Dark, emotional roller-coaster of a ride! Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is told from 2 narratives, one past and one present and eventually the past catches up and crosses path with Sally's story. Both timelines are rich in content drawing you into the story.

This story is of socially inept Sally at age 43, who is forced to confront a traumatic past that she does not remember and forge a life on her own when her adopted psychiatrist father passes away. Sally has many coming of age moments, as she tries to fit in. This story will keep you guessing and reading until the ambiguous ending which felt a bit rushed in the telling. The characters are complex and are as compelling as the story. Although the themes of abuse, rape, and pedophilia are dark, this story does have light moments which help to balance the story.

Definitely, one to read in 2023. Available July 18, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent.

I loved this book!! I didn't know what I was getting into with this book and I was delightfully surprised. It turned out to be an exceptional character study of someone who was traumatized as a child and grew into a "strange" adult.

Nugent wrote Sally so dynamically, she simply jumped off the page. I couldn't stop turning the pages to read more about Sally's story.

It shows the best and the worst of human beings. It is a story that will shock you, delight you, and make you cry and probably make you cringe. It shows you the ugliness in the world but also shows how beautiful humans can be toward one another.

This book will be in my favorites list for 2023.

There is a abuse in this book so it could be triggering for some.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy for an honest opinion

This is a quirky ready about a woman named Sally Diamond, who is socially inept or what we call autistic.

In the first few chapters you get an understanding of how Sally thinks, how everything is taken literally. Her father has passed and while living had said to throw him out with the trash when he died. Well…that’s what she did.

It then came out that she had previous trauma that she’d endured.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s quirky, good.

Strange Sally Diamond was not what I was expecting. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting but it wasn't what I got.

This story is dark, and certainly could be triggering for some readers. Sally, and others, have suffered years of horrific abuse and are clearly (and rightfully) traumatized. Their stories are incredibly sad and complicated. Sally carries many lingering issues with her into adulthood, but is working on herself. She's definitely not "normal". Sally does show great character growth throughout the story and I found it was really well done and a bright point in the story.

If reading about abuse (rape, paedophilia -to name just a couple) doesn't cause you harm, pick up Strange Sally Diamond. It's an interesting book and you find yourself pulling for Sally to succeed in life. I think this one will stay with me for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent..

An exceptional book - Sally Diamond is a brilliant character and reads watch her grow up, understand her trauma, and live through the effects of it. Would recommend.

“𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢.“

When the queen Lisa Jewell recommends a book, I will read it. And, I’m so glad that I did in this case! 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥 by Liz Nugent was an absolute delight to read and I flew through it in a matter of hours.

“‘𝙿𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑,‘ 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍
𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢.“

When we first meet Sally Diamond, she has just put her dead father in a garbage bag, dragged him to the barn, and burned him with the rest of the household trash. This is no spoiler. It happens on the first two pages and, believe me, does not even touch what comes next.

“𝙸 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝. 𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑.“

I really don’t want to say too much because I think you should go into this one blind like I did. What I will say is that this read is bonkers & beautiful, disturbing & emotional. The writing is quick & clever with a story that is so unique, you will be thinking of it for days after you’ve finished reading. I loved Sally and I hope you do too!

“𝚆𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎?“

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC. I liked this book more than I thought I would. The reason I say that is because it's labelled as a psychological thriller. Although there are many psychological aspects to this book, and there are definitely several mysteries to unravel, it was a slower paced book. I really liked the main character of Sally. I liked her neurodivergence and her uniqueness. She takes things quite literally and doesn't engage in small talk. She comes off as odd and she speaks her mind, regardless of how it sounds to others. We discover that Sally was adopted by a psychiatrist and his wife after a very traumatic childhood. She doesn't remember anything prior to this point. Eventually, her past is revealed bit by bit and she finds herself (very uncomfortably) in the spotlight. Strangers are interested in her past and her story and Sally herself is learning things about herself and her past that she never knew before. The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Sally herself, in present-day and a young boy named Peter in the past. We slowly unravel who Peter is and who Sally is/was and how they are connected. We discover the trauma and family secrets that Sally herself was unaware of and had basically blocked out. As things come to light, we watch Sally struggle with reconciling who she was then, with who she has become and even who she wants to be. She seeks out help and the company of others, which is unlike her, in order to feel a connection and to understand the world around her. At times sad and tragic, it was a story about perseverance and triumphing over what is in our genes or in our past. Sometimes we fail to overcome and sometimes we succeed. This book shows both sides of that coin. I was rooting for Sally and really felt a fondness for her as she moved through the story, trying to find out who she is and the terrible past that her adoptive father had been trying to shield her from. I'd give this one a 4.5.

Unputdownable. The story starts off with Sally remembering her father telling her when he dies she can just put him out in the trash. And so..when he dies at the beginning of the novel, she does just that. She puts him in a trash bag, pours on some gas and lights it on fire. And as a result becomes the talk of the village, as well as headline news. Suddenly she is in the spotlight with people everywhere wanting a piece of her story.

