I couldn't put it down!

The premise of Here One Moment, a "psychic" on a plane predicting strangers' causes and ages of death, initially sounded a bit woo-woo to me; but what makes this book captivating, like all of Liane Moriarty's books, is her characters. She could write a book about people waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles and make it a fascinating read. So, whether you're interested in clairvoyance or think it's absolute nonsense, you will be drawn into the story and dying to know these people's outcomes. In some cases, I started to wonder if this woman not only predicted these deaths, but helped to cause them. It was intriguing to hear the passengers' backstories as we wait to see if they'll die according to The Death Lady's predictions.

Thank you to Crown Publishing for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed each immensely but this one has quickly moved to the top of the list. I couldn't put it down! The story is fast paced and you quickly want to devour all of it! The story is so unique and the characters are so likable and relatable that you are quickly engaged. I would highly recommend it.

I’m not a Moriarty fan. Her books are usually too long and drag on for me. However I loved this very unique idea and therefore picked it up; but man could this be any slower??? There were also way too many characters and therefore I didn’t connect deeply to any of them. Good concept, poor execution

Do you believe in Fate, Luck, Destiny or Coincidence? The concepts of Fate, Luck, Destiny, and Coincidence are fascinating and have been debated for centuries. Whether or not someone believes in these concepts often depends on their personal philosophy and experiences.

The book masterfully engages with these themes, particularly through the character of the "Death Lady" and her predictions. This central element prompts readers to reflect on how external suggestions or forecasts might influence personal choices and perceptions. If a prediction is made, does it alter our actions to align with or defy that forecast? The psychological impact of such foretellings can significantly shape one’s journey, potentially shifting the course of their path.

Through its narrative, the book challenges readers to question the extent of their control over their destinies. It invites contemplation on whether the unfolding events are the result of inescapable fate, random luck, a predetermined destiny, or mere coincidence.

Ultimately, this exploration of Fate, Luck, Destiny, and Coincidence provides a rich and engaging backdrop for a compelling story. It encourages readers to ponder the complex interplay of these forces and their influence on the human experience, making for a thought-provoking and captivating read.

Thank you so much to Lane Maria try as well as her publishers for sending me an Arc copy of this book. I loved her book titled Nine Perfect Strangers and excited to read this book.

Told from a variety of views, Here One Moment follows the lives of the main protagonist, Cherry a.k.a. The Death Lady, and the people whose lives she impacted whiled sharing a plane ride. The novel addresses the age-old question of predestination vs free will and leaves the reader to question their views on these topics. Seeing how ones chose to change/fight/address their "predestined" course made for an interesting read. It took me awhile to remember all of the characters that Moriarty introduced but she did an excellent job of reminding the reader of their back story as she wove it into the current narrative.

And I love how the end wrapped everything up but more in an "a-ha" kind of way and not with a perfect bow.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. Thanks to @crownbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An ordinary flight turns into much more when a passenger begins predicting other passengers deaths. A group of them are not far off. Can they change their destiny?

Another favorite from Liane Moriarty! There are several characters in this one but they are all very well developed. I was excited every time a new chapter with a different character started. The chapters are short. It’s very cleverly done as many small, seemingly meaningless, parts end up blending together and holding meaning. The story has a lot to say about determinism vs. free will and how our decisions may make significant changes.

“You won’t necessarily win against fate but you should at least put up a fight.”

Here One Moment comes out 9/10.

HERE ONE MOMENT
BY: LIANE MORIARITY

ABOUT 3.25 Stars!

I've read Liane Moriarity's novels in the past and was disappointed with her writing. This turned out to be the case with her latest novel, called, Here One Moment. I guess I was hoping that with time I might possibly enjoy her newest one. I thought my past experiences of not liking her other books must be bad timing, since timing plays such an important role in how we feel while reading a novel. I agree with another reviewer who said that this 512 page door stopper actually felt like it was more like 1,000 pages. I never consider skimming or DNFING a Net Galley ARC because I hope that at sometime it will improve if I keep reading. The premise was very intriguing and this would have been so much better which I will explain in my next paragraph.

I don't even want to ask you the question that the thesis of this novel is based on since the answer is so predictably trite and such an obvious choice. Here it is: If you were told when you were going to die and the cause of your death would you take measures to live differently? I know that I would. That is what the main point of this novel is centered around. There are a few reasons why this was such a slog to get through.

