Mystery

Strange Sally Diamond

Strange Sally Diamond

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-02-27 00:51:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Liz Nugent
  • ISBN：1844885968
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Summary

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 。 。 。

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Reviews

Emma Hardy ，

I finished this book over 12 hours ago and I still cannot stop thinking about it。 Straight away Sally reminded me of Elinor Oliphant， misfit， socially awkward， takes things literally。 Even the first two paragraphs had me totally hooked and I read this in one sitting til 1am ！ Make no mistake， there are some things to read in this。 Violence against women and PTSD are prominent here and some scenes are very very difficult to read。 The way in which the story unfolds， keeps you hanging， eagerly awai I finished this book over 12 hours ago and I still cannot stop thinking about it。 Straight away Sally reminded me of Elinor Oliphant， misfit， socially awkward， takes things literally。 Even the first two paragraphs had me totally hooked and I read this in one sitting til 1am ！ Make no mistake， there are some things to read in this。 Violence against women and PTSD are prominent here and some scenes are very very difficult to read。 The way in which the story unfolds， keeps you hanging， eagerly awaiting to find the next breadcrumb and piece it all together。Sally is a phenomenal character and I enjoyed watching her adapt to life after her dad dies。 The characters that enter her life post bereavement shape the novel too and the sub plot is just as harrowing， if not disturbing at times。 This will shock， stun and is an emotional read。 But its the most addictive thing I've read in a very long time。 Goodness me， what a ride。 。。。more

bookishcharli ，

I flew through this amazing thriller in a couple of hours， I just couldn’t put it down。 There were numerous twists and turns in the book， and the letters she read each week gave us the details around how Sally joined the Diamond’s and it’s all over her head。 I was rooting for Sally throughout the entire book and I loved getting to see her out in the world making new friends。This is an emotional read with lots of dark themes throughout as Sally finds out and then comes to terms with her traumatic I flew through this amazing thriller in a couple of hours， I just couldn’t put it down。 There were numerous twists and turns in the book， and the letters she read each week gave us the details around how Sally joined the Diamond’s and it’s all over her head。 I was rooting for Sally throughout the entire book and I loved getting to see her out in the world making new friends。This is an emotional read with lots of dark themes throughout as Sally finds out and then comes to terms with her traumatic life。 This is one of those incredible books that even once it’s over you just can’t stop thinking about it， what an absolutely amazing read。 I’d be shocked if this isn’t an instant best seller。 Thank you to Penguin UK for sending me a proof of this one。 。。。more

Lavender ，

Liz Nugent became one of the authors I would order any new book immediately without knowing anything about it。 I just love her strong writing and her unusual characters。 She is a safe bet for me。 I think “Strange Sally Diamond” is one of her strongest books。Sally is different。 Her adoptive father always described her as socially deficient。 She is a grown woman over forty and she stays at home all the time with her father。 She takes everything literally so when her father dies she just put him ou Liz Nugent became one of the authors I would order any new book immediately without knowing anything about it。 I just love her strong writing and her unusual characters。 She is a safe bet for me。 I think “Strange Sally Diamond” is one of her strongest books。Sally is different。 Her adoptive father always described her as socially deficient。 She is a grown woman over forty and she stays at home all the time with her father。 She takes everything literally so when her father dies she just put him out in the bin like he always told her to do。 That he was joking was beyond her understanding。 And the letter he left her did not say specifically that she should open it immediately after his death。 But words get out about what she did and soon she is a media sensation。 Then Sally has a dark past she totally forgot about。 Sally is a character who will be hard to forget。 The whole book is very intense， very disturbing and shocking。 But there is also a bit of humor as Sally has a way of speaking her mind which is quite refreshing。 After the incident with her father things seem to get better for Sally。 She does therapy and she meets people who care for her and become her friends。 But Sally is not an easy person to like。 And her past is catching up quickly。 There is someone out there who wants to get in touch with her。This book absolutely captivated me although it is not an easy read。 The story is too disturbing and sad to be a fun read。 But I would recommend it if you like dark psychological thrillers but be aware that when you are sensitive to topics like child abduction， sexual and psychical abuse you may consider to pass this one。 I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Nicola Stevenson ，