Sally thrives on order and routine. She struggles with social interactions and her reactions are sometimes abrupt and awkward to those on the receiving end. She is a character who is working through her trauma and mental illness. Trying to understand her upbringing and make sense of things after her parents have passed becomes her daily goal. So many amazing characters, many twists and unexpected evil. (This will not be a book for everyone.) Triggers warnings in comments. Sally is a vulnerable central character who you want the best for and although the story is implausible in parts, and uncomfortable at times, it is cleverly written.
It is action packed, keeps you on the edge of your seat and has great pacing between past and present. My only niggle is I felt the ending was a bit rushed.
4.5/

*Many thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschusterca for an advance reader copy of Strange Sally Diamond in exchange for an honest review. Strange Sally Diamond will be published July 18, 2023.*

Sally is a fascinating character. Her growth throughout the story is inspiring. Her history, which even she cannot remember, is horrifying. The ending was a little disappointing, however, the book is totally worthwhile and strongly recommended.

This was a terrific read and the characters were so interesting and their past lives so upsetting but the determination of one of the characters was admirable. I throughly enjoyed this book and I would love to see a sequel.

Sally Diamond disposed of her dead father by trying to incinerate him. She didn't kill him, but she thought she was obeying his wishes by getting rid of him like trash. And so begins this tale of a neurodivergent woman, whose past is as complicated as she is, as she tries to make a new life for herself after she is left alone in the world.

This was an absolute page turner for me. I'm not sure if this falls into the category of thriller, but it's many psychological aspects made this a compelling read. While this book may contain many triggers for people, it feels lighter than it is due to some unexpected comedic moments from Sally. I enjoyed this novel immensely.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have just finished reading Strange Sally Diamond by Author Liz Nugent.

I have been wanting to read books by Liz Nugent for quite some time and have several of her books on my want to read list.

This is the first that I have now read by her, and I will be looking to read more on my list soon.

This is actually a very dark book about Sally Diamond, a lady who just does not seem to fit into society and life.
She is very socially defective.

The book starts off with her 80-year-old father, whom she lives with dying. He had told her to throw him out with the trash when he did die, and she takes this literally.

The characters are very well written, in depth and extremely well developed.

It is about a very difficult topic, and how if has affected so many people in the story.

I really did enjoy the book and think it will be a winner.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and Simon & Schuster Canada for my advanced copy to read and review.

#netgally #simonschusterca #liznugentwriter

I went into this one blindly, minus the reviews I had seen on Booksta, I didn't love this, it was odd and didn't work for me. If I had read before the " HYPE" It may have worked, the timing of this just didn't align and have a WOW factor for me. I wanted to love it as I have read and loved other Liz Nugent books!

A favourite book of the year! Strange and twisty but with heart and hope. I devoured this book. I highly recommend this read. The pacing is perfect, the characters are complicated and memorable and the plots twists keep you on your toes.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel for the purposes of an honest review.

I cannot say enough about this novel. I haven't been so taken with a book in a long time. Right from the opening chapter I was hooked and started telling everyone I know about it.

Sally Diamond is a compelling, interesting character that the reader immediately falls in love with. I spent the entire novel rooting for her to succeed. There are some laugh out loud moments, poignant passages and just an interesting story in between.

The story does deal with some topics that might be triggering for some readers but Liz Nugent writes with compassion and restraint.

I loved everything about this novel and I can't wait for its release so I can get it for all of my friends.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent is a rare gem of a novel that will easily become one of my top reads of the year.

Sally Diamond was adopted by a psychiatrist and his wife at the age of seven after enduring an unimaginable start to life, most of which she mercifully has no memory. Sheltered and raised in near isolation, Sally is set adrift when her circumstances change, and she struggles to make sense of her past. When a package arrives from New Zealand, questions about her paternity come to the fore, and family secrets that have long been buried begin to seep into her consciousness and new reality.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Sally's present, and the past as told by a boy named Peter, an unimaginable picture of a family's tragic and horrifying history will emerge.

This novel is absolutely brilliant from beginning to end, and I could not tear myself away. Ms Nugent has created richly complex and fascinating characters who will stay with you long after the final page is turned.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC.

This book had the vibes of Eleanor oliphant is completely fine and The Room, mashed together to make this unique work of fiction. Sally was a strange character. Odd behaviour from a traumatic upbringing, as a prisoner. Her new adoptive father treated her like a test subject. She has no friends. Then she meets her long lost brother, what a creep.
Overall enjoyable book, trigger warnings in this book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and schuster, and the author for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every now and then a book comes along that is truly special and unlike anything of it's kind. This is one of those. Once you read it, the story will stick with you for a very long time and Sally will have a permanent place in your heart.

This is one of my absolute favorite reads so far this year and everyone should brace themselves for the release because this book is a must read and an absolute gem.

Strange Sally Diamond is exactly the kind of book that I love! It delved into some darker territory AND hit me in the heart. It is my favourite combination but is just so rare!

This story was able to pack punches without the sensational-style writing of a thriller.

I loved it so much and will be immediately checking out what else this author has written.

When I started reading this mystery/thriller, I thought it was very promising. I was immediately intrigued by Sally, one of the main characters. The story is told by her and another person in alternating chapters.
While this book has some dark and disturbing moments, I didn't find the story very suspenseful or engaging. I didn't connect with the writing style, possibly due in part to the more simplistic narrative voices of the characters.
This was disappointing as I really enjoyed Lying in Wait by this author.
I'll still try other works by Liz Nugent to see if I can find more that I like.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC e-copy of this book.
2 stars