There is a plane full of passengers aboard a short flight from Hobart to Sydney, Australia. The plane arrives safely with no fear of turbulence to frighten the passengers that they almost could not have survived their flight safely. Instead a nondescript older woman named Cherry Lockwood (not Cheryl), gets up out of her seat mid flight, pointing her finger towards all passengers telling them what age they will die and their cause of death. None of the passengers will be able to remember her other than one woman who is named Paula, who knows that she's seen this woman before but can't recall where or how she knows her. Paula is told by this death woman that her baby named Timmy who was screaming inconsolably will die at age seven from drowning. This is quite upsetting news for Paula because she believes it. Another man named Leo is told that on his upcoming birthday he will die in a work place accident. He is already stressed out from the plane being delayed that he will miss his daughter Bridie's musical performance in a school play. He is an engineer that works on construction jobs and his wife Neve who when she learns of this prediction is frightened. Another couple who are already quite elderly are told that they will die at 103. They are the Baileys who are both doctors who work together in the same hospital.

A young girl is told that she will die before age twenty in a car accident. An older couple in their sixties are told that the wife named Sue will die at age sixty six from pancreatic cancer. That type of cancer is one of the worst to prevent since by the time you realize the symptoms it's usually too late to intervene medically to prevent it from being vigilant about getting treated. Sue happens to be happily married with children and grandchildren that she loves. She is also a nurse who takes good care of her health. Another young couple named Eve and Dom who are wearing their wedding attire are told that Dom, the groom will kill Eve by death of him choking her. She tells a young man named Ethan that has his arm in a sling from a broken wrist that he will die at a time near in the future that results in a fight or brawl. Lastly, she tells a flight attendant who is in charge of the cabin crew that she will die shortly from self harm. Basically, Cherry has just turned all of these peoples lives upside down with some believing her predictions as if she is a fortune teller. The people who aren't concerned do end up upsetting and, worrying their family members who they inform, which causes them to be scared enough to avoid the death predictions by trying to intervene what the terminal predictions is by modifying their life habits or plans.


As I said, some people dismiss her as a charlatan, but most are frightened and if they aren't their loved ones are. This is where I would have given this book five stars if most of this novel centered on all of these characters. What ruined it for me is all of these characters got a scarce amount of the focusing on them in this long novel. Instead it focuses on long chapters about Cherry's life. I dreaded each time a new chapter would be based on Cherry's whole life which suffered from what a good friend of mine calls the kitchen sink syndrome. I was so not interested in her entire life story which had no further interaction between her and these characters. Her life except for a few concepts was mind numbness boring. I wanted to read more about the frightened families or single people's lives and sadly those chapters were much shorter compared to Cherry.

I dreaded how often I would encounter Cherry's life story each time I read about her life minutia. The only parts of her long history that might have been compelling is when it talked about her mother being a fortune teller which is illegal in this novel practicing as one in Australia. Her mother went by the name of Madame Mae and Cherry didn't believe her mother had the gift of being clairvoyant and thought her mother focused on women who disclosed the fact that they were married to violent or abusive husbands. In that case Madame Mae would counsel these women as if she had a degree in psychology urging them to leave. Isn't that common sense?

If you want to read about every single inconsequential detail about Cherry's first love, her marriages, what they did to entertain themselves like getting drunk every weekend with neighbors, where she went on vacation, how she didn't like children and her attempts to adopt a Korean baby or child to please her Korean mother in law and her own mother. How many times Cherry moved to different locations. The quality of her relationships--then you might love this. She wasn't interacting with all of those people whose lives she affected by her actions on that flight until 95% when you get how things get tied up. Personally, I didn't care about Cherry's backstory or feel bad for her lifestyle disappointments or why she got divorced and how she met her husband who she had a long marriage with because I didn't like her for what she did to shake up the small bread crumbs the reader is offered very little of.

