I read this). Buckle up for a tense reading experience.

Strange Sally Diamond is a page-turner! I was hooked from the start. I liked how the plot unfolds, shared between two very different narrators. The characters are well-developed, and the mystery of Sally’s past is intriguing. Just be ready for the dark, disturbing, and hard to read.

Trigger Warnings: pedophilia, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book thinking it would be in the same vein as Eleanor Oliphant, which is a character study of someone who is neurodivergent, but it turned into a twisted tale I could not put down. It's not often I am equally invested in both narratives of an alternating storyline, which is probably why I stayed up until 4 am reading one night. Sally's story is mostly uplifting, as you follow her grow out of 40+ years of avoiding society into making friendships and building a community around herself with the loveliest of side characters, while Peter's tale is more harrowing and dark and filled with constant moral dilemmas. While both characters can be classified under the same umbrella as "just a little odd," the author does a phenomenal job contrasting the two. This is definitely one of those books that will linger on my mind long after I finish reading it.

This is a darkly funny book. The main character was compelling, the supporting characters were well-developed, and the story was excellently constructed. The inciting incident pulls the reader in immediately, and I found myself being hooked throughout the book. The story at the start of the novel mushrooms as we learn more about Sally, and I really appreciate how the surprises were handled. A great read for fans of social thrillers.

Odd, quirky, bizarre, and certainly Strange describes Sally. This book was a non stop what is going to happen next. If you’re looking for a neat ending that won’t happen. If you’re looking for a wtf did I just read?! This is the book for you!

I loved this book by Luz Nugent. But then again, I love everything that she writes. Although not as intense or creepy as some of her others I’ve read, it was an interesting story about a neurodivergent woman who gets sucked into a world of chaos and darkness after her father’s death.

This is a disturbing, moving painful story. It is hard to talk about it without giving away spoilers. It is a well written book about the effects of trauma on three people and how they cope with the truth of what happened to them and how to live in this world

Liz Nugent’s latest suspense is outstanding in so many ways. Her writing and character development are phenomenal and the story is wrought with suspense. This hooked me from the beginning and just got better and better with so many layers of psychological brilliance. I really hope that this author gets the recognition that she deserves because it doesn’t get much better than this. With a fascinating plot and so many issues to discuss, this would be excellent for a book discussion.

A chilling and moving exploration of trauma, grief, and the families that we are both born into and create, Strange Sally Diamond will easily be on the "Best Books of 2023" lists.
Sally Diamond is strange. She lives an isolated life with her father, even going as far as pretending to be deaf so that she doesn't have to talk to others. Her ailing father told Sally to just put him out with the garbage when he dies, and Sally does just that. This sets into motion events that will change Sally's life forever. She is suddenly forced to interact with others, and people have a lot of interest in her early childhood, of which Sally has no memory. What happened to Sally when she was a child?
This story hooked me from the start. It is chilling and heartbreaking, but there are also funny and endearing moments. There are a LOT of very dark themes (rape, abuse, mental illness, to name a few), and the subject matter may be triggering to some. Sally is the main reason this book is amazing. Nugent expertly created a character that is, well, strange, but also vulnerable and lovable and brave (think Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen but with more redeeming qualities). I grew more fond of Sally as the story progressed, which I did not expect. Strange Sally Diamond is not to be missed and I feel like this book will be huge this summer.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Strange Sally Diamond.

I've read books by the author before and they were usually hit or miss for me.

I enjoy the author's writing, and was pleased my request was approved.

This is a dark, macabre tale about Sally Diamond; her origin, her evolution, and her journey of self discovery.

Sally Diamond is not like most people, and after her father dies, an error in judgment leads to an explosive reveal about her identity and who she truly is.

As Sally learns to navigate the real world, making friends, getting a job, and controlling her temper and adapting to her environment, she'll discover she's not alone in this world. And that might not be a good thing.

I liked that Sally worked with a therapist to develop social skills that would allow her to deal with the 'real' world she had been isolated from for so many years.

On the one hand, she knew she was different and didn't mind it; but on the other, she knew she had to learn certain social skills to make friends, and hold a job.

There are difficult subjects in the story some readers might find very painful and triggering; rape, pedophilia, sexual violence, kidnapping, PTSD, to name a few.

At times, I found the narrative difficult to read, especially from Peter's POV. You couldn't help but pity him, too.

He was also damaged beyond comprehension by his deranged father, but at the same time, who else did he have to turn to?

The ending is ominous, yet realistic that some bad guys are never caught, and some people will always find it difficult to adjust and adapt to a chaotic, loud, messy world where people don't say what they mean and behavioral nuances are hard to decipher.

Strange Sally Diamond was....well.... strange. And disturbing.
First of all, I loved Sally and her honesty and forthcoming nature. She was a treasure! As the mother of an autistic child, I could 100% see and hear Sally's mannerisms and brutal honesty. I loved her!
The beginning felt a little impersonal almost like a clinical report, but I still found myself intrigued by Sally and her family. Her story was heartbreaking and disturbing, but Sally was resilient. It was lovely to see so many rally around her and see her connect with others.
Overall, it was a very sad story with much heartache and evil and so many broken people. But the details really helped get inside some of the characters' minds and helped the reader understand some of the how's and why's of the acts that were happening. Strange Sally Diamond is definitely one of those books that I wouldn't categorize as "good" because of the bold nature of the story, but I would absolutely call the writing fantastic and the story gripping. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another hit by Liz Nugent! I loved the character of Sally and following along with her as she learns about her traumatic past, and the various characters that are a part of it. This book combines so many harrowing, heart-wrenching, and occasionally humorous elements, that all work together to create a riveting, one of a kind story. I would highly recommend this book and Nugent's others as well. She is a fabulous writer with a real talent for creating flawed and unique, yet relatable, characters.