Well, this book certainly isn’t one ‘to be put out with the bins.”

WHAT DID I JUST READ?! I mulled this question in my head for days before I put pen and paper together to review this book.

In short: It’s a book about a very unusual young lady, Sally, who is uncovering her horrific past after her father dies.

It’s no secret that Strange Sally Diamond is the appeal of this book; she’s eccentric and strange. Fascinating, even. I couldn’t help but connect her behaviour to her horrifying childhood as the author doled out crumbs from Sally’s past. I also noted the irony in her belief that “if you tell the truth nothing bad can happen to you.”

Peter is also an interesting character and a product of his upbringing, too. As I finished the book, I couldn’t help but ask: nature or nurture?

This is a dark, emotionally-draining book. It’s written so well that I was convinced it was a true story! I kept Googling it, unconvinced that it wasn’t based on truth. Nugent has written a powerful story that asks us to consider if there’s a possibility that the truth can ever be too catastrophic that healing is impossible. While I struggled in some places, my desperate hope that Sally would ‘end up ok’ on her own, sustained me.

I won’t forget Strange Sally Diamond any time soon.

You need to source this now. Avail yourself of the triggers.

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

💥 Monday M A S T E R P I E C E 💥 featuring “Strange Sally Diamond” by Liz Nugent 🫶

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

This is the first time in a LONG time that a book has left me completely SHOOK 🤯!! It has taken me a couple of days to compile my thoughts on this book … and wow let’s talk about a book hangover 🤯

“Strange Sally Diamond” is beautifully written and completely mesmerizing. Although it was very hard at times to read, I was totally invested in Sally’s life story. There are numerous trigger warnings in this book that can be A LOT, so please be aware of that.

Sally’s story is told between the past and present. She is a survivor of acts so vile and disturbing from her childhood that you piece together throughout. You come to understand how all of her past trauma directly affects the rest of her life up to adulthood.

Sally has been kept isolated for so many years in different ways that she has not developed proper social skills, has no empathy and does not know how to manage her anger and frustration. She does not have a filter when she does converse with others and is a purist for following routines and sticking to only what she knows.

If you enjoyed other tough reads like The Lovely Bones or Room, then definitely check this one out. This book is dark, disturbing, chilling and HAUNTING to its core … BUT at the same time is emotional, quirky, raw, vulnerable, and at some times also humorous!

Thank you kindly to @liznugentwriter @scoutpressbooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on July 18, 2023!

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

* Thank you to @netgalley and @simon for providing a digital copy of Strange Sally Diamond in exchange of a honest review.

Ok so this one was right up my alley. It was thrilling, I couldn't wait to know what happened in all these people's lives.. Every single caracters was fascinating.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booklover #booknerd #bookcommunity #canadianbookstagrammer

I really enjoyed Sally Diamond's story even though it was strange, dark and heartbreaking. It was also light and funny at times.

I loved how Sally changed throughout the book and recognized her challenges. Her internal dialogue was really fun at times. She was able to recognize her differences and make light of them. I really loved how blunt and matter of fact she was and how she was accepted as is by so many in the community.

Getting her backstory was shocking but it certainly explained why she is the way she is. As other reviewers have mentioned there's a real Eleanor Oliphant vibe which I really liked.

Very dark book. Parts of the plot can be triggers for some people.
I could not feel any empathy for the main characters. Both felt flat, showed no growth, are insanely naive, and stayed true to their real self.
The end felt rushed in my opinion.

Liz Nugent's Strange Sally Diamond surprised me. I thought I was getting a straight thriller: Forty-three-year-old Sally has spent a life away from others. She struggles with emotional, sensory and social issues and has lived with her father all her life. When he dies, Sally unearths many secrets about her past - horrible things that she has no memory of. Someone remembers though because she is getting strange packages in the mail.

See... a straight thriller and a really compelling thriller too.

But this book is also about Sally's rocky transition into life, her immense struggles, trauma counselling, burgeoning friendships, and her sheer doggedness and determination. I grew to love her and I loved the village she lived in too. I was totally invested in her story.

