Release date: August 25, 2026
Publisher: Crown
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Synopsis:
In this highly anticipated sequel, Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women’s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion. Whether you’ve read Big Little Lies or not, this is the perfect novel for longtime fans and new readers alike.
“Equal parts juicy, gripping, and impossible to put down . . . I loved diving back into the lives of these unforgettable characters.”—Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid
The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies—Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie—their children were five years old. If someone wasn’t invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol).
When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste’s mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly—is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there’s only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life—revenge is sweet.
When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven’t shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party—and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.
Review:
I finished my reread of Big Little Lies and immediately jumped into Big Little Truths, and I loved being back with these characters ten years later. The kindergarten-aged kids from the first book are now fifteen, which hit especially close to home for me as a mom of two teenage girls, one of whom is fifteen herself. So many of the parenting issues had me thinking, Yep. Uh huh. I get it. 😂
But it wasn’t just the teenagers I related to. The women are ten years older too, and Moriarty explores everything that comes along with this stage of their lives—changing marriages and relationships, raising teenagers, aging parents, midlife, perimenopause, and the general realization that life looks very different than it did a decade ago. Most of the women are slightly older than I am, but there were still so many moments where I found myself nodding along. Once again, Moriarty has such a knack for taking ordinary, relatable parts of women’s lives and making them feel compelling, funny, messy, and incredibly real.
And there is A LOT happening here. Every woman has something going on with her husband or partner, her kids, her family, or herself, so despite the length, the story moves along quickly. There’s also a strong mystery running through everything involving a severed finger sent to the high school principal and the sense that something very bad has happened. Moriarty slowly reveals how all of the pieces connect, and I really enjoyed watching everything come together by the end.
Technically, you could read Big Little Truths without reading Big Little Lies. Moriarty gives you enough context to understand these women, their relationships, and their history. But I absolutely would not recommend doing that if you have any intention of reading the first book because this one will spoil basically everything. And honestly, part of the fun for me was already knowing and caring about these characters and seeing where life had taken them ten years later.
My only tiny complaint is that many of the individual storylines are pretty sad. There are still plenty of those sharp, funny, juicy Moriarty moments I love, but the overall story felt a little heavier and more melancholy than the first book. Because of that, I enjoyed Big Little Lies just a touch more.
Still, this was such a strong sequel and one that actually felt worth returning to these characters for. Moriarty didn’t simply recreate the drama of the first book—she let everyone grow up, changed the problems they’re facing, and explored an entirely different stage of women’s and parents’ lives. I gave this one 4.5 stars and happily rounded it up to 5.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Complicated female friendships
- Parenting teenagers and messy family dynamics
- Midlife stories that actually feel relatable
- Marriage and relationship drama
- Secrets that come back to haunt people
- Domestic suspense mixed with everyday life
- Multiple interconnected storylines
- Mysteries that slowly reveal how everything fits together
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Novelgossip!
Novelgossip 