I don’t know what I expected when I started this book but it wasn’t this heartbreaking and heartwarming tale of Sally Diamond。 There were times when I had to put the book down & take a few minutes， but otherwise I was hooked。 Sally is certainly strange - she doesn’t act the way that society expects her to act。 However， as we get into the story & Sally’s past is revealed， we can see why her father called her socially deficient。 Sally’s past is brutal， and as more is revealed， a second perspective I don’t know what I expected when I started this book but it wasn’t this heartbreaking and heartwarming tale of Sally Diamond。 There were times when I had to put the book down & take a few minutes， but otherwise I was hooked。 Sally is certainly strange - she doesn’t act the way that society expects her to act。 However， as we get into the story & Sally’s past is revealed， we can see why her father called her socially deficient。 Sally’s past is brutal， and as more is revealed， a second perspective is introduced， showing us more information about Sally’s past。 I found this perspective to be horrifying and as it progressed， I really struggled to have much sympathy for them。 At the same time， I was so proud of Sally - she was learning social norms & working on herself to make her life better。 There’s so much trauma in this story， and we see how this impacts everyone associated with the people involved。 This was a dark and disturbing read but it was also very engrossing - Sally is going to be a character that I will remember for a long time。Thanks to Penguin General UK & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

travelsalongmybookshelf ，

Sally Diamond puts her Dad out with the bins when he dies and then incinerates him。 She causes a media storm， receiving letters from well wishers and haters and a bear from someone she doesn’t remember。 As the horrors of her childhood are discovered， Sally is going to be severely challenged and has to step into the world for the first time。 Learning to make friends， decisions and that people don’t always mean what they say is not easy。 ‘It’s just that…it’s…unusual to burn a body of a family memb Sally Diamond puts her Dad out with the bins when he dies and then incinerates him。 She causes a media storm， receiving letters from well wishers and haters and a bear from someone she doesn’t remember。 As the horrors of her childhood are discovered， Sally is going to be severely challenged and has to step into the world for the first time。 Learning to make friends， decisions and that people don’t always mean what they say is not easy。 ‘It’s just that…it’s…unusual to burn a body of a family member， it’s not legal， and I’m so sorry to tell you this， love， but there were funeral instructions in his letter…。’‘Oh。’It’s a harrowing and powerful story which I found incredibly dark and twisted， yet very addictive。 Once I started it， I just couldn’t put it down and read it in a day！ It covers horrific themes of kidnap， abuse， rape and murder， so be aware。 Yet， at the same time following Sally’s story there is also hope and friendship and that sort of wry smile humour。Sally Diamond is such an intriguing character， I liked her， she made me smile， yet she also gave me a sense of creeping unease especially towards the end。 So I came away from this read thinking wow！ But also that this is one that will still in my mind being digested for quite some time to come。Powerful， hopeful and a wee bit harrowing but just a fabulous read！ 。。。more

Karen Hammond ，

I have not read any of Liz Nugents other books but will certainly look them up to buy them now。 Not often does a book grip me within the first few lines but this certainly did and then carried me along on a wonderfully emotional journey to the end。 A must read book of 2023。

Dorie - Cats&Books :） ，

This is going to be a DNF for me at 30%。 I knew that this would be a book about a person who was very different and that we would discover the reasons why。I did not read any reviews on the book because I didn't want spoilers but I'm sorry now that I didn't。I'm rating it 3* because it has a great premise and good storytelling but I want everyone to know that this book has many triggers which I was not able to read or stomach。 So for all of you who are considering reading this please think about r This is going to be a DNF for me at 30%。 I knew that this would be a book about a person who was very different and that we would discover the reasons why。I did not read any reviews on the book because I didn't want spoilers but I'm sorry now that I didn't。I'm rating it 3* because it has a great premise and good storytelling but I want everyone to know that this book has many triggers which I was not able to read or stomach。 So for all of you who are considering reading this please think about reading my trigger warnings。 I know that this book has many 5* reviews and that's great if the below issues don't bother you！TRIGGER WARNINGS: This book has vivid descriptions of child abduction， abuse， rape and torture。 What happened in the main character's past is very much the central theme of this book， at least as far as I read。 I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss。 All opinions are mine alone。 。。。more