This book was interesting but in some parts I did find it a bit dry. I liked the alternating points of views and was intrigued enough to finish the book in a timely manner.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent, published by Simon & Schuster Canada
This book did not disappoint, so well written, characters are intriguing, well described, the author makes you feel like you are right there watching along. I like the narrative and how the author takes us from present to past knce the present story line has been laid.
Sally is just how the title describes, she is strange. She lives with her father until his death, and then lives on her own. She has kept herself sheltered, but gradually makes connections with people close to her. And then some family members she was not aware of start to be part of her life
Great novel and I will be looking for more books from this author

Ah, Liz Nugent! First page, and you already have this reader in Sally Diamond’s world!!

With each new work of Nugent’s, I know that I will be finding a new take on character development, even as I am propelled along a suspenseful plot. Her characters are slowly developed and fully voiced, in this instance by Sally and Peter.

Sally, of course, is the most psychologically interesting; her unique voice is pitch perfect, yet much of how we picture her, is not so much from how she sees herself, but rather from the interactions from the various members of her increasingly growing community. All these various members are likewise clearly drawn, with distinct personalities and responses to plot events.
I look forward to adding to this review with specifics once Strange Sally Diamond is out.

I very much enjoyed this novel and give great thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally Diamond’s father tells her to put him out with the trash when he dies so she does what her father asks of her. Sally is seen as strange and different and doesn’t think the way that others might think it’s socially acceptable. Why you ask that would be giving away too much, Sally finds herself in the headlines and it’s not for the first time to say bedlam ensues is an understatement. This was the first book I have Read from Liz Nugent. I was spellbound by the utterly compelling and immersive storyline and authentic characters that left from the pages. This is a roller coaster read. It took me through a range of emotions. It will make you gasp in horror at times yet have you laughing to it is shockingly, dark and intense at times that it will break your heart, but there is hope in the story. It was told in a cleaver way via two POV and two timelines that will eventually collide into a shocking ending.
A fantastic read that I highly recommend. A special thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an arc of Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent, in exchange for an honest review.

What a surprising and engaging novel. I think the less said about the story, the better; the reader explores the world of Sally Diamond and joins her, step by step, as, after her father’s death, she moves beyond her sheltered life and not only meets new friends, but discovers more of her world, including hard truths about her past.

It is a heartbreaking novel, yet funny and hopeful. Definitely recommend.

Mark my words, by the end of 2023, this will be one of the most talked about books.
Right from the first chapter, this story excelled. Sally is the survivor of a shockingly disturbing story, and the twists and turns keep coming. Cleverly written with alternate POV’s and timelines (stretching over 40 years), this book told the fascinating story of our title character, Sally Diamond. Each chapter had you wanting more and more.
Throughout the whole story, you keep wondering if Sally can overcome such a horrific start to her life.
This book is executed so well, and it will have you addicted. Be sure to add this to your 2023 TBR. This book has trigger warnings that are also spoilers, send me a DM if you want to know what you are getting into.
I highly recommend picking up your own copy on July 18th, 2023. Mark your calendars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Liz Nugent is so good at creating unlikeable characters that I was surprised to find myself really feeling for Strange Sally Diamond. She’s odd and anti-social and best of all, says whatever is on her mind, with no filter. A lot of darkness surrounds her both in past and present, with much of the thriller aspects of this novel coming from flashbacks as well as Sally discovering hidden secrets of her childhood after the death of her beloved father. There is a lot of heart to Sally’s story, as her village rallies around her and she begins to explore a world outside of her routines. Add this to your TBR pile!

THIS BOOK!!!! I did not want this to end. This is definitely my favorite book this year and I think will be a book of the year contender. This was my first book I have read by Liz Nugent and I look forward to reading the rest, Every aspect of Strange Sally Diamond was amazing; If I could rate this more then 5 stars I would be! I will suggesting this book to everyone I know!!!!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for this AMAZING ARC.

This book was a true page-turner – I couldn’t put it down!

The story follows Sally Diamond, a grown woman learning to live in a world she was never fully part of. Her mother was the victim of abduction, rape, and torture. Her father was a pedophile that had no use for women, other than to fulfill his sexual needs.

