The Trivia Night

By: Ali Lowe

Narrated by: Kate Winter, Taryn Ryan, Vivien Carter

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The events at a school fundraiser night get quickly out of hand, and the fallout leads to devastating results for a group of four couples....

Question: How long does it take to tear someone's life apart?

Answer: Sometimes just one night.

From the outside the parents of the kindergarten class at Darley Heights primary school seem to have it all. Living in the wealthy Sydney suburbs, it's a community where everyone knows each other - and secrets don't stay secret for long.

The big date in the calendar is the school's annual fundraising trivia night, but when the evening gets raucously out of hand, talk turns to partner-swapping. Initially scandalised, it's not long before a group of parents make a reckless one-night-only pact.

But in the harsh light of day, those involved must face the fallout of their behaviour. As they begin to navigate the shady aftermath of their wild night, the truth threatens to rip their perfect lives apart - and revenge turns fatal.

The Trivia Night is a gripping domestic debut novel full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

©2022 Ali Lowe (P)2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Strange

The beginning of the book for me, did not match the last 2 hours, which in turn didn’t line up well with the epilogue.
Overall it was an “Oh, ok??” Feeling I got at the end

The Merry Widow

I can’t give a full five stars, because Trivia Night isn’t a classic like Pillars of the Earth, or To Kill a Mockingbird. But it’s an excellent, well told story of 5 women and their families, and what happens when they manage to rock their own boats. At first, the dialogue and characters made me think it was going to be a typical, ho hum type of predictable B fiction. While it’s true that I figured out a thing or two, plenty of other events popped up that surprised and delighted me. This book deals with all sorts of social issues, but I won’t be specific in order to
not spill any beans. It was very worth the read and I enthusiastically recommend it.

So enjoyable!

I was a bit hesitant to order this book, as it sounded like a rip off of "Big Little Lies" (set in Australia, a trivia night gone awry, a mystery death, group of unlikely friends thrown together), but I'm so glad I gave it a chance! It was a fun, easy listen, and took a few twists and turns that I never expected. I thought the narrators we excellent, especially the one who does the voice of Amanda - she brought so much life to the story and character, and her comedic timing was excellent. I wouldn't necessarily have called this a mystery or a thriller...maybe a dramedy? But I loved it nonetheless. It's a great beach read (or listen)!

A psychological study in depravity

An interesting and unusual plot. Could it really happen? Depending on your circle of friends and influence, possibly. Would you give in to the pressure? Possibly! It took a while to put together who was who and who belonged to whom! Some definite curve balls in the story. Some parts are far fetched but can be plausible given the right circumstances. Overall a good study of what our actions can engender. All actions have consequences. Can these consequences be overcome? The story will tell you. Not a mystery; more of a character study of flawed people facing peer pressure and their reactions and consequences.

Everything was cool except…

I really enjoyed this story. I loved Amanda, Zoe, and Victoria’s voices. Alice’s reader (and I do mean reader because there was no true characterization) was not fun. I felt my teeth being set on edge whenever there was an Alice chapter because the reader was truly terrible. She was so flat. Besides her, though, I listened to this over 10 hour story in less than two days. I just couldn’t wait to hear how it would end. I highly recommend it.

Fun read

This story was engaging, with a couple of surprise twists I didn’t expect, which makes a book fun. Alcoholism (or excessive alcohol use) from a female perspective was a nice break from the men always being tagged with this issue. Had a few “Big Little Lies” parallels (such as characters with the same names…a Zoe and Madeline for instance) felt off-putting for a book in the same category and written afterward. Also, the domestic abuse with a main character and “trivia night” fundraiser at a kids’ school also felt too similar to BLL. But, the main theme was different, so at least the author brought in a totally new theme. My issue is that if you are going to write in a similar vein as another author and story, make sure to not have too many similarities. But the book was still very good.

so fun!

This book was so fun, not super deep but surprisingly great! The characters were well thought out, as well as the story line. Took a few chapters to get the people straight, so don't give up.

Juvenile

One stupid not funny sex pun/joke after another! 🤢 sickening and irritating. Don’t waste your time