Melanie’s reads ，

Review to follow

Zara Harper ，

When I first started this book I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it。 But after the first few chapters it hooked me！ My mind was coming up with so many weird plot lines as I couldn’t see where it was going at all， in a good way！ I grew to like Sally and her many quirks and as the book went in your get to understand her more and how debating her background is。 Parts were not easy to read but this books made me feel so many emotions！ Sadly the ending felt a little like the book ran out of steam bu When I first started this book I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it。 But after the first few chapters it hooked me！ My mind was coming up with so many weird plot lines as I couldn’t see where it was going at all， in a good way！ I grew to like Sally and her many quirks and as the book went in your get to understand her more and how debating her background is。 Parts were not easy to read but this books made me feel so many emotions！ Sadly the ending felt a little like the book ran out of steam but overall I enjoyed it！ 。。。more

Lou Barber ，

I tend not to read blurbs so from the title， I think I expected a life-affirming story about a neurodivergent woman， navigating her way through life and teaching us valuable lessons along the way。 In some ways， this is true。 But it was way way darker than I was expecting。 I don't want to talk about the plot really， as with any thriller， this would spoil the experience for anyone thinking of reading it。 But be prepared， it is not an easy read。 There is violence of all kinds and a lot of cruelty。B I tend not to read blurbs so from the title， I think I expected a life-affirming story about a neurodivergent woman， navigating her way through life and teaching us valuable lessons along the way。 In some ways， this is true。 But it was way way darker than I was expecting。 I don't want to talk about the plot really， as with any thriller， this would spoil the experience for anyone thinking of reading it。 But be prepared， it is not an easy read。 There is violence of all kinds and a lot of cruelty。But let's just talk about Strange Sally Diamond。 What an amazing character， and such clever writing。 I had to keep reminding myself that she's in her forties， as she （purposely） had such a young voice。 To see her go from pure survival to thriving was a joy to read and the first words just might be up there with my favourite openers。 'He told me to put him out with the bins when he died'。 So she did。 And that is just the beginning！Engaging and original， it's hard to stand out from the saturated thriller market， but Strange Sally Diamond certainly shone brightly。 。。。more

Louise Wilson ，

**TRIGGER WARNING** Horrific AbuseSally Diamond can't understand why what she did was so strange。 She was only doing what her father told her to do， put him out with the rubbish when he died。 Now Sally is at the centre of attention， not only from the hungry media and worried police， but also a sinister voice from the 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 an **TRIGGER WARNING** Horrific AbuseSally Diamond can't understand why what she did was so strange。 She was only doing what her father told her to do， put him out with the rubbish when he died。 Now Sally is at the centre of attention， not only from the hungry media and worried police， but also a sinister voice from the 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。Sally Diamond has lived with her adoptive father， a recluse and lives in a remote village in Co。 Roscommon。 Sally's life takes a turbulent turn when she misconstrues a comment her father made when he joked about putting him out with the rubbish when he dies。 Sally's past has always been a mystery to her。 This book is not for the faint hearted。 It deals with horrific abuse， but there is also some humour。 I really liked Sally， you just want to love and protect her。 Secrets that have been kept for generations， are slowly revealed。 I was quickly pulled into this well written， and gripping read。 This is my favourite book that I have read by the author， so far。I would like to thank #NetGalley #PenguinGeneralUK #FigTree and the author #LizNugent for my ARC of #StrangeSallyDiamond in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lesley ，

