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Strange Sally Diamond

12 replies

deeahgwitch · 18/03/2025 09:01

I have just finished this.
I know I’m late to the party as it came out in 2023.
i would love to know what others thought of it.
I thought it was very good.

OP posts:
Chilliflakesontuna · 18/03/2025 09:07

I'll be honest, I read it due to advertisement on here. I wasn't that enthralled by it.

I felt like it kept threatening to build up to something good, and then lost steam several times.

I thought the ending was interesting but not particularly 'good' - it more or less kind of made the whole book pointless where you think "oh, you made me read all that for this ?"

I thought Sally's character was trying too hard to be a stereotypical autistic woman.

I also thought the fact she had "a black friend, an Indian friend, a lesbian friend" a little too "try hard" from the author.

I didn't hate the book. But didn't concur with it being a 'masterpiece' either

deeahgwitch · 18/03/2025 09:10

Thank you for replying @Chilliflakesontuna

OP posts:
BG2015 · 18/03/2025 20:47

I read it on holiday last year and really enjoyed it. I know many of my friends felt the same way.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending though.

BeyondtheBeyond · 18/03/2025 20:50

I really enjoyed it but agree that the ending spoiled it.

EmpressaurusKitty · 18/03/2025 20:54

I was disappointed with the ending too - I thought they’d got that far with her & now weren’t going to try any more?

If her brother did try anything, I hope he ended up in jail. Or at least a secure hospital.

Coffeeforayear · 19/03/2025 12:54

I read it also having seen lots of praise for it on here. I thought it would be along the lines of Elizabeth is Missing, unusual narrator trying to solve a crime.
Had I known what it was about I probably wouldn't have read it . It's definitely a page turner but very depressing and disturbing.

deeahgwitch · 19/03/2025 13:05

SPOILER ALERT
The fact the brother escaped is probably more true to life than all loose ends tied up, sadly.

OP posts:
BakedBeansforabrain · 19/03/2025 14:57

I read this in November 2022

this was my review

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and worried police, but also a sinister voice from a past she has no memory of. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, recluse Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, finding independence, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.

But when messages start arriving from a stranger who knows far more about her past than she knows herself, Sally's life will be thrown into chaos once again

There are very some strong characters here, with real depth to them, some of whom are quite horrific, so obviously the storyline is quite dark, shocking even, although it has to be said the writing is sharp and clever. Even though it’s dark, there is plenty of humour thanks to Sally’s inability to hold back her thoughts and feelings. It’s completely gripping for sure, and Sally Diamond will be hard to leave behind, such is the strength of her character.

This is a book that will take you through a whole gamut of emotions, it’ll make you gasp at times yet warm your heart too. In my opinion this is an author at the top of her game and she’s a must read writer for me. The writing flows and rises and falls as it twists and turns to an excellent ending. An outstanding read and I’ll never forget Sally.

This book is due to be released in March 2023

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review

inthekitchensink · 19/03/2025 19:09

I pretty much hated it. Thought it was well written, but the abuse was horrific, the lack of any hope or justice was depressing, and the author threw Sally away like a broken doll. I was pleased to close the book and be done with it.

Anoisagusaris · 19/03/2025 19:10

Loved it. Liz Nugent is one of my favourite authors. All her books have a dark side to them.

EveryKneeShallBow · 20/03/2025 08:35

Chilliflakesontuna · 18/03/2025 09:07

I'll be honest, I read it due to advertisement on here. I wasn't that enthralled by it.

I felt like it kept threatening to build up to something good, and then lost steam several times.

I thought the ending was interesting but not particularly 'good' - it more or less kind of made the whole book pointless where you think "oh, you made me read all that for this ?"

I thought Sally's character was trying too hard to be a stereotypical autistic woman.

I also thought the fact she had "a black friend, an Indian friend, a lesbian friend" a little too "try hard" from the author.

I didn't hate the book. But didn't concur with it being a 'masterpiece' either

This sums up my feelings about the book too.

JemimaTab · 08/04/2025 15:02

I was actually a bit disappointed with this one. I do really like Liz Nugent’s other books (she reminds me a bit of Ruth Rendell in that she often writes of awful people doing terrible things, or hapless people caught up in circumstances beyond their control), but Sally Diamond didn’t have her usual touch, for me.

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