I haven't read many of Liane Moriarty's books but I enjoyed the ones I have read and I really liked this one. I found it intriguing. I like her character driven writing.

It starts with passengers waiting to board a flight at Hobart Airport. The passengers are described briefly but brilliantly. We have young, old, solo travellers, couples, newlyweds, a very pregnant woman, a frazzled mother with a baby and a toddler and more. All strangers to each other. The flight is delayed but once everyone is on board a further delay is announced. If you've ever been on a delayed flight, it's easy to picture the scene. There is also a unremarkable lady, of indeterminate age, travelling alone. No one really notices her until later during the flight – when she stands up, and begins predicting cause and age of death of the passengers. When the flight eventually arrives she just quietly goes on her way.

Some laugh off her announcements; but for six passengers earlier deaths than they would like have been predicted. What lengths will they go to to defy these predictions?

A couple of months after the flight apparently a passenger dies as predicted, followed by two more. Social media lights up. The lady on the flight is referred to as The Death Lady. A page is set up for passengers who were on the flight.

The story is told from the perspective of these six passengers but in between their stories we also learn of 'the death lady's' story (whose name is actually Cherry).

I just found it an enjoyable, satisfying read.

My only criticism might just be something that has now been fixed in the final edit. I found it a bit confusing that there was no break between the passengers stories and Cherry's story. It was slightly confusing although once I read on a few sentences I soon realised the narrator/point of view had switched. (it also switched to first person).

I have mixed feelings about this book, I was invested in most of the characters but it felt overly long at times. At times it felt like there was too much of Cherry's back story but the ending was actually quite heart warming.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This book is by another of my favorite authors. Using a story whereby people meet on board an airplane and are told how long they are likely to live and possibly the cause of their death. Following this event we get to find out more of the life of the individual who made these predictions and go back and forth in time. The author poses a number of questions such as: can we control our destiny? is life full of coincidences or do events take place by fate? If we are told what is going to happen - can we then take steps to change our destiny or will it just happen anyway?
A thought provoking tale, which I really enjoyed.
Looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to net galley for the free read in return for a review.

My thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Here One Moment’ written by Liane Moriarty in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A plane is finally on its way from Hobart to Sidney when an elderly grey-haired lady stands up and walks amongst her fellow passengers predicting what they will die of and when. Does this lady have the gift of seeing into the future or does she have health issues?

‘Here One Moment’ is a cleverly written novel with an interesting concept and good character descriptions but despite being written by Liane Moriarty whose novels I always enjoy reading, I just couldn’t get into it. There were so many characters that I found it hard to keep track of them all and as there didn’t appear to be gaps between the characters speaking I had to go back every now and then to check who was speaking. I liked the characters and their backgrounds which were very interesting, but it was a long story that could have been shorter and it lost my attention at times. This is purely my own opinion and there does appear to be quite a few readers who’ve enjoyed it, but unfortunately this time I’m not one of them. Even though I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as I’d expected, I’ll still look forward to reading the next one.

This was the first book I've read by this author and I did enjoy it. At times the story was confusing as it switches between time lines and also from the amount of characters. Despite this, it caught my attention and I found I was invested in each of the characters.

I really enjoyed this book, it was definitely a bit different from the usual offerings! I did have to restart it to keep track of who the characters were, youcertainly had to pay attention. But once I got into the book, the story flowed well and it was fascinating finding out why Cherry became the 'death lady' and which of her predictions came true.
I think it may be the formatting of the ARC but the narrator kept suddenly changing without any warning, Cherry was written in the 1st person and there were no breaks between her speech and the rest of the story which was very confusing. Hopefully in the finished book it will be written a lot clearer.

Here One Moment is unique, clever, funny, poignant, scary, life affirming, oh so many things all in one bundle, it's an amazing read.
I did have a small problem remembering who was who in a cast of so many but as their characters developed it became easier. My real problem. which may have been because it requires further editing, was the way Cherry's voice suddenly slid into another character's narrative without warning, new paragraph, nothing. Maybe her voice could have been in itallics to make things clearer. I did evetually get to grips with this too as I was on the look out for it.
I loved this book, and it's many characters but especially Cherry, will stay with me for quite some time.

I am an avid reader of Liane Motriarty novels so was excited to receive an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher.
I found this a real page turner and couldn’t put it down as I was invested in the characters and their future fates (particularly if what had been foretold actually came true).
In my opinion this is one of the best Liane Moriarty books and I recommend it highly. The concept is very clever and the way it unfolds is well written and gripping.

