There is something captivating about all of Liane Moriarty’s books. You can’t help but be drawn in by the first page and on the edge of your seat until the very last. This book is no different.

Truly Madly Guilty was a very enjoyable read; one that I couldn’t put down. It was entertaining. It was emotional. It was surprising. You didn’t know what was going to happen next.

I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened at this barbecue that caused so many problems. I will admit it took forever to find out and although what actually happened at the barbecue wasn’t what I had expected, it was still a satisfying read and something that I could see myself reading again.

Liane has a very unique writing style. It’s not too complicated or simple. It is third person, but it feels as if the characters are speaking directly to you. It feels relaxed and almost conversational.

This book covers so many subjects- friends, relationships, parenting, lust, and so much more. It didn’t really feel artificial. People talked like real people talk. Not everything was black or white. The characters had conflicting emotions and made mistakes.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but in the book a character is faced with a different decision. She doesn’t immediately say no or yes. Instead, she acts like most humans would. She avoids the topic. She spends weeks thinking about it, and eventually makes a decision based on guilt. Some of her actions might feel selfish to some, but sometimes that is how we act.

Characters

I loved that all of the characters are connected to each other. It might seem that they have no correlation at first, but because of certain actions their stories intertwine.

Throughout the book, all the characters are feeling some type of guilt. And it was interesting to see why they felt that guilt and how it was impacting their lives. No two characters reacted the same.

Like mentioned earlier, this was an emotional read. And I wasn’t expecting to feel strong emotions towards to particular characters. They are supporting roles, but their stories hit me the hardest. For one character, it was because of their guilt. For the other, it’s because of the way the character was perceived and the way that they actually ended up being. And unfortunately, you don’t find out what type of person this character is until the end.

Although, her characters are extremely real, they are not as memorable. Once the book is over it hard to recall their names and remember who belongs with who.

Final Analysis

Truly Madly Guilty is a great book. It is a little slow and features forgettable characters; however, Liane Moriarty is a talented writer and keeps the story intriguing and you on the edge of your seat.