What follows is told in dual timeline POV between Sally and a boy named Peter. We watch Sally navigate her community and the challenges she faces as a result of her captivity after her adoptive father dies. Her awkwardness and the blunt way she interacts with people is refreshing.

I loved the writing style of this author. The chapters were short and quick making it easy to “read just one more chapter”. I can easily see this book landing on many reader's favorites of 2023. This novel has a list of trigger warnings to be aware of: child abduction, rape, torture.

***Thank you to the Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this novel***

I read this in one afternoon, so I can definitely say that it pulls you in & the pace is very fast. It is a very engrossing yet sad/disturbing story. Sally is a fascinating character & the revelations along the way are filled with many surprises. Her awkwardness is endearing & you really root for her to succeed. The Peter chapters begin to unweave the story even more & I honestly couldn’t imagine what the conclusion of the book would be. It handles very unsettling subject matters but I appreciate that it wasn’t gratuitous for entertainment’s sake.

“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.”

As soon as I read those lines, I knew I needed to read this book!

Sally Diamond is not like everyone else, she pretends she deaf when she doesn’t want to deal with people and her father refers to her as socially deficient. None of which is an issue until he passes away and she is left on her own for the first time at 40 years old. After the discovery of his body Sally becomes a media sensation and others try to understand her way of thinking.

After her father’s death she discovers three letters left for her to read. From these she learns how she came to be apart of the Diamond family and her early childhood of which she has no memory.

Strange Sally Diamond is a dark, twisty, suspenseful roller coaster of a read. Sally also offers at times a funny side, so I found myself laughing! I think this will be a popular book for 2023!

Content warnings include abuse of a minor, sexual assault and kidnapping.

Look for it July 18, 2023!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

From start to finish, this was a wild ride! I was completely hooked, and could not put down this dark, suspenseful, tragic thriller.

Meet Sally Diamond, a 45-year-old woman living at home with her father. To say Sally is strange is putting it lightly, her father describes her as “socially defective”…. You’ll have to read on to see what that means. After her father dies, Sally “puts him out with the trash” as her father jokingly told her to do, and Sally doesn’t understand that when someone dies you can’t, just “put them out with the trash”. Once her mistake is discovered her life is thrown into a police inquiry. The police inquiry also brings Sally attention from the media, which intern, brings attention to a chaotic childhood Sally has no memory of. As the story continues, we get to learn the details of Sally’s forgotten past. It almost feels like a dark “coming of age” tale as Sally learns to live on her own.

The story is full of details and facts that made it believable and real. I really enjoyed how she explained everything and wrap things up at the end. I think this story would be great for fans of Lisa Jewell.



Content warning: minor abuse/rape, human cruelty.

Available July 18, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher Simon and Schuster Canada and author, Liz Nugent for the advanced readers copy.

Strange Sally Diamond was a very interesting book for me to read. I was taken in by the title and never expected what I would find within the pages of this book. To say that Sally has reason to be Strange is the understatement of the century. Being shaped by the events of your life takes on a whole new meaning when you find out what happened to Sally.
I could not put this book down and found myself totally involved with Sally's life and how she related to the "normal" world that she, with her background would never be a part of.
Support systems become the only way that she will survive in a world that does not make too much sense to her. What we would see as a broken person, without any hope, Sally does not seem to understand how different she really is. A prisoner of her own upbringing and her reality, she must learn to navigate a world that makes little or no sense to her at all.
This was a very interesting book and I would highly recommend it to everyone who loves to see how people relate to each other and their circumstances.

I just reviewed Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent. #NetGalley
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Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
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 . . .

Oh, what a delightfully bizarre read. This Irish domestic drama-thriller was a delight to read: I inhaled it in one fell swoop. Just when you think that you have Sally and the plot line figured out, it goes elsewhere and astonishes you with what happens next. It is hard to write and not share all the delicious details! Pick up this book and some SPF100 and go to the beach, backyard, garden, or porch and spend some time with this weirdly awesome character and her exploits...you won't regret it.
#shortbutsweetreviews