This may be because of the formatting of the ARC on my kindle, but I found it really difficult to work out which character was speaking as there was no differentiation (ie extra spacing) to show a change of character. This made it very disjointed to read as there were many characters, and the changes mostly were really abrupt and with no break or announcement of person narrating. I would be reading several sentences before realising the character had changed! I appreciate however that this is an ARC version.

I’m sure with proper editing this would work much better, and it’s an interesting subject matter which made a refreshing change from all the thriller type books set on a remote island or abandoned house which have flooded the market in recent years.

When I first saw this book and the cover I was imaging it to be a thriller - it definitely isn’t a thriller and is more of a book to get you thinking, almost fable like with ‘here one moment’ being a bit of a life lesson.

It took me a little while to get into the book as there are a lot of different characters so I was trying to figure out who was who but once I got to the half way point I found myself wanting to keep reading. I wanted to know where the book was heading and how everyone was coping with the news they’d been told - and ultimately if the prediction was going to come true!

Ethan was probably my favourite character but I did like learning about Cherry’s history as well. Although I can see the morale of the book and what it is trying to achieve I felt that it was a bit flat for me. The ending didn’t quite hit the mark - I’m not sure if that’s because I was expecting something more or not…

Don’t let me put you off though as I know other people who have read and absolutely loved this book - just because it didn’t tick all of my boxes doesn’t mean it won’t tick yours!

*the structure of the netgalley version is also VERY ropey with new chapters starting in the middle of sentences and paragraphs that led to a fair amount of confusion - I received a proof so I was able to follow the structure much better in that

I usually really enjoy a Liane Moriarty but I absolutely hated this. The synopsis was right up my street and its something I'm always thinking about. However it was just sooo dull and so confusing.
Have seen some reviews absolutely raving about this book, and then others that feel the same as me... it's good to know I am not on my own with my opinions.


It took forever to get going, and there were just too many characters to keep track of.
I hate books with too many characters and this book had a ton of characters that just were not differentiated enough. Plus there were characters that were mentioned and then not referred to again.

I'm so gutted as I honestly thought I would love this! Not for me...

Book Review: Here One Moment

I recently finished Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, and I was completely captivated by this intricate tale that beautifully intertwines the lives of several characters. Moriarty has a knack for exploring the complexities of human relationships, and this novel is no exception.

From the very first chapter, I was drawn into the world of strangers—each one caught in their own life’s chaos. There’s the flight attendant working on her birthday, the overwhelmed mother, the newlyweds heading off on their honeymoon, and the father missing his child's performance. Each character's story is compelling, and I felt a deep connection to their struggles and dreams.

The introduction of the mysterious elderly woman who makes a life-altering prediction adds an exciting layer of intrigue. I found myself pondering her true nature: was she a clairvoyant, a charlatan, or something more? As her predictions begin to ripple through the lives of these strangers, I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see how their paths would intertwine and what consequences would unfold.

Moriarty’s writing is both witty and poignant, blending humor with moments of genuine emotion. I laughed, I cried, and I reflected on the nature of fate and the fragility of life. The way she examines existential dilemmas made me consider my own choices and relationships, which is something I truly appreciate in a novel.

The pacing kept me engaged throughout, with twists that I never saw coming. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Moriarty would throw in a surprise that turned everything on its head.

Here One Moment is a brilliant exploration of connection, chaos, and the unexpected turns life can take. If you’re a fan of character-driven stories that are both thought-provoking and entertaining, I highly recommend picking this one up. Moriarty has done it again, crafting a narrative that lingers long after the last page is turned.

It started off great. I was intrigued. The concept was brilliant however I didn't find the writing matched. It dragged. I was confused at times.

Fair warning. This might quite possibly not be the book for you if you suffer from anxiety and/or are afraid of death/dying.

On a delayed flight to Sydney, an elderly lady starts walking down the aisle. While pointing at each of the passengers, she seems to be predicting their cause of death and at what age they will die. Some will shrug it off, some will consider it a joke. Others will go through an existential crisis, or make attempts to try and avert the course of their apparent destiny.

But who is this woman? Is she suffering from dementia? Is she merely a charlatan? Or does she actually genuinely have this extraordinary (?) gift. She herself is unaware of what she put the passengers through on that flight. Throughout the novel, the elderly lady's story is slowly but surely unraveled. Through learning more about her, we discover how she got to be in this place, at this time, doing what she did.

