Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

15 reviews

elena's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault

leanderson's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, and War

toofondofbooks_'s review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

First and foremost, the media owes Jessica Simpson an apology. Just as big of an apology as the one they owe Britney. Listening to Jessica talk about the shit the media put her through made me wanna scream and I just wanted to hold her.

Also I hate every man who has ever hurt this woman. Shame on you.

Anyway, Jessica expresses herself so beautifully throughout this memoir. She addresses the reader like a friend, which makes the listening experience more intimate. There is such an honest, vulnerable quality to her writing that put me on the verge of tears more than once. In fact, Jessica herself begins to cry during the reading of this book a few times, which made me openly weep. It felt good, though. It felt therapeutic. This is actually the first time I've ever heard someone sound so vulnerable reading their own memoir.

I just loved this so much as a longtime fan of her music and her personality. However, I think that anyone can take something from this book, even if by some chance you've never heard her name before. It is such a wonderful experience. Jessica Simpson defense squad member for life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer and Vomit

harperhoney's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Dysphoria

sumi3wow's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I started reading this book as a recommended reading from a podcast about one of Jessica Simpson's peers, Britney Spears, as an insight into the world of being an early 2000's pop star. (Ironically, this booked talked a fair number of times about how much Jessica was compared to and mistaken for Britney. Oops!) From being the "family business" to scrutinies of her body and sexuality, the stories of Jessica's career are unfortunately a shared tale of many young women in the music industry. (I'd like to think it's gotten better recently, but who knows.)

This is one of the first - if not the first - memoirs I've ever read. I switched between the ebook and audiobook formats throughout the book. And I was really impressed! I have to admit that I didn't know very much at all about Jessica's career or life growing up (apart from the fact that she is the sister to Ashlee Simpson who has a flawless album Autobiography), but any doubts about being able to follow the story without being a fan quickly faded.

The writing was informal but very professional - I understand there was a ghostwriter, Kevin Carr O'Leary, who worked on this with Jessica but I don't doubt many of these words were her own, based on old journal entries. I liked the easter eggs and references/connections made throughout the book, it made me feel like I was in on some inside joke. It was raw and real in many places, and in the audiobook you can hear her voice cracking emotionally at times. (The vocal fry was initially a turn-off with the audiobook, but I warmed up to it.)

It is clear from the tales of relapse and "failure" that this memoir is not intended to be an inspirational story of how Jessica tackled her demons in one day to become a #girlboss and never look back, but rather an insight into how growth and recovery are not a linear process. I really applaud the honesty and vulnerability it must have taken to put all this out there.

The one thing I really did not care for was her stories of singing to the American armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. I understand the impact that war and violence has on the troops, but the gaping silence about the traumas faced by the communities affected by U.S. invasion is in stark comparison to the stories she tells about helping Kenyan children undergoing cleft lip surgery and the border town orphanage. The memoir certainly engaged critically with topics like body shaming and alcoholism, reflecting on how she sees things differently in retrospect, so I would have liked to see a bit less of a one-dimensional take on America bombing and terrorising communities around the world. But I get it, it's her memoir and if these stories have shaped her life, who am I to tell her otherwise!

Now, I think I'm going to find out where I can watch Newlyweds.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault