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Book Review: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Book Review: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The overview:
"The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light."


Categorized as a mystery, we found that Apples Never Fall is not your common mystery setup but rather a look at the family system and how many family members thoughts and feelings intertwine. It explores the complexities of many relationships - siblings, lovers, parents, and more. 

In discussions, we found that this book tended to be a either a big hit or a "meh" with people. Some people wanted to see more of the actual classic mystery arc, while others enjoyed that you saw perspectives of multiple characters and the mystery was kind of a secondary component. One person we spoke to noted that they appreciated the depictions of chronic illness in this book.

You might like Apples Never Fall if you like Desperate Housewives: contemporary fiction told from various angles with a hint of mystery riddled in each chapter.

 

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