To be fair I did like the mathematical theories and statistical data presented, but it wasn't enough to enjoy the execution of the premise that started out so promising. Maybe I am not a fan of the lack of character development for most of the people who lived in fear of losing their lives. It takes up to 50% when a few of these deaths occur in a long 512 page novel. I don't mind long novels if the content keeps me intrigued enough to keep reading. This is a character driven novel that mostly is filler which Cherry's uninteresting details end up getting developed. There are a few of the passengers who appear to alter their cause of death, just not nearly enough. I can't remember being tortured by having to keep reading a novel that was so flat and feeling as bored or that seemed so blah like as this one. I won't read this author again. Do read other reviews since some people loved this.
I feel that my higher rating which to me is higher than I felt like most of this didn't earn is for the author's sense of humor and for the few scant lines that I could relate to. Also, I could understand in the last 5% why Cherry did what she did by causing so many people so much grief, while she sailed through most of this novel unaffected by her actions which had two positive outcomes in the few pages at the very end.

Publication Date: September 10, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Liane Moriarty and Crown Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#HereOneMoment #LianeMoriarity #CrownPublishing #NetGalley

I really enjoyed Here One Moment from the very beginning. Liane Moriarty has a way of writing characters that feel very relatable and interesting. At first I was worried I would have trouble remember each character (there are many) but, once you get into the meat of the story, it's easy to keep track. The story flowed between the multiple POVs very well and I loved how everything came together in the end. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a compelling addition to her body of work, which I've consistently enjoyed. This novel features her signature blend of sharp character insights and intricate plotting. The story, revolving around the impact of a sudden, tragic event on a family, is both moving and thought-provoking. Moriarty excels at creating relatable, flawed characters whose journeys are engrossing. While the novel's pacing occasionally lags, the emotional depth and nuanced storytelling make it a worthwhile read. For fans of Moriarty’s previous releases, Here One Moment continues her streak of engaging and emotionally resonant fiction.

Liane Moriarty is a must read author for me! I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Creative and interesting premise as a psychic type woman predicts age and t cause of death for passengers on a commercial flight. I loved the unique storyline, rotating point of views and intertwined characters. Highly recommend!

I’ve read almost every Liane Moriarty book and loved them all, but this is definitely up there as one of my favorites!

Here One Moment is captivating from the first paragraph. It opens on a delayed flight and we are immediately introduced to a large ensemble of characters. A woman, who would come to be known as “The Death Lady,” walks the aisle during the flight and addresses each passenger one by one. They soon realize she appears to be predicting their age and cause of death. Some passengers take it as a joke, while others have their lives completely upended by this singular event. The story is told through different perspectives, and the reader is able to follow along through the fallout.

I cannot sing the praises of this book enough! It was brilliant, entertaining yet thought-provoking. I felt like I was transported in each chapter following the different threads of the same story. The character development is top-notch, and the fine details woven throughout are truly spectacular.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Crown publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an interesting premise! This book follows a group of people who were traveling on a plane together when one passenger does something strange that changes the trajectory of everyone’s lives. There are multiple perspectives that feel a bit like water swirling toward a central point, and eventually everything comes together. Read if you like debating the possibility of the “butterfly effect” and its ability to create life changing events!

I'd seen Here One Moment compared to the book The Measure, and that made me nervous. I liked but didn't love The Measure; however, the good news is that while there are some similarities, Liane Moriarty made this story her own in her typical fashion. While this book did feel somewhat more dark and mature than her previous novels, it still contained her typical quirky characters and dark humor. While I confess that alternating storylines are not my favorite narrative structure, it grew on me in this novel. I think part of this is because Cherry was given so many consistent chapters, so we were able to see her storyline emerge as a type of anchor holding everything together. Additionally, for me at least, all of the characters were likeable and sympathetic, so I felt fully invested in all the storylines. I knew this book would get emotional, and it hit me HARD at the end. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will just say that the ending is so beautiful and satisfying, which made me very happy and relieved.

An interesting premise - if you knew when and how you were going to die, would you live your life differently? Another interesting premise - if you want to believe something so much, can you make that premonition come true? The story was interesting and compelling - I wanted to see how it played out and it did wrap up both unexpectedly and rewardingly. The book was frustrating, however. Chapters weren’t labeled so it was confusing at times to know who was the subject character- especially at the beginning when they were not as familiar.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It took me a minute to get into this book. I was very happy that I continued with the book.
How would you react if you were on a plane and an older lady came up to you and said “Date of death and cause of death?”
This story is told from multiple points of view with many characters that you learn about when reading.
Liane Moriarty is a favorite of mine.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun read. It was as good as Big Little Lies, but in a very different way. I must implore Ms. Kidman, Ms. Reese and Ms. Moriarty to film this in Australia. Moving the setting to California or Florida or anywhere changes the story dramatically. But I digress.