5⭐️This book had a lot of early very positive vibes on social media， with the fear of missing out on something special I couldn’t pass up the chance of reading it， as I enjoy quirky character studies， but it is SO much more than that。 It’s so dark and disturbing， and I don’t want to spoil anything。 Sally Diamond is in her 40’s and is different。 Her psychiatrist dad describes her as being unique。 She followed her dad’s instructions to put him out with the rubbish when he died， and can’t understan 5⭐️This book had a lot of early very positive vibes on social media， with the fear of missing out on something special I couldn’t pass up the chance of reading it， as I enjoy quirky character studies， but it is SO much more than that。 It’s so dark and disturbing， and I don’t want to spoil anything。 Sally Diamond is in her 40’s and is different。 Her psychiatrist dad describes her as being unique。 She followed her dad’s instructions to put him out with the rubbish when he died， and can’t understand why that is causing a fuss。 Sally suddenly has to learn to navigate life， it’s an eye opening journey。 Lots of Sallys actions and comments had me chuckling。 There’s an array of characters。 The characters are interesting， often complex， not necessarily all likeable， but very well crafted。 I was solidly behind likeable Sally during her difficulties。 Lots of secrets， lies， twists， and turns， very dark。 Totally riveting。 I totally loved this from the very first page， it’s jumped straight into my books of the year， and will take some beating for the top spot。 。。。more

Tasha ，

Loved it！ Review to come！

Karen Barber ，

This really is a book that I can see being much talked about on its March release， and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to meet Sally Diamond before she ventures into the world。From the opening chapter I was desperate to find out more about our main character。 Socially isolated， Sally has lived in rural Ireland with her father since her mother’s stroke。 She has her routines， does her best to avoid talking to people and follows her father’s wishes when she burns him as part of t This really is a book that I can see being much talked about on its March release， and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to meet Sally Diamond before she ventures into the world。From the opening chapter I was desperate to find out more about our main character。 Socially isolated， Sally has lived in rural Ireland with her father since her mother’s stroke。 She has her routines， does her best to avoid talking to people and follows her father’s wishes when she burns him as part of the household rubbish following his death。It’s clear from the opening that Sally is unconventional。 Her actions bring about unexpected interest…and reveal that Sally was not who she thought and that her past is a more troubled one than you could have imagined。I don’t want to reveal any of the details that we learn about Sally， but my heart broke for her as she learns the truth about her experience and finds herself dealing with situations that are so far removed from her comfort zone。This was an ambitious book。 How realistic the portrayal of the characters and their situations is， I wouldn’t dare to comment on， but I can’t see anyone being unmoved by the story that begins with Strange Sally。 。。。more

Emma Bowker ，

After the death of her adoptive father， Sally puts him out with the rubbish。 She doesn’t understand why everyone thinks that this is so strange， this is what her father had told her to do。 This gains a load of media attention and Sally starts to learn about the horror of her biological father。If you liked Wednesday on Netflix then this is certainly a book for you。 It is safe to say I have never read a book like this in my life。 The story line of her past is horrific。 The different time lines and After the death of her adoptive father， Sally puts him out with the rubbish。 She doesn’t understand why everyone thinks that this is so strange， this is what her father had told her to do。 This gains a load of media attention and Sally starts to learn about the horror of her biological father。If you liked Wednesday on Netflix then this is certainly a book for you。 It is safe to say I have never read a book like this in my life。 The story line of her past is horrific。 The different time lines and perspectives make it a gripping read。 Sally herself is extremely socially awkward and I enjoyed reading about her learning how to forge friendships and relationships with others。 Even though I loved this story， the ending left me feeling a bit high and dry。 I am hoping this is because a sequel is being written and if one isn’t planned for the pipe line， then it definitely should be！ 。。。more

Susan Hunter ，

Yet another fantastic read by this author。 I loved Strange Sally Diamond， Sally's early years were heartbreaking and horrific 。 Sally was not just a brilliant character， she was so believable。， I laughed but also cried at her frustrations and honesty。 A traumatic and harrowing read at times had me rooting for Sally throughout。 Obviously a book by Liz Nugent'would not be complete without obnoxious and despicable characters 。 A superb read ！ Yet another fantastic read by this author。 I loved Strange Sally Diamond， Sally's early years were heartbreaking and horrific 。 Sally was not just a brilliant character， she was so believable。， I laughed but also cried at her frustrations and honesty。 A traumatic and harrowing read at times had me rooting for Sally throughout。 Obviously a book by Liz Nugent'would not be complete without obnoxious and despicable characters 。 A superb read ！ 。。。more

