vistacanas's review against another edition
4.0
“When is someone in this family going to break free and live?”
My interest in the royals doesn’t run deep. I read a lot of historical fiction about Britain so I have a decent grasp of royal history, I thought Diana was an amazing human and was horrifically mistreated by the family (and the paparazzi, of course), and I’ve watched every season of The Crown. That’s pretty much it. But, it’s enough for me to know that if I was forced to pick a team, I’d definitely be on Team Harry (which, by the way, would be Team Diana-Harry were she still alive).
Harry took a lot of flack in my online book groups when the book was released…and, now that I’ve finished it, my suspicions are confirmed. Harry isn’t a stellar writer, so he doesn’t always convey his totally justifiable feelings in the most ideal possible way. I believe those who viciously criticized him lack empathy, a basic grasp of psychology, and are very likely the ones who keep the paparazzi in business by reading and believing their trash.
Speaking from firsthand experience, I can confirm 100% that money and privilege do not excuse ANY human being from the emotional repercussions of a lack of love and abuse. Love is in very short supply in the royal family…that’s clear in every single thing I’ve ever read or watched about them, not just from Harry’s story. Appearances, power, pettiness, and manipulation totally trump love and that creates pain for those who value love more. The paparazzi is beyond abusive and unbelievably racist. What they do is not a price anyone should EVER have to pay. I feel deeply for Harry and Meghan and am SO glad that they were brave enough to break free and live.
Despite there being a lot more pages of the book dedicated to Harry’s military experiences than I expected, I totally enjoyed spending the last few days with him. If we’re in a relationship, whether we’re male or female, may we all be so lucky to have a partner that is willing to do whatever it takes to protect us. Harry is a good man. I hope that he is able to build a better and safer life for his family…and I hope karma works it’s magic on a few particular members of his family.
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Racism, War, Alcohol, Grief, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Bullying, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
bessadams's review
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Death of parent, War, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Car accident, Drug use, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Alcohol
tdhuck's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Drug use, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Stalking
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Antisemitism, Addiction, and Bullying
laurenabeth's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Classism, Racism, War, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Car accident, and Bullying
Minor: Drug use, Stalking, Pandemic/Epidemic, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
hannahcstocks's review
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Violence, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Classism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Child abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Murder, and Miscarriage
ashbooks5's review against another edition
4.5
I think that Harry is a deeply emotional person who has not been allowed to show or share that emotion in both public and privately among his family and I think that can do a number on a person. When he receives the news that his mother has died, no one hugs him or really comforts him. He is expected to show that infamous British stiff upper lip. I was shocked to find that for most of his life, Prince Harry thought that his mother faked her death and intended to resurface in the future. Every day he thought that he would receive a call from his mother who would tell him where to meet her. Reading about this was heartbreaking.
The first section of the book recounts how Harry acted out a lot in his teens and twenties after his mother's death. Some of these stories are hilarious such as his encounter with shrooms at Courteney Cox's house and how he had one of his school friends shave his head (I cackled) but some were also definitely disappointing like his decision to dress up as a Nazi officer to attend a costume party. I actually remember seeing those pictures and being highly disappointed in him as he was my "favorite" prince of the two.
The military section of the book was kind of boring but I appreciated it because Harry was allowed to be himself completely in the British army. Also, his position was revealed numerous times in the press when he was serving in the military in Afghanistan, and I am surprised whoever did this wasn't arrested because he ended up being targeted.
The last section was all about his love story with Meghan Markle and I loved it. (I may have thrived on the fact that I got married within a few months of this royal couple.) I am appalled at the treatment of Meghan Markle by both the British and American press. I think we can all know why she's been getting such a different treatment but there are those who pretend to not see the rampant racism. It is for this reason that Harry asked to take a step back from royal service which ended up leading to them basically being booted from the royal family (with no security, might I add).
Other things I took away from the book:
- Harry's frostbitten...um...nether-regions after his exploit to the North Pole (I wish I could say I didn't laugh buuuuuut)
- The anger of his family when Harry speaks against the press
- How much Prince William (and Kate Middleton) needs to get over himself
- No like seriously...
- Harry's love of Botswana and his work with conservation and also his work with veterans
- How much of a boss Meghan Markle is
- My happiness when Harry started therapy
All in all, I enjoyed Spare. I wish all of the best for Harry and Meghan. Honestly, I'm happy for them both because they're living away from the limelight and as privately as they can.
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Car accident, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Drug use, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and War
hannahpings's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Racism
kbairbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, War, Abandonment, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Pregnancy, Racism, Car accident, and Racial slurs
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
ash_bees's review against another edition
3.0
Other reviewers commented that this reads as if written by multiple authors, I'd suggest at least three. The writing could have benefitted from a really heavy editor, and would have been more effective if it was cut down to half or a third. But that seems to be par for the course for books I've read from people with celebrity status.
The takeaways from this are two-fold: (1) the importance of speaking up to right wrongs, especially when you're an ally and not the target; and (2) knowing that speaking up may not change the offender's future actions but can gain you more allies or let other similarly situated people know they're not alone.
Lots of trigger warnings for this book. I wouldn't necessarily say it's spilling the tea, but it does cover lots of death, feelings of abandonment and betrayal, and stalking.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Racial slurs, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Miscarriage
ladynavalon's review against another edition
1.0
Dear reader, don't lose your time on this!
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Grief, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse