Quirky, unique, and compelling are words that only begin to describe Liane Moriarity’s, The Hypnotist’s Love Story. The author of well known novels such as Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty has intrigued readers once again with a story that makes you judge characters at the beginning and leads you to empathize with them by the end. 

The Hypnotist’s Love Story tells the story of a woman named Ellen, a creative, curious, and elegant hypnotist living in her late grandparents personality-filled beach house right on the coast of Australia. Ellen begins dating Patrick, a simple surveyor with a 10 year old son and a heart healing from the grief of his dead wife. However, he has another peculiar problem. His ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Upon hearing the news, Ellen isn’t frightened, but intrigued. Ellen constantly wonders what she is like, but little did she know, her boyfriend’s stalker is one of her favorite patients.

The rest of the story bounces back and forth between the point of view of Ellen, and Patrick’s stalker, Saskia. It is fascinating to see the similarities between Saskia and Ellen become apparent throughout the book. This story is a great reminder that all people are a bit crazy when they are in love, and everyone has a story and reason behind their actions. This novel was sharp, interesting, and had a satisfying ending. 

Even though I am no successful author, I do have some critiques for the novel. In my opinion, the story was slow moving from beginning to end. It picks up the pace towards the middle, but it takes a few tries for the reader to commit to the story. It’s important to remember as a reader and writer, that every event that takes place in a book, has an important meaning to the overall story. I had moments of wondering why certain scenes of the story were included when they seemed unnecessary. 

Despite these thoughts, I thought the novel was clever and makes you ponder new ideas. I’ve always been a fan of stories that can make you empathize with the villain. They break the boundaries between good and evil, leaving all of us just as flawed people who want to achieve happiness despite our challenges holding us back. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars due to the slow movement of the novel, but the message and creativity of the story leaves this book a winner.