Selena ，

We meet Sally Diamond as she takes her father's words literally and disposes him with the rubbish after he dies。 We quickly learn that Sally is in her early forties， has been quite isolated living with her father in Ireland， is neurodiverse and has no memories from before the age of seven。 The attention from the garda and press triggered by her innocent attempt to dispose of her father's body leads to horrific revelations about her past。The rest of the book follows two timelines: Sally in the pr We meet Sally Diamond as she takes her father's words literally and disposes him with the rubbish after he dies。 We quickly learn that Sally is in her early forties， has been quite isolated living with her father in Ireland， is neurodiverse and has no memories from before the age of seven。 The attention from the garda and press triggered by her innocent attempt to dispose of her father's body leads to horrific revelations about her past。The rest of the book follows two timelines: Sally in the present day and another character， Peter， whose story starts in the 70s。 As we follow these characters， we learn about the connection between them and how Sally came to be how she is。 I was immediately hooked and genuinely couldn't put this one down。 It is， by turns， dark， joyous， warm and heartbreaking。 This book shows us the （very） worst of human nature and visits， be warned， some of the darkest places - emotional， physical and sexual abuse， paedophilia， misogyny。 But it also shows the best of us too - love， kindness， inclusion， friendship， resilience in abundance。 Because it's such an uphill climb for Sally to make connections， when she does， it's a beautiful thing to see。 Small things can be a huge triumph。 The book looks at issues of trust， belief in what others tell us， the consequences of upbringing， how monsters don't look like monsters and how the horrendous impact of one person's darkness can ripple across decades and generations。 I thought it was both a devastating and hopeful read。 It twists and turns and I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes one of the most popular books this year。 No hesitation recommending this one。Many thanks to the publisher for the proof copy。 。。。more

Lynda ，

Where do I start。 I’ve read this author before， but this book was just something else。 There are some brilliant characters in the book， some just brilliant， others brilliantly awful。 When I started it I thought it was going to be about a character on the spectrum， I had no idea how dark and disturbing the storyline would become。 So well written this character driven novel is a proper gem， a diamond in fact！ Written in multiple timelines and from various POV’s this is a compelling read。 Briefly， Where do I start。 I’ve read this author before， but this book was just something else。 There are some brilliant characters in the book， some just brilliant， others brilliantly awful。 When I started it I thought it was going to be about a character on the spectrum， I had no idea how dark and disturbing the storyline would become。 So well written this character driven novel is a proper gem， a diamond in fact！ Written in multiple timelines and from various POV’s this is a compelling read。 Briefly， Sally Diamond is different。 Sally will tell you that。 She is neurodivergent， socially deficient and a loner。 Since her mother died she has been brought up by her father and they relied totally on each other。 Sally also takes everything she is told as fact so when her father dies she “puts him out with the rubbish”。 This misunderstanding bring her to the attention of the police and the media， and soon after her past begins to unravel。 It’s hard not to mention some of the other characters， but to do so would be a big spoiler so you’re just going to have to read it for yourself。 This book raises the issue of nature versus nurture and it’s a compelling story of how trusting children are of their parents despite everything。 As the story progresses you can’t help but feel horror at many of the revelations but there are still little bits of humour to break the tension。 A wonderful book that must be heading for awards。 。。。more

Tracey ，

I'm very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Strange Sally Diamond to read and review。 The book will be published on 2nd March 2023。I absolutely loved this book。 Now I've finished reading it I have a bit of a book hangover and that rarely happens to me。 Sally is an interesting and quirky character。 You might be lead to believe that she put her deceased father out for rubbish collection because she's autistic but her situation is much more complex than that。 Yo I'm very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Strange Sally Diamond to read and review。 The book will be published on 2nd March 2023。I absolutely loved this book。 Now I've finished reading it I have a bit of a book hangover and that rarely happens to me。 Sally is an interesting and quirky character。 You might be lead to believe that she put her deceased father out for rubbish collection because she's autistic but her situation is much more complex than that。 You'll have to read the book to find out why。 I love that this story is dark and disturbing but tempered with humor。 I really didn't know what direction the plot was going in but I enjoyed being along for the ride。 I was completely gripped from the first page and thought the ending was thought provoking。 I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a dark thriller。 。。。more

Mary Lou ，

Forty-year-old Sally Diamond – socially deficient as she refers to herself- lives a secluded life with her father on the outskirts of a village。 After he dies， and she reads the letters he has left for her， she starts to appreciate why she might have such far reaching issues。This however is just the tip of the iceberg in Liz Nugent’s latest page turner of a thriller。 Strange Sally Diamond is a dark， engrossing read， impossible to put down， but with unsettling content only made readable due to Li Forty-year-old Sally Diamond – socially deficient as she refers to herself- lives a secluded life with her father on the outskirts of a village。 After he dies， and she reads the letters he has left for her， she starts to appreciate why she might have such far reaching issues。This however is just the tip of the iceberg in Liz Nugent’s latest page turner of a thriller。 Strange Sally Diamond is a dark， engrossing read， impossible to put down， but with unsettling content only made readable due to Liz Nugent’s calm and detached writing style。As the story unfolds， the result of a single evil act expands over the years and across the world， affecting more and more people。 It is impossible to empathise with any of the characters， villain or victim， damaged as they all are。 This is a clever， measured work and can have no comfortable conclusion。With thanks to Netgalley UK and Penguin General UK 。。。more

Miki Jacobs ，

Sally Diamond does what her father said to do when he dies。 Unfortunately she took him literally when he said to put him out with the rubbish。。 When the furore dies down things about Sally's past come out and she faces challenges while she finds out about herself。 Quirky and funny。 Sally Diamond does what her father said to do when he dies。 Unfortunately she took him literally when he said to put him out with the rubbish。。 When the furore dies down things about Sally's past come out and she faces challenges while she finds out about herself。 Quirky and funny。 。。。more

Jen ，

You can rely on Irish author Liz Nugent to deliver on a strong psychological thriller with a sinister undertone。 And with Strange Sally Diamond she absolutely does not let us down。 It covers some pretty serious themes while giving us the highly memorable character of Sally Diamond。Sally Diamond lives in a small Irish village， Carricksheedy with her adoptive parents。 She’s in her 40s but still lives at home， a creature of habit you could say， but with Sally there’s a far deeper reason。 The charac You can rely on Irish author Liz Nugent to deliver on a strong psychological thriller with a sinister undertone。 And with Strange Sally Diamond she absolutely does not let us down。 It covers some pretty serious themes while giving us the highly memorable character of Sally Diamond。Sally Diamond lives in a small Irish village， Carricksheedy with her adoptive parents。 She’s in her 40s but still lives at home， a creature of habit you could say， but with Sally there’s a far deeper reason。 The characterisation of Sally is the heart of this book and when her nuances are first revealed – she doesn’t like being touched， she pretends she’s deaf so she doesn’t have to make conversation with people， she has issues controlling her temper – you do wonder why， but I don’t think you’ll guess at the reason。Sally is child-like in a lot of her interactions， learning how she should respond in social situations and high-fiving herself when she navigates interacting with other people。 She also has no natural filter – although she is getting better at not saying everything that comes to her mind。 This leads to some chuckle-moments when you see her holding back on what she wanted to say。These lighter moments are great for balancing out the darker themes that Strange Sally Diamond goes on to explore。When her father dies， Sally takes him literally when he tells her to ‘put him out with the bins’ – so she does。 This causes quite a stir in the local community and the police come knocking。 This is the trigger for Sally’s past to be unearthed。 Her father left her letters telling her the truth about how he came to adopt her。 We then discover， along with Sally just what happened。To go too much into that would take away from the impact of the story but I will say there are some very serious and potentially triggering topics that come into play， including abduction and abuse。 These were not easy to read about but as Sally had already been so strongly established as a character， your heart just goes out to her and you want to find out more。The story is so well written and perfectly paced， you just can’t help but be drawn in。The ending of Strange Sally Diamond wasn’t what I was expecting in one way， but when I remind myself this is a Liz Nugent novel， it is the only way the ending could be。 Sorry for that ambiguous note to finish this review on but there’s no ambiguity in how much I loved this book。 A compelling look at the darkest side of human nature and how good can blossom from even those situations。 。。。more

HopperWillow ，

Sally Diamond’s father told her to burn him with the rubbish when he died， so she literally did just that。 This act brought her to the attention of people outside of her remote village and when a teddy bear from her childhood arrives in the post it seems her past is starting to catch up with her。A beautiful book， funny and absolutely fascinating but heartbreaking too。 Read it。

