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Reviewed by: Sarah Wergin, High School Librarian Title: Here One Moment Author: Liane Moriarty Publisher: Crown
Year: 2024 Good for Grades: 11-Adult Genre/Type of Book: Mystery thriller Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: self-harm, OCD, domestic abuse (nothing graphic)
Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I have loved other books written by Liane Moriarty If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: If you were given the choice to know the date and manner of your death, would you take it?
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Review:
No one notices the older woman, sitting next to the only empty seat on the otherwise packed flight. Nothing is happening and passengers are frustrated and restless as they await hours at the airport gate for a repair to their aircraft... that is, until the unremarkable older woman, stands up and begins to eerily predicts the age and manner of passengers death.
The woman walks down the cabin isle, dealing predictions to each passengers like the flight attendants handing out snacks. Unlike the snacks, the predictions leave the passengers unsettled. After handing out a bushel of predictions, the woman is escorted to her seat and the flight attendant notes the woman seems off.
After the plane lands and the passengers disembark they slowly go about their lives, trying to forget about the woman and her predictions - until one day, months later the first prediction comes to fruition. Followed by a second.
The remaining passengers are left grappling with their own mortality and the possibility that the woman's predictions are more than just random guesses. As the months pass, some begin to fear the worst, wondering if they, too, are doomed. Trying to grasp some semblance of control, the passengers try to identify the woman, who is eventually identified as Cherry Lockwood.
As Cherry’s background is unearthed, the passengers learn Cherry was raised by her mother, Madame Mae, a renowned psychic, which raises the question: did Cherry inherit her mother's abilities rr is there a way to challenge fate?
The novel delves into the passengers’ fears, the nature of fate, and the impact of knowing one's future. With a mix of suspense and character-driven drama, the story raises profound questions about life and death. This would make a great literature circle group for a senior level English elective.
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