Big little lies by Liane Moriarty

Unlike her previous book, Moriarty seems to have taken her time with this one, going to great pains to flesh out her characters, and writing with a quick-paced fervor that leaps off the page.

Her writing is unique and different in its intimacy, its sense of urgency, and although her setting seems sugar-coated and unrealistic, it’s firmly grounded in reality by addressing serious issues like domestic abuse, and the cycle of violence, and how it can have far-reaching effects.

More than that, her moving portrait of the three powerful women; Jane, Madeline, and Celeste is meant to show how women from different walks of life can come together and form a friendship especially with the inclusion of the secondary characters, Bonnie and Renata.

The five of them are incredibly flawed, often petty, and immature, yet fiercely dedicated to their families, and to their friends, risking far more than just their reputation to protect what they’ve built.

Ultimately, the novel isn’t just about new relationships, relationships between mothers, and their children, or the scandals that can rock a community, but it is about how the ‘white’ lies we tell ourselves to get through the day can turn ugly.