Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

 

You’re stuck on a plane, counting down the hours until you can feel the ground again, when suddenly you’re approached by an old woman who predicts when and how you’re going to die. Some people say she’s a psychic, other people say she’s gone insane. The world keeps spinning, the plane lands, you grab your bags, and leave the airport. Finally this crazy experience is over! Or is it? You’re expected to go through your normal life, all while her prediction for you is replaying over and over again in the back of your mind. Was she right? How is that even possible? Should you just pretend to forget it?

Here One Moment is a wonderfully thought provoking book that includes interesting themes such as death, grief, and mental health. When I first picked up this book from the library, it was honestly a slow read. Maybe I was lacking motivation or time (or both), but as I got deeper into the book and watched how the character’s developed, I became hooked. The chapters of the book cycle through 6 main

characters, allowing for the reader to view multiple perspectives on the same story. I found myself

really able to connect with some of the characters and really enjoying reading their thoughts.

The way they were written and designed is phenomenal, and their growth is evident as the

novel unfolds. One thing I love in literature is mentions of mental health and mental struggles.

This book touches on topics such as addiction, suicidal thoughts, OCD, and other mental

issues that are portrayed by characters of all genders and all ages. The mentioning of these

topics make the characters feel so real, and overall made the book even more of an enjoyable

experience for me. The mentioning of other topics such as grief and death also added to the

relatability and overall just love and feeling for the characters. Once I really got into the book,

the story itself was also very enjoyable. There were many times where I would tell myself

“after this chapter I’m done,” only to continue turning the pages, eager to see what was going

to happen next. It was also very thought provoking, and for me it led to a lot of self reflection

about what I would do in this scenario, and how would I feel knowing when and how I was

going to die? Overall, Here One Moment was a read that slowly became exciting and addicting,

with relatable characters that are easy to love.