Book Review- Liane Moriarty's The Hypnotist's Love Story

Earlier in the year, I "discovered" Australian author, Liane Moriarty, when I read her bestseller, Big Little Lies. I absolutely loved Big Little Lies ( can't wait for the film adaptation with Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon) and I was eager to read her other novels.

PLOT -Hypnotherapist, Ellen O'Farrell has just met the man of her dreams. Patrick is a handsome widower with a steady job and a young son. Ellen and Patrick quickly fall in love and everything seems perfect, until he reveals that his ex-girlfriend, Saskia, has been stalking him. Saskia is relentless in her pursuit of Patrick, which is troubling enough, but Ellen quickly realizes that Saskia is her new client. 

LIKE - Moriarty has a talent for writing flawed and memorable characters. In both The Hypnotist's Love Story and Big Little Lies, she had me constantly changing my perception towards her main characters. She accomplishes this by deftly doling out the character information to build to surprise character reveals at key moments in the story. Moriarty has a keen understanding of human nature and she writes in a way that made me feel empathy towards her characters, even when they were not so likeable.

I liked how this wasn't so much a love story, but a story about finding family and shaping your own life, even if it's not the one that you dreamed of having. Life is bumpy and this is a story about learning to make lemonade from the lemons. The ending wasn't what I had anticipated, but it's touching and empowering. It gave me the warm fuzzies. 

DISLIKE-  This is really the story of Saskia and Ellen, both extremely rounded and strong characters. Patrick, the love interest of both women, fell flat. I wasn't sure why either woman was interested in him and half-way through the story, I was convinced that the twist would be both women realizing that they could do without him. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. The Hypnotist's Love Story isn't as strong as Big Little Lies, but it's still worth a read. I'm looking forward to working my way through Moriarty's other novels. She's a talented storyteller.

Book Review - Liane Moriarty 's Big Little Lies

Judge a book by its cover? Guilty. I was immediately drawn to the splintering lollypop on the cover of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. This was my first novel by Moriarty, but the catchy cover coupled with the acclaim that her novel has been receiving, pushed this book to the front of my must-read pile.

PLOT - Set in a posh beach community in Australia, Big Little Lies centers around a murder that happens during an elementary school fundraiser. Tensions ran high at the adult-only trivia fundraiser and although there were many witnesses, nobody can seem to agree on what occurred.

The story is told in flashbacks to the months leading up to the event, focusing on several moms whose children are in the same kindergarten class. There is the gorgeous and wealthy, Celeste, who hides the marks of spousal abuse. Madeline, who has a child from a new marriage in the same class as her ex-husband's child from his second marriage. Jane is new to town and a single mom who is much younger than the other moms.

The story kicks off during the kindergarten orientation, when Jane's son is accused of physically abusing another child during playtime. Even though there is no proof of the crime and the kids refuse to talk, it creates a divide between the parents who believe in the innocence of Jane's son and those who want him expelled. 

LIKE - Immediately, the tone of the story drew me in. It was reminiscent of one of my favorite television comedies, Desperate Housewives. In addition to having a similar wit, it also compares to Desperate Housewives with its dark and heavy content. It initially caught me by making me laugh, but very quickly the story turns serious. I liked that I never quite sussed where Moriarty was heading. Although you know a murder will occur at the very start of the story, I never guessed who died or how. It was a satisfying twist at the end. I liked all of the main characters and found the story to be a page turner. The fact that a murder is coming is always looming, but it takes a back seat to the individual issues that each of the women face.

DISLIKE - There really isn't a lot to criticize. I kept reading and thinking that this is the type of story that I someday hope to write, especially with regard to the humor and tone. There were a few times towards the end of the story where the pacing slowed a bit. I'm also not sure about the last chapter, which seemed a little like a Lifetime for Women movie. It didn't need the "smack me over the head" poignant summary at the end. I got the message loud and clear early on and it would have been more impactful without that last chapter.

RECOMMEND - Absolutely! I'm looking forward to the movie adaptation and I'm definitely going to read more novels by Moriarty. I'd recommend this book to anyone, although it probably has a wider appeal for women. In particular, the school politics and cattiness among the moms would probably make this a fun read for parents with young children. Also, this is an empowering story for people who have been victims of abuse.