Editorial note: I received a copy of Here One Moment in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty is an intriguing story about free will and destiny.
Liane Moriarty is the blockbuster author behind Big Littles Lies (which sounds like there is going to be a season 3, and she’s working on the novel to it), Nine Perfect Strangers and Apples Never Fall. Each of which have been adapted for TV.
I’ve been a fan of her writing for quite some time and actually enjoy a lot of her earlier stories (such as What Alice Forgot) compared to her newer work. But overall, she excels at her job and her writing is vivid and addicting.
Some people had issues with Apples Never Fall and Nine Perfect Strangers, and there were some strange story choices there as I don’t think either of those books really hit the mark as intended. Here One Moment is better than those two books. But there were still some elements and story choices that I didn’t love, which I’ll get into more.
Still, I found Here One Moment to be a great book club pick. There is so much to discuss and analyze, and even debate with this one. So right away, I can tell you that your book club should add this to the list.
What’s the Story About
Here One Moment starts out on an ordinary day where there is a flight delay. As passengers grapple with frustrations, and one screaming baby lets everyone know his distress, an older woman named Cherry suddenly stands up and with complete clarity tells everyone on the plane how and when they will die.
While some treat it as a joke, for six passengers, this news is deeply unsettling as their predicted deaths are not that far away. A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.
The Premise
When I first read the synopsis, I immediately thought this premise sounds especially chilling. While I do enjoy fate, free will and destiny stories—sometimes they are rather disturbing too. And the opening section where Cherry reveals people’s time and cause of death is extremely dramatic.
It even got a little much at times—it’s rather drawn out and the intrigue is still there but I found myself thinking that she wrote that scene more for TV than a book. As if she’s already imagining the TV adaptation, which I’m sure is in the works.
But of course, the story is interesting and it was definitely that sensation of, I have to know what’s next. Overall, great premise, but just a bit over the top at the same time.
The Main Characters
The story is then told within the immediate aftermath, where we follow the six passengers on their dazed and confusing next few months. While each of them wants to ignore what Cherry stated, they can’t. It presents as a constant obstacle, and no matter how dull it gets, the presence is still there.
And it especially takes on urgency, when three of Cherry’s predictions come true. I feel that even made me sit up straighter, and think, “okay, it’s getting real now.”
If you’ve read Liane’s previous stories, you know she likes to write with the multi-character perspective narrative. It definitely works in this novel as it was important to have a varied and diverse group of people as they all work to avoid their supposed fate. Sometimes I did mix up a few of the characters at first, but overall, I thought this narrative choice made the story even more suspenseful.
Cherry
So half the book is focused on the passengers, but the other half is laser focused on Cherry. The narrative switches back and forth from the current timeline to Cherry’s past, and her eventual present. It all leads to why Cherry at that moment made this decision to tell people their fates on the plane.
Cherry’s mother was a fortune teller, and an extremely successful one at that. But growing up, Cherry never took it seriously. However, eventually, things appear to shift.
The Cherry sections were fine, and it does add tension and more depth to this story. It helps to know her background, as it humanizes her, especially as she was cold and detached on the plane. But there were times, I felt it dragged and I was ready to get back to the main timeline.
For instance, there’s a huge chunk dedicated to the collapse of her first marriage (not a spoiler) and I especially got tired of that timeline. I think the Cherry section could have used another edit.
Verdict
There’s no doubt this book will be a smashing success, hitting no. 1 on all the book lists and most likely hanging on those lists the rest of the year. You’ll see this book everywhere and Liane will do countless interviews.
It’s definitely an interesting read and it raises a ton of questions. It’s also puts the reader right in the middle of the action, and it’s easy to wonder how you would react if you were a passenger on the flight and were told your fate.
While it’s uneven at times, I did come away thinking it was an interesting and unique read. And a great one for book clubs with so much to talk about.
For book clubs, check out my discussion questions here.