So, you get on a plane. You have already endured the drive to the airport, lines, crowds, delays, fussy children, difficult passengers (maybe you’re one of them?). Are you headed home? Did you just attend a funeral or a wedding? What is your mind set? Whatever it was, by the time an older woman by the name of Cherry walks up to you in flight and tells you how and when you’re going to die the days that follow are consumed by her “fate cannot be fought” in your face statement.

So, was I just going to read a book where one by one (fortunately she was corralled before she got to every passenger) the people we met just die off as described? No. There is so much back story. So much intertwining of lives that might not otherwise have been discovered. Some laughter. And I did love her steam of consciousness in parts of the story telling. And if I read on paper instead of a Kindle, there was a scene where I would have thrown the book across the room. The sadness was overwhelming. The Kindle merely got thrown in my beach bag and I jumped into the pool.

I gave it a 4. I rarely give 5’s and I have given two books a 5 this summer. This is well worth your time. But I am not watching the film adaptation of this take place in California with flights between LA and SF. It is not the same.

It's all about destiny and belief in fate. The story starts with a full flight and an anonymous older woman, Cherry, who walks the whole length of the plane predicting the time and cause of death for each person. Then in alternating chapters we learn about a handful of those passengers, their past and present and the effect of the predictions on their lives.We also find out about Cherry's story and how she became a person who would perform such an unusual act with a far-reaching impact. This was a thought-provoking and very engaging story about characters we care about

I recently stumbled across this author and really enjoyed her books. I thought at first that the story might be a little out there, but I wound up really enjoying it. I couldn't put it down and finished reading it in one day.

Here One Moment
By Liane Moriarty
512 pages

Reviewed by Rochelle Squires

What would you change about today if you knew your life was going to end tomorrow? Or in a year? Would you quit your job if someone predicted your death following a workplace accident? Or leave a spouse if becoming a victim of domestic homicide was in your fate, even though your husband is non-violent, gentle and loving? What if you knew you’d die by self harm? Would you make the call to a therapist today?

These are the questions several passengers on a fateful flight from Hobart to Sydney grapple with after an eccentric elderly woman, seemingly in a trance, offers predictions about each person’s age and cause of death.

The passengers run the gambit between feeling annoyed, horrified, and entertained, but when three of the predicted deaths occur in the coming months, doubt turns to belief and the eccentric woman becomes known as the “Death Lady.”

Paula, a mother of two and an obsessive-compulsive, enlists her infant son Timmy in multiple swim classes after his drowning death seven years in the future was predicted. Workaholic Leo is urged by his wife to leave his job and forgo financial security to avoid a fatal injury, and Sue takes better care of herself to hopefully avoid a pancreatic cancer prediction.

The eccentric woman from the plane, now known as the “Death Lady” is a widow named Cherry Lockwood, the daughter of a famous clairvoyant and an actuary. She is abundant with intelligence, wit, and the emotional capacity to ponder fate, reason, and the erroneous belief that life is fair: “It makes the world feel more predictable if we believe good behaviour is rewarded and bad behaviour is punished. The problem is that we then subconsciously believe people who suffer must deserve it. It’s what allows us to look away.”

As each passenger on the flight grapples with fate, mortality, and the million paths a life can take, they each find ways to lean in towards reinvention, to derive meaning and purpose, and to live each day as though it were their last. Meanwhile, Cherry Lockwood’s evolution leading to her moment of sudden “clairvoyance” reveals a surprisingly deep exploration of love, loss, life and death. She delivers on the depth of grief, saying it cannot be “project managed” and recalls an ordinary moment with her husband Ned, when there are splashes of sunlight on the kitchen floor and he’s chopping celery: “by all accounts an ordinary normal morning, but I felt the most extraordinary feeling of bliss, euphoria, and contentment combined. I have never forgotten it. On the days I believe in heaven, I believe it's like that moment.”

Here One Moment is a page-turning invitation to explore the meaning of life, the depth of love, and our quest for certainty in an uncertain world. Undoubtedly my favourite from author Liane Moriarty and one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing me with this amazing book’s digital advance reader copy to read in exchange for my honest thoughts. Publication date: September 10, 2024.