Apples Never Fall reviewed
Apples Never Fall is the latest novel by the Australian New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty and was published by Henry Holt and Co. Her latest work is a wifty tale of domestic suspense combined with satisfying family drama.
Here you’ll find a thorough review of Moriarty’s latest novel, which is a total pleasure to read and learn more about the author behind these novels.
About Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1966. From a very young age, she liked to write stories.
After getting a degree in business, she worked in various marketing and advertisement agencies.
Her first attempt to get a book published failed, and she decided to pursue a master’s degree at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her first published novel was Three Wishes.
Since then, she has written eight more novels. In 2013, one of her best books, The Husband’s Secret, was released in the United States. It reached the top of the New York Times best sellers list in only two weeks.
Her next novel Big Little Lies was another bestseller book. Nicole Kitman and Reese Witherspoon even offered her a deal for television a film rights. The HBO series was a huge success and won multiple Emmys.
Another of her novels, Nine Perfect Strangers, was also adapted into a successful series, in this case by Hulu.
Her latest novel, Apples Never Fall, and her previous work have been highly praised by some of the most important book review outlets.
Kirkus Reviews has described Moriarty’s latest novel as the perfect combination of domestic realism and mystery.
This wonderful writer and her novels have also been complimented by the Washington Post, USA Today, the New York Times Book Review, Bookpage, Bookreporter, E! Online, Vulture Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly.
Her novels have also been included in the reading list of the most popular book clubs, including Woman’s World.
In addition, authors such as Jojo Moyes, Jane Harper, and Stephen King have used social media to review Moriarty’s latest novel on multiple occasions to explain why readers can’t seem to put it down.
A review of Apples Never Fall
In Apples Never Fall, the author returns to one of her most familiar subjects: family secrets.
In this story, you’ll get to know the Delaney family. Each character has a unique personality, a backstory, and many past resentments. Here’s a breakdown of the story, but warning, there are spoilers.
The parents, Stan and Joy, operated a tennis academy for many years. After selling it, they are uncertain of what to do next. Both were tennis stars when they were young, and tennis brought them together.
The Delaney children, Amy, Troy, Logan, and Brooke, played tennis from a very young age. However, none of them made it to competitive tennis, much to their father’s disappointment.
They have all moved on with their lives, leaving tennis behind.
Troy works in finance and is very wealthy. Logan is a business teacher at a community college. Brooke has her own medical practice. Amy is volatile and never stays in one place. She suffers from anxiety and is potentially bipolar.
The story begins with the grown Delaney siblings talking quietly in a coffee shop. While the waitress waited impatiently for them to order, she could overhear their conversation. Their mother is missing and has been for over a week.
The waitress suggested they retrace their steps to figure out who was the last to see her. After that, she takes their apple crumble and coffee order. Just as she’s about to walk away, she hears the siblings asking if anyone has tried to contact Savannah, who also seems to be nowhere to be found.
After that little glimpse of what’s happening, the story goes back six months. Stan and Joy are at home. Stan is in the living room watching TV while Joy fills the dishwasher, listening to a podcast with her headphones on.
That night she is listening to The Migraine Guy. She doesn’t have them, but her daughter Brooke does since she was very young. She regrets not paying more attention to her little girl’s complaints.
She has many regrets when it comes to her children, especially not having the time or energy to be there for them. She has so many regrets it could very well be the central team of her memoir.
She attended a class with her friend Caro about how to write a memoir, and the teacher explained it was all about the theme and anecdotes surrounding that theme.
Her friend suggested Joy title her memoir Game, Set, Match: The Story of a Tennis Family. But she didn’t consider the Delaney family’s love for tennis was that great.
While she is lost in her train of thought, Stan approaches her with an annoyed expression. Someone knocks on the door, and they are not expecting company.
The urgency of the knocking makes them run to the door. As soon as it’s open, a beaten and bloodied young woman named Savannah falls into Stan’s arms.
Savannah needs help, her boyfriend beat her, and she needs a place to stay. Much to Stan and her children’s chagrin, Joy takes the girl in and offers her one of the children’s bedrooms.
Joy’s motherly treatment of Savannah raises resentment among the Delaney children, leading to many arguments and drama in the family circle.
It was not her boyfriend who beat her, but her neglectful mother. She also reveals she’s the daughter of a professional tennis player named Harry Haddad, whom Stan Delaney used to coach. However, Haddad inextricably left Stan for another coach.
Everything blows up when Savannah confesses Joy made Haddad leave Stan, destroying his coaching career. What follows are weeks of loud arguments between Joy and Stan.
On Valentine’s day, Joy Delaney goes missing. For weeks no one knows where she is, and the police’s prime suspect is her husband. The possibility of their mother being dead at their father’s hand makes the children look at him in a very new light.
When there is enough information to arrest Stan, Joy arrives from a 21-day retreat Savannah suggested, refreshed and ready to work on her family. The note she had initially left for Stan was nowhere to be found, which made him think the dog must have eaten it.
In a final shocking twist, Savannah confesses she drugged and locked her mother in a bedroom to let her starve to death. She needs to go back home and check if her plan worked.
Other Liane Moriarty novels
Other novels by Liane Moriarty include:
- Big Little Lies
- Truly Madly Guilty
- What Alice Forgot
- The Last Anniversary
- The Husband’s Secret
- Nine Perfect Strangers
- Three Wishes
- The Hypnotist’s Love Story
Listen to Apples Never Fall on Speechify Audiobooks
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FAQ
Is Apples Never Fall based on a true story?
Moriarty’s Apples Never Fall is a fictional story. However, the author looked for inspiration in true-crime podcasts.
Is Apples Never Fall worth reading?
Apples Never Fall is considered one of Moriarty’s best books to date.
Is Apples Never Fall part of a series?
No, it is not. It’s a standalone novel.
Is Apples Never Fall being made into a movie?
The novel will be adapted into a TV series by Peacock.
What is the meaning of the title “Apples Never Fall“?
The book traces the similarities between the Delaney children and their parents. Apples never fall indicates that their children might be more similar to their parents than they think. It’s based on the proverb, “the apple never falls far from the tree.”