Imagine yourself on the plane that could not depart on time and kept you waiting for hours. You are tired, cranky and eager to get to your destination. Little do you know, as you’re about to land, an old lady will make rounds around the plane, stating the age and cause of death for every passenger. And neither you, nor the fellow passengers will ever be the same afterwards.

Everyone knows that death is inevitable, though most of us imagine it as a distant event we’d rather not think about. Yet a lot of us wonder if we were going to do anything differently if we knew the end is closer than we thought.

This book follows the fates of numerous individuals as they grapple with the prediction of their imminent death. It is engaging and entertaining, despite being rather on the longer side. I am not confident it brings a lot of novelty to the conversation around death, but it delivers an uplifting and compelling message that most readers will find relatable and meaningful.

Read this if you are looking for a well-written story with great character development.

Here One Moment begins with a great setup. An elderly woman arises from her seat in a plane and calmly tells everyone in her section their age and manner of death. Who is the woman and why did she do such an extraordinary thing? How will the predictions impact the other passengers? Will the deaths occur as predicted?

And then we hear each passenger’s story as well as the elderly lady’s. With lots and lots of irrelevant side stories included. Did I really need to know the history of Australia’s Big Banana tourist attraction? Or how the Monte Carlo fallacy was discovered? Or tons of other tidbits? No, I did not. They just were distractions that I had to wade through that slowed the pacing, and my interest, considerably. They are the reason why this book is over 500 pages long, which is two hours of extra reading time I will never get back. I realize that Ms. Moriarty is a famous author, and rightfully so, but the editors needed to put aside their idolization and cut the irritating asides. Because you know the streaming limited series, which is probably already being written, will cut them out as its first order of business.

The book does meander eventually back to answer the questions I posed above. But it could have been so much better with tighter pacing. For this reason, Here One Moment receives a disappointed 3 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

This was a bit different than Moriarty’s other books. I found it to be a bit slow and meandering but also thoughtful and meaningful. I think some of the slowness came from Cherry’s chapters which I just wasn’t as invested in.

Here One Moment was such a good read. It started out slow but once the plot picked up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s about a psychic who is on a plane telling people the date of their deaths and how they will die. It causes people to think about what they want to do with the time they have left. Very thought provoking and I loved the premise! 5/5 ⭐️ thank you netgalley, Liane Moriarty, and Crown for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this writer, but not this book. Most of the reviews regurgitate the long summary, which is always a red flag that the reviewers didn't read or like the book and won't admit defeat. I admit defeat. The writing is great, but the storyline is triggering for a hypochondriac like me.

From the moment the woman predicted the deaths of me and the other passengers on the Hobart to Sydney loop, my thoughts were consumed by it. The weight of that prediction seeped into every chapter, shaping how I viewed not only the story but my own reflections on life. It was as if the book was holding up a mirror, forcing me to confront mortality, fate, and the uncertainty of time. The author masterfully captured the anxiety that comes with knowing something terrible is about to happen, but being powerless to stop it. I found myself tangled in that sense of inevitability, yet unable to look away.

The short chapters were a brilliant touch. They gave the story a kind of fragmented, fleeting quality, mirroring how life often feels—disjointed and fleeting. Each chapter felt like a snapshot, a moment suspended in time, before rushing on to the next. I appreciated the way these brief, intense bursts of narrative allowed me to pause and reflect, before plunging me back into the story's growing tension. The writing was crisp and sharp, drawing me in with its simplicity but leaving me haunted by its depth.

However, I struggled to connect with the chapters about the woman who made the prediction. Her difficult life and the hardships she endured were clear, but I felt somewhat detached from her story. Perhaps it was because I was so caught up in the terror of the prediction itself, and the fates of those aboard the loop. While her chapters provided valuable context and depth, they felt like a distraction from the central narrative that had so thoroughly gripped me. Still, I understand her role in shaping the broader themes of the novel, even if I found myself less emotionally invested in her arc.

Despite this, the novel as a whole was a captivating experience. It forced me to confront deep questions about fate, choice, and the fragility of life. The story lingered long after I turned the last page, leaving me unsettled in the best possible way. I couldn’t shake the feeling that life, like the short chapters in the book, can change in an instant—brief, intense, and always moving forward.

Liane Moriarty knows how to write a book that keeps me hooked from page one. This was quite a creative and interesting story that had me perplexed and excited right from the jump. I couldn’t wait to find out what was happening with our lady on the plane! Once the situation on the plane ends, I was (no pun intended) *dying* to see how it all played out. We then followed multiple characters including the at first nameless “death lady.” As we learned about her past alongside the present day experiences of the plane passengers I was fascinated to see the way things were playing out. What began as a kind of wacky story began to be full of so much heart and love. By the end I found myself full of compassion and pride for each of the characters and everything they had been through. I absolutely enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thought and opinions are mine alone.

I loved this story and right up to the end I was on the edge of my seat! This was my kind of book with multiple POV’s and non stop action. There was so much going on and I loved every second of it. If you like a twisty tale, this one is for you.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Here One Moment was honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Liane Moriarty knows how to write a story that weaves between timelines and points of view like a well choreographed musical. A totally addicting novel - I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I know this one will be on the top of many lists.

Thank you @prhaudio for the free audiobook and @netgalley and @crownpublishing for an eARC.
‌
A flight delay. Frustrated passengers. Harried flight attendants. And an elderly woman in seat 4D that no one really notices. Until they do!
‌
Cherry gets up from 4D and proceeds to go passenger by passenger telling them how they will die and at what age. Some shrug it off. Some freak out.
‌
When the first “prediction” comes true months later, the other passengers get nervous. Cherry is dubbed “The Death Lady”.
‌
I don’t want to give anything else away because there is so much more to this one than meets the eye. It was very thought provoking!
‌
Caroline Lee and Geraldine Hakewill did an amazing job with narration. There were many characters and they made it easy to keep up. And they really brought the emotion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A thought-provoking, character-driven novel exploring the concept of destiny and chance | Liane Moriarty masterfully created a complex protagonist whose actions impact the lives of fellow passengers on a flight | A true page turner - I was anxiously waiting for the reveal of the different storylines, and the ending did not disappoint | Multiple perspectives and flashbacks of the FMC‘s life are woven together beautifully | This is a book that will stay with me for a long time

This review has been published to Goodreads and Instagram.

I thought this was a bit of a strange book at first but once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed it. The ending is especially great and has a wonderful message - our time is limited and precious. On a flight, a woman begins making predictions of when each passenger will die and what their cause of death will be. This really rattled a lot of the passengers, understandably. Some take it to heart and obsess over it causing other events to unfold.

It turned out to be an unusual flight from Hobart to Sydney. One of the passengers, an older woman named Cherry, spent a good portion of the flight telling passengers the age they would die and the cause of their death. Some of the deaths were far away, but six passengers are facing much closer dates, and these are the individuals we learn more about. Cherry's story begins to unfold, in chapters alternating with stories about her fellow passengers.
There are a lot of characters in the book and it actually helped me keep everyone straight by keeping a list of their names and predicted cause and date of their death. Here One Moment reminded me of Ms. Moriarty's earlier novels (a good thing) and it was a solid four star read for me. Cherry was an interesting main character. She wasn't the most likable character in the book, and perhaps too much time was spent on her. However, there were plenty of other stories in which you could become invested. I also liked the Australian setting, which was primarily focused on Sydney and Tasmania.
The book had a similar theme/vibe as The Measure by Nikki Erlichk and presented some interesting discussion points that would make it a good fit for book clubs. And I could definitely see this as a dramatic series, along the lines of Big Little Lies.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read Here One Moment in exchange for my review.

HERE ONE MOMENT
Liane Moriarty

Everyone has a past. Not everyone has a future.

Although no one ever asked her to a psychic gives readings on a plane from here to there. According to the psychic, several passengers will not make it to celebrate the next year.

They will die. And she tells them exactly how.

No one knows who the psychic is and never asked for her services. They don't recall her getting on the plane and most of them forgot her a soon as they landed.

This is the life of a middle-aged woman.

Besides being a great exploration of the invisibility of middle age this was too long in length and too short on content. All smoke and no fire. We spend a lot of time building characters and little time on the plot. Which I admit, you come to expect from Liane Moriarty.

Liane is people-smart and knows how to create memorable characters. But usually the plot is built alongside the characters. And when I think of the books I enjoyed by her the plot was built around a mystery and in order to solve the mystery you had to learn a lot about the characters—making understanding the characters essential.

Almost every character in this book is dismissable and they do not matter. Actually, only one character matters and you never see her coming, which is the point.

I get it, I do.

But this could've been a short story, at best a novella. It didn't need to be explored to this extent.

I will read everything Moriarty puts out. I think she is an amazing author and usually her books work well for me, this one did not.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing | Crown for the advanced copy!

HERE ONE MOMENT...⭐️⭐️

I went into this blind and am so glad I did. A blurb would probably have convinced me that I wouldn't like the subject matter. Instead, I found myself trying to get back to reading all day! I liked it!

This is my first Liane Moriarty book, and it won't be my last! Here one Moment is such a thought-provoking and emotional read intertwining the lives of five passengers and an elderly woman who mysteriously predicts their age of death and cause. The novel is told through multiple perspectives, looking at how her predictions affect their passengers and their loved ones. The characters are so diverse, and their stories mesh together to create a rollercoaster of feelings; anxiety, joy, sadness, and hope.

With her unique writing combination of humor and philosophy, Moriarty handled the weight of the themes of death in such a way that this book became really personal. It's the perfect balance of a book, making one contemplate mortality and giving moments of laughter, love, and joy in tandem. One of my favorite reads of this year, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that ask the deeper questions of life with a light-hearted touch.

Would you live your life differently if you knew when and how you were going to die?

During a flight, a woman gives fellow passengers predictions about when they will die and how. Then the predictions start coming true.

I really enjoy books like these that examine fate, the butterfly effect, and how our actions can lead us towards or away from a certain destiny. I thought the author did a great job with the subject matter and didn’t make the book too dark or too sappy. In true Liane Moriarty form, there were many interesting characters who’s lives intersect in different ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this electronic arc. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.

After reading and loving The Measure by Nikki Erlick earlier this year, Here One Moment sounded like a somewhat similar premise so I decided to request it from Netgalley. Ultimately, I finished it and upon reflection, it's an interesting book and raises good questions regarding free will vs. determinism and how much influence we have on our individual fates.

However, there were too many POVs for me to get fully invested in the story. Every time I was settling in with one of the characters, the chapter would end, and someone else would take their place. Because chapters weren't labeled with any kind of identifying info, it often took a page for me to orient to the new POV, recall what was going on with that person, and recall their specific prediction of time and manner of death.

On top of that, the only character who was fully fleshed out from childhood until the present day was the "Death Lady" herself. Although I found her back story interesting, I wish it hadn't been randomly dispersed throughout the book. It almost seemed like this was done solely to break up the tension and emotion that built in each chapter as the various passengers tried to deal with the revelations she dropped on them on that fateful flight.

To sum up my impressions, interesting premise, interesting ideas, but it was a bit too long and had too many characters to fully engage my interest. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC of Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. I was so excited to see Liane Moriarty was coming out with a new release! I have loved the majority of the books I have read by her and this one was no different. This novel starts off on an airplane, where we learn about the different types of people we encounter while flying. Everything seemed normal until this woman started walking the aisle telling everyone what their cause of death will be and when....

One thing I really like about her novels are the multiple of POVs, I feel they really add to the story and give it more dimension compared to just hearing it from one POV.

If you have liked other Liane Moriarty books, including Truly,Madly,Guilty , Big Little Lies, and Apples Never Fall to name a few you should add this one to your TBR list!

Imagine boarding a routine flight, settling in with your book or snack, only for an unassuming woman to stand up and calmly predict exactly when and how you will die. This is the premise of "Here One Moment" by Liane Moriarty, a novel that blends mystery, human psychology, and fate.

Moriarty takes an everyday scenario—a domestic flight—and turns it into a life-altering experience for her characters. The so-called “Death Lady” starts telling passengers when they will meet their end. At first, her predictions seem like a strange prank, but when they start coming true, some of the passengers start trying to fight their supposed fate.

The novel explores timeless questions about free will and destiny. If you knew when you were going to die, would it change how you lived? Would you accept your fate, or do everything possible to fight it? These themes are explored through short, punchy chapters that keep you hooked, with multiple points of view that reveal the passengers' inner turmoil.

While the character perspectives make the story dynamic, they can also feel overwhelming at times. It’s easy to lose track of who’s who, especially as the narrative bounces between different passengers and Cherry, the mysterious "Death Lady." But by the novel’s end, Moriarty expertly ties up loose threads in an unexpected way.

Despite its length (512 pages), *Here One Moment* is the kind of book you can't put down. It’s both heartwarming and chilling—Moriarty doesn’t just ask whether you would want to know your fate, but also whether it’s possible to truly change it. I hadn't read anything by her before but I will definitely check out her other books.

Would I want to know my fate? I’m not so sure. But I couldn’t stop reading about those who did.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.