Ivana - Diary of Difference ，

Review coming soon as pert of a blog tour， but wow， what a book！ Very disturbingly gripping and kept me on edge the whole time。 Full review to come soon！

Brooke Walter ，

This book was beautifully complex， dark but moving， with moments of humor but with a very heavy focus of the effects of sexual/ physical abuse and the slow recovery or lack there of with the characters involved。 I have found there to be quite a few books in the last few years with neurodivergent characters， but this is one of my favorite I’ve read。 It wasn’t done lightly or just for the sake of doing so， but very thoughtfully portrayed and inspected from multiple angles。 Loved this overall， and This book was beautifully complex， dark but moving， with moments of humor but with a very heavy focus of the effects of sexual/ physical abuse and the slow recovery or lack there of with the characters involved。 I have found there to be quite a few books in the last few years with neurodivergent characters， but this is one of my favorite I’ve read。 It wasn’t done lightly or just for the sake of doing so， but very thoughtfully portrayed and inspected from multiple angles。 Loved this overall， and want to now go back through Nugent’s previous books that I haven’t read！ 。。。more

Paula Kitsch ，

Wow just wow！ My first 5 star read of 2023…。 I anticipate this will be one of 2023 best books。 The description of this book draws you in until you read the first few chapters you uncover the underlying story here and are completely enthralled by it and how it starts to unfold。 Who is the true villain of this book？ While I can’t say for sure because I feel there are a few…。 I can say I absolutely loved this book and wish I could go back and read it all over again for the first time。

MundiNova ，

Destined to be 2023's must-read book of the summerThis is going to be a runaway hit。 It has all the hallmarks of a bestseller: fast writing， an odd protagonist/unreliable narrator， a twisty-turvey mystery that keeps the pages turning， it's set in a cute Irish village， and it starts off with burning a body in a backyard incinerator！My first thought was， and many people's first thoughts will be， "Oh， I've read this before。 It's just like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine。" But I was wrong！ You w Destined to be 2023's must-read book of the summerThis is going to be a runaway hit。 It has all the hallmarks of a bestseller: fast writing， an odd protagonist/unreliable narrator， a twisty-turvey mystery that keeps the pages turning， it's set in a cute Irish village， and it starts off with burning a body in a backyard incinerator！My first thought was， and many people's first thoughts will be， "Oh， I've read this before。 It's just like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine。" But I was wrong！ You will be wrong！ Although it feels like Eleanor Oliphant initially， this book is certainly not the same。 Sally's odd behavior and view of the world stem from something much darker and different than Eleanor's。 Sally isn't on the spectrum， and comparisons to other popular lit characters described as being "quirky and undiagnosed on the spectrum" would be unfair （looking at you， The Maid）。 Sally is more layered， and I really appreciated how Nugent didn't sugarcoat Sally's journey。 This is straight up a fun book to read。 For a few hours， I didn't notice the time slip by。 This next part is a vague feeling about the ending， which you may skip if you don't want any info/emotional reactions to the end。 I'm only adding it because some people will love or hate a book purely on the ending。 If you're one of those people， maybe sneak a peek at the spoiler。 （view spoiler）[I felt a little unresolved in the ending， but after thinking about it a bit， I've concluded that it works really well。 Some things shouldn't get wrapped up in nice neat bows。 That's not fair to this story or to Sally and her journey。 Some stories have happy endings only because that's where the story stopped。 But this ending gives the impression that Sally's story will continue even after I stop reading。 （hide spoiler）]I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Story: 4 starsCharacter Development: 4 starsWriting: 4 stars 。。。more

