Apples Never Fall

I didn’t think I could make it through this book. I felt the characters were annoying. Finally, half way through, the author caught my attention. The story all came together nicely!

Loved the twists and turns in this story. Glad that I stuck with the long waiting lists to actually get to read it.

A competitive tennis family, and the dysfunction of their lives are upturned when the matriarch disappears. A competent thriller. Each of the siblings are well rounded three dimensional characters. The parents are both likable and detestable. The whole family is damaged by their upbringing, the father's demanding of perfection and the harried mother's inattention. Yet the story does a great job of digging deeper into their lives and the reader comes to understand and have empathy for everyone in the family. The description of relationships in the book are the biggest strength of the novel; mother - daughter, wife and husband, and father - son. All of the minute details that make these relationships fraught with tension are explored and come to a satisfying conclusion. There is a twist that surprises and raises the tension in the story. Did not see it coming. An enjoyable read.

Book wasn’t my fav. But everything did tie together nicely.

My favorite Liane Moriarty is Big Little Lies for it’s humor and realistic characters. Apples Never Fall also has great characters and is more of a family drama then a mystery. The plot drags a bit and the addition of the pandemic at the end came across as an afterthought that didn’t add anything to the story.