I enjoyed Strange Sally Diamond so much that I devoured it on two flights.
It was a surprisingly dark departure from the WWII historical fiction that I usually find myself reading and that in itself can be pretty disturbing. Sally is different from everyone else but as her story unravels we find out why Sally is the way she is.
I enjoyed Sally's character very much, she is loveable, very literal and does not pick up on many social cues that others wouldn't have to think about.
I saw definite comparisions to "Room" but Sally's story seemed to go much farther than anything one can imagine. This book is not for everyone as it contains physical/sexual abuse, emotional trauma, paedophila, the list goes on but if you can withstand reading through it I think it paints a very important picture of how traumatic events can change who we become and why we are the way we are.

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy.

Strange Sally Diamond is disturbing, shocking and sinister, but also funny at times because of a riveting and unique main character. I was pulled in right from the start. Highly recommended read.

What the actual F did I just read? This book was insane. It was so dark, so twisted, so uncomfortable and just so messed up. I was also totally convinced this was a real story and not fiction. Dark books like this are a really hard sell for me, but this one totally nailed it. I don’t know if I’d classify it as a thriller necessarily, but more of a dark family drama/fiction as it really focuses on the main character and her life trauma (which is dark AF).

Sally’s character was unmatched. I see a lot of comparisons to The Maid, but Strange Sally Diamond was so beyond that and so unbelievably well written I couldn’t stop reading to find out what happens, and again I couldn’t believe it wasn’t a true story it felt so real. The characters felt real.

This book might end up being a favourite of 2023 for me!

Sally was a really interesting character and watching her find herself in this town with all these people surrounding her was amazing.

The book was dark, sad and hopeful and oftentimes funny. I was beyond impressed. But this book deals with some very heavy topics and definitely be prepared when you go into it. My heart hurt for many people in the story and watching the trauma and how it affected everyone.

Like nothing I’ve ever read before & incredibly well written.
Such a strange world that left me with a dreadful sorrow but also a powerful resilience of human nature in the face trauma.
What leads one mind to darkness, leads another to healing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a great book! I was on the edge of my seat and devoured it as fast as possible, the only thing stopping me was having to go to work Monday morning; I thought about it all day and could't wait to get home to finish it.

Sally Diamond did what she was taught, Sally Diamond does not know how to adapt and change, she struggles after the death of her father. She is thrown into the real workd and for the first time, she has to figure out how to make friends and socialize. Sally quickly learns that not everyone says what they mean and sometimes people are not who they say. I like the way the story was told and Sally's character was compelling and interesting. The book had some great twists that just kept me reading. Great book , definitely worth reading.

Absolutely loved this book and the characters in it. I would love to see this developed into a movie and I rarely think that, but this book really should be on the big screen. The element of mystery and suspense along with great characters make for an entertaining journey as we follow the life of Strange Sally Diamond.

4.5, rounded up - Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Sally Diamond's father dies, his instructions to "put him out with the trash" are taken a little too literally, changing the course of Sally's life. When secrets about her past are revealed to Sally and the public all at once, Sally with have to learn to lean on the people in her life to become independent and navigate this new mystery.

This book was A LOT darker than I expected it to be, but was, nonetheless, brilliant. Described by her father and herself as 'socially deficient,' Sally is a wonderful character to follow. Her perspective on the world is unique, logical almost to a fault, and her interactions with friends, neighbours, and family members are as emotional as they are humourous. I really enjoyed following Sally navigating the mundane parts of her new reality as much as the discovery of who her mother was and what they went through.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the perspective of Peter as much as I did. Nugent has a way of making you truly feel for a character while knowing the whole time that something is seriously wrong.

I audibly gasped at part of the ending, and found myself smiling and heart-full at the other part. Will definitely be reading more from Nugent in the future.

I really loved the first ~80% of this book, but the ending was a bit disappointing! That being said, overall it was one of the best books I’ve read in a while.
I look forward to the next book from Nugent.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC!
3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I cannot believe there isn’t more hype surrounding this book.

The book opens with Sally’s ailing father telling her (as a joke) that when he dies, she should put him out with the trash. Unfortunately he didn’t realize Sally would take this literally.

Sally Diamond is a ‘socially deficient’ 44 year old living in rural Ireland with her father until he passes. While it is clear to the reader that Sally is neurodivergent and may struggle with her mental health, her father has refused to acknowledge this so Sally has always just believed she’s ‘just a little odd’.

After her father’s death and the way Sally disposed of his remains, Sally ends up all over the media. Her father left her 3 envelopes to read each week and in the last one she learns the harrowing truth about her past.

The book follows two timelines and POVs - one of Peter in the past and Sally now as we explore the trauma both endured and how it affects them both differently.

This book has some very dark and disturbing content. Please review for trigger warnings if that might be a concern for you.

Sally's adoptive father dies and she puts him out with the trash - like he always told her - because she takes things literally. That starts a snowball of changes to her life. You start to learn why Sally is how she is. The story is told back and forth in time and from Sally's and another person's perspective. As mentioned, some challenging themes and uncomfortable material but in the end I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Where do I begin with this one? This one took awhile for me to get through if I am being honest. Sally is a very sheltered woman even at the age of 43 yrs old. She lives with her elderly father and seldom communicates with anyone else. So the morning that she wakes up and finds out that her father has passed she does something quite out of the ordinary that brings a lot of unwanted public attention to her. As Sally starts to read the letters that were left for her by her dad, she starts to learn more about her past and how she became Sally Diamond. I am not sure how to feel about this story as once the story of Sally's life was told, I found that this is the type of story that I don't usually like to read but I do not like to just give up so I continued on reading. Some parts made me angry for what was decided and what should have been done instead but I just needed to keep reading to see what would happen in the end. Enjoy!!!

What a story! Almost like The Maid meets Room. The layers peel back so breathlessly that I read this straight through. My heart went out to Sally, her mother and Lindy. Given all that she went through, Sally was the least strange character of all. Uplifting, brutal, humorous and sad.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this book. I absolutely loved it, one of my favorite books of the year so far. It was dark, funny but also very sad. I felt for the characters and was rooting for Sally through the whole book.

The story is as much a psychological thriller as it is a novel about defining who you are and living your truth. Sally was strange, and hard to like, but also someone you wish you could have protected. I loved this book.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Sally Diamond is strange, definitely different. When her dad dies and she misinterprets his dying wish, Sally's world starts to change and she hates change. We follow Sally as she navigates this new world with new people and why she is the way she is. With alternating time jumps and povs, this story had me hooked right away. Short chapters and excellent writing, I flew through this book and read most of it in a day. I liked all the characters and I felt they were all integral to Sally's journey. I was rooting for Sally the whole way through. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Sally Diamond has never been properly socialized, so she doesn't understand why others think she's so strange. Besides all she is guilty of is taking people literally. She spends her whole life living with her father, so when he dies she needs to start providing for and fully taking care of herself. She finds herself needing to make friends for the first time. But can they all be trusted, and taken at their word?

Well developed characters and a plotline that pulls you forward, with honesty reminiscent of Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

Refreshing. I was hooked from the first line. Sally was a delight. That's not me laughing at her, it's me completely engaged and fascinated by a complex and vulnerable character trying to find her way in a world that's been kept from her nearly her entire life. It was incredibly readable, I finished it very quickly, and intriguing as Sally's past began to overlap with her present, forcing all the secrets to come out.

This one was so good! I really enjoyed the pacing of it, keeping me interested without any super slow points. The cover really drew me in. Well done!