Jeanniehay64 ，

I honestly don’t know how to start reviewing this book。 From the first page I was gripped and intrigued， wanting to find out more about Sally Diamond。 。As a story unfolds， my initial perception of Sally was turned on his head 。 The behaviours she displayed， are not purely characteristic traits， but they are symptoms of her deeply entrenched， traumatic childhood experiences。I will not go onto the storyline as a feel readers should come into this book blind， enjoying the story as an each revelatio I honestly don’t know how to start reviewing this book。 From the first page I was gripped and intrigued， wanting to find out more about Sally Diamond。 。As a story unfolds， my initial perception of Sally was turned on his head 。 The behaviours she displayed， are not purely characteristic traits， but they are symptoms of her deeply entrenched， traumatic childhood experiences。I will not go onto the storyline as a feel readers should come into this book blind， enjoying the story as an each revelation is slowly and expertly revealed。Sally Diamond stole a piece of my heart，。 First class writing by Liz Nugent who takes a dark， bleak story and makes it page turning， moving and thought provoking。 。。。more

Ciaran McLarnon ，

Liz Nugent has already proven that she is an impressive writer and her latest novel Strange Sally Diamond is surely one of her best。 This book starts with the death of Sally's father， her mother having passed away some years earlier。 How Sally manages this event sets a series of events in motion that she could never have expected。 As we learn about Sally's past， we begin to understand more about how she has become who she is and we can enjoy her naivety and feel some empathy for her。This story b Liz Nugent has already proven that she is an impressive writer and her latest novel Strange Sally Diamond is surely one of her best。 This book starts with the death of Sally's father， her mother having passed away some years earlier。 How Sally manages this event sets a series of events in motion that she could never have expected。 As we learn about Sally's past， we begin to understand more about how she has become who she is and we can enjoy her naivety and feel some empathy for her。This story becomes dark， very quickly and Sally needs the support of all of her friends to process her thoughts and feelings。 Thankfully most people are understanding and Sally is able to learn new coping strategies。Strange Sally Diamond is a chilling story that at times filled me with dread and fear in equal measure; this is not a book that you will forget easily， if ever。 。。。more

Natasha Leighton ，

A dark and twisted thriller that—despite the awful （and I mean truly despicable） people we meet amongst its pages—brings to life such a remarkable （if misunderstood） woman in that couldn’t help but root for every step of the way！ With no memory of the traumatic past that led to her adoption aged 7， Sally has always behaved differently to others—especially when it comes to understanding emotions and social cues。So when a misunderstanding leads Sally into disposing of her dad’s body illegally， （by A dark and twisted thriller that—despite the awful （and I mean truly despicable） people we meet amongst its pages—brings to life such a remarkable （if misunderstood） woman in that couldn’t help but root for every step of the way！ With no memory of the traumatic past that led to her adoption aged 7， Sally has always behaved differently to others—especially when it comes to understanding emotions and social cues。So when a misunderstanding leads Sally into disposing of her dad’s body illegally， （by following his wishes and putting him out with the rubbish） she finds herself having to deal with the consequences and media storm that ensues。 But the media aren’t the only ones interested in Sally， as messages start arriving that hint at knowing far more about the horrors of Sally’s past than even she knows herself， and which threaten to once again throw Sally’s life and routine into utter chaos…This was a pacy and thoroughly addictive read that I genuinely couldn’t put down though I do suggest that given the subject material， it’s best to check TWs before reading。Being new to Liz Nugent’s work I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked this up—the premise sounded phenomenal but， it really didn’t do justice to the vividly detailed and emotionally visceral story that we see unfold。 It’s quite a dark and emotionally devastating read， but the depth we explore through Sally’s character as she tries to come to terms with the traumatic past she can’t remember and the new life she’s trying to build， was absolutely fantastic！ I genuinely loved Sally， even in her darkest and most challenging moments and adored the small glimpses of hope （and humour） that are embedded within the story。 Told from the POVs of both Sally and her biological brother，Peter we get a deeply detailed and evocative picture of the tragedy and horror that Sally and her mother experienced as well as the lives forged in the aftermath of their rescue （including a surprisingly detailed glimpse into the life of their captor， abuser and father， Conor。） I can’t go into to anymore details without spoiling the entire plot but， if you enjoy emotionally devastating and completely immersive stories which delve into the intricacies of the human condition—then you simply don’t want to miss the Masterpiece that is Strange Sally Diamond。 And a massive thank you to Penguin Random House/ Sandycove for the proof copy。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Strange Sally Diamond

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Strange Sally Diamond&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Strange Sally Diamond&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0