At the same time, the reader follows a few of the passengers. How are they handling, or not handling, this weird situation they now find themselves in? It's an oddly fascinating, if slightly creepy, exercise in "what would you do?" If for instance, your cause of death is expected to be cancer, would you bother having treatment knowing you're going to die on a specific date anyway? If for instance, your cause of death is expected to be assault, would you stop leaving the house? Some of these characters try to continue living as if nothing has happened, which is far easier said than done. The predictions don't just affect them, they affect the people around them too. Whether they believe in paranormal manifestations, or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Liane Moriarty. I loved getting to know these characters, following them as their lives unfolded, as they struggled with this idea that just gets stuck in the back of your head whether you want it to or not. Like some of them, I found I was nearly counting down the days to their diagnosis. Or death. Super morbid in a way, but also deeply absorbing. I became invested in these characters and desperately wanted them to prove the elderly lady wrong.

The elderly lady's story (yes, she does have a name) is equally compelling. She is a fabulous storyteller and I was hooked, desperate to find out more about her memories, about her life, about how she ended up here and why. It's quite the emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for her, and yes, I may have shed a tear or two. But there is also room for some humour and I did find myself chuckling from time to time.

This, for me, is Liane Moriarty at her best. Characters so relatable and believable that they nearly seem to jump from the pages, an emotional journey through time, and ultimately a thought-provoking and immersive story of love, family, loss, grief and life, with the most delightful conclusion. I loved it!

If you’ve ever wondered whether it might be a blessing or a curse to discover the accurate timing and nature of your death in advance, Liane Moriarty introduces us to that premise and all the questions it throws up in this intriguing novel.

As the passengers prepare for the flight, they’re preoccupied with the minutiae of their own lives and barely glance at the nondescript senior citizen in their midst. Yet it turns out she holds the key to their destiny.

During the journey, she suddenly stands up and speaks out the individual dates and reasons for their demise, while muttering that death cannot be fought. One mother receives a frightening word that her infant son will die by drowning at the age of seven.

Some can shrug off the predictions because their death is forecast many years hence. Others laugh and refuse to take it seriously because surely the lady is a nutter, not a psychic. Several are really rattled by what they hear especially when subsequent deaths happen as predicted.

Cherry, the prophetess of their doom, sits down wearily afterwards. She remains unobtrusive. But the flight attendants and worried passengers cannot forget what’s been said as the lady melts away into the crowd when they disembark.

Moriarty brilliantly examines issues of trust, grief and loss, and living with an ever-present awareness of death. There are multiple characters’ storylines alongside Cherry’s evolving backstory. The disparate tangled threads eventually unravel in a satisfactory ending. Grateful thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have read this ARC with a view to providing a review
All opinions and thoughts are my own

I've read some of this author before and always enjoyed their books
This didn't disappoint
She certainly is top of my list

Loved it

I usually enjoy books by this author but for some reason I couldn't get into this one.
I found Cherry interesting and got as far as her predictions on the plane and the arrivals hall after the flight.
Although I would like to have known if any of them came true, I found the story jumped too much from character to character and I had to keep re-reading parts. Felt too much like hard work and too confusing. Sorry.

Well this was a real journey of a novel for me personally.

I have not read really anything like Here One Moment before and I was hooked. Such a unique novel with lots going on and Liane Moriarty writes about everything that a reader will find truly gripping.

Lots of different people board the same plane and a woman, seemingly unnoticeable walks around and tells them how they are going to die - she gets called The Death Lady.

Each journey goes on their own personal journey after being given the prediction, and the reader is thrust into their lives and walks with them as they get to grips with life/death.

Here One Moment covers so many different topics and I thought it was amazingly well written by Liane Moriarty.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read other books by the same author and enjoyed them so I was looking forward to this.

I really liked the idea for the book and found that I wanted to keep reading to see what happened.

I like stories that switch between characters. I also liked how the characters all joined up at the end.

Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend.

This book is a breath of fresh air- so different from anything else I've read and ultimately delivering a really positive message about living each day to the full. Cherry is one of those characters who really grow on you and by the end of the novel you love them and know you're really going to miss them. It's hard to say anything about the story without spoilers, but just know that if you're open to ideas about fate, determinism and love layered characters with complex thoughts and feelings, this book should be top of your TBR!