Join a book club that is reading Strange Sally Diamond!
Strange Sally Diamond
“Shocking, disturbing, and utterly original.” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author
This “haunting and poignant tale, one that won’t be easy to forget any time soon” (Mystery and Suspense Magazine), follows an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past—from internationally bestselling author Liz Nugent.
Reclusive Sally Diamond is thrust into the media spotlight when she tries to incinerate her dead father, causing widespread outrage. Now she’s the center of attention, not only from hungry reporters and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she does not remember. As she begins to discover the repressed memories of her horrific early childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world, and why does he call her Mary? And why does her new neighbor seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged in this “truly incredible reading experience” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
This “haunting and poignant tale, one that won’t be easy to forget any time soon” (Mystery and Suspense Magazine), follows an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past—from internationally bestselling author Liz Nugent.
Reclusive Sally Diamond is thrust into the media spotlight when she tries to incinerate her dead father, causing widespread outrage. Now she’s the center of attention, not only from hungry reporters and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she does not remember. As she begins to discover the repressed memories of her horrific early childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world, and why does he call her Mary? And why does her new neighbor seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged in this “truly incredible reading experience” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *Strange Sally Diamond* is a dark, compelling thriller with strong writing and complex characters. They agree it’s tense and gripping, wit...
thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
Sally has always been different, but when her father dies and she takes his instructions literally and hauls his body out to the curb, she suddenly finds herself in the news. She soon discovers there is more to her past life than she knows.
What did it make me think about?
“The sins of the father”.
Should I read it?
Oh my…. This is a dark and disturbing book- but also so compelling that you can’t stop reading it. Is it plot driven or is it character driven? I think it is both. It reminded me of a cross between The Room by Emma Donoghue and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent. If you can take a dark book then I also highly recommend My Absolute Darling. It has been awhile since I read it but it has stuck with me for years. In Strange Sally Diamond Liz Nugent does a really nice job of not sugar coating the outcomes, but also she leaves room for growth in her characters. This is a fast paced book that jumps between two viewpoints. This technique filled in the rest of Sally’s story. I would stay away from this one if you can’t take a depressing book. Otherwise it is a compelling read with a lot to think about.
Quote-
“Weekly shopping trips were always an ordeal. I sometimes pretend to be deaf to avoid conversation, but I could hear the schoolchildren’s comments. ‘Here she comes, Strange Sally Diamond, the weirdo.’ Dad said there was no malice in it. Children are mean. Most of them. I was glad I was no longer a child. I was a forty-two-year-old woman.”
What’s it about?
Sally has always been different, but when her father dies and she takes his instructions literally and hauls his body out to the curb, she suddenly finds herself in the news. She soon discovers there is more to her past life than she knows.
What did it make me think about?
“The sins of the father”.
Should I read it?
Oh my…. This is a dark and disturbing book- but also so compelling that you can’t stop reading it. Is it plot driven or is it character driven? I think it is both. It reminded me of a cross between The Room by Emma Donoghue and My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent. If you can take a dark book then I also highly recommend My Absolute Darling. It has been awhile since I read it but it has stuck with me for years. In Strange Sally Diamond Liz Nugent does a really nice job of not sugar coating the outcomes, but also she leaves room for growth in her characters. This is a fast paced book that jumps between two viewpoints. This technique filled in the rest of Sally’s story. I would stay away from this one if you can’t take a depressing book. Otherwise it is a compelling read with a lot to think about.
Quote-
“Weekly shopping trips were always an ordeal. I sometimes pretend to be deaf to avoid conversation, but I could hear the schoolchildren’s comments. ‘Here she comes, Strange Sally Diamond, the weirdo.’ Dad said there was no malice in it. Children are mean. Most of them. I was glad I was no longer a child. I was a forty-two-year-old woman.”
6.5 to 7 stars: This was an interesting tale. I'm not sure what the entire purpose of the book was, except to show how one person can destory so many lives. The parallels in behavior between Sally (Mary) and Steve (Peter) eventhough they had completely different upbringings makes me think of the nature vs nurture debate. Both clearly have emotional and social behavior issues but I belive one is inherently "good" (Sally) while the other is inherently "evil" (Peter). Even if it's not 100% his fault, once Peter realized how bad his father was he still carried on the "tradition" and kept lying to everyone about nearly everything. I wasn't sure about the endings though, I wanted more clousre to the individual stories. Did Peter become his father and kidnap another girl? Did Sally meet her friends and resume her more active lifestyle? And then the epilog with Amanda and that darn bear....
“You are you. As unique and different as every other person on the planet. Your oddities are not disabilities... they are mere quirks of your personality. You don’t like talking on the phone and I don’t like cauliflower. Are we so different?”
What an uncomfortable read—in the best possible way.
Deviant urges drive abduction and abuse, deceit becomes a tool for control, and the forces of nature push hard against the limits of nurture. Good strains to rise above Evil.
What stood out most to me was the strong character development and the psychological depth of the horror. As the truth of Sally’s past unfolded, the author maintained a taut, unsettling tension and pushed the reader to find empathy in places they’d never expect.
I wish I could rate this book zero, but I have to settle for a 1. It's going to give me nightmares. Now, it's not poorly written; it can keep you hooked. But personally, I didn't enjoy the plot or the supposed "realism." It hit too close to home, mirroring my one of my biggest fear in real life. If you're into thrillers and aren't easily scared, this might be your kind of read. And don't peek at my bio, please.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.