Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Los siete maridos de Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

174 reviews

kirsten1999's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Car accident

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Drug use, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide, Sexism, Alcohol, and Drug abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Body shaming

captainclark's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

fantastic book covering all the nuances and beauty of unconventional love and relationships and marriages, the deep complexities of humanity and emotions, its just so beautiful. these people are fantastic and horrible and i love them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Outing, Suicide, and Sexual content

Minor: Pregnancy, Fatphobia, Abortion, and Gaslighting

james1star's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

With over one and a half million 5⭐️ reviews and an average rating of 4.44 on Goodreads, thousands of BookTokers, BookTubers and Bookstagramers singing it’s praises… what are my thoughts? 

I was a bit hesitant to start Evelyn Hugo because of how well loved it is and had built it up as a book I was bound to adore. But I am glad I have finally gotten around to it. It’s a great read and, like nearly everyone else who’s read it too, would certainly recommend it. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t cry - despite being close a few times - but it was a very emotive read. 

A quick plot summary: we start with the unknown reporter Monique Grant being requested to talk with the now seventy-year-old (I think) Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo. When there, her true intentions come known and she wants Grant to tell her life’s story to the world, everything on show, and in doing so we’re transported back to 1950s America. Hugo details her escape from poverty and a harsh life into that of Hollywood where beauty is everything. She uses her wits and, in many ways, callousness to get the parts she wants, make the necessary connections and throughout her life; seven husbands. At her side throughout is her best friend Harry, and they’re there for each other along the way with Hugo ending her story in the present. As the biography unfolds to its conclusion, a tragic connection between the two women becomes known. 

What I really appreciated in this book is that Reid doesn’t wait till the end for one of the two main ‘plot twists’ to come out. Sorry to spoil anything but after the first third (or there about), the true love of Evelyn’s life becomes known… and they’re a woman. This was great because as the reader we get to experience what it’s like to be a queer person from the 50s to the present. It’s a really heartbreaking portrayal at times, knowing that even with all that fame and money she wasn’t able to be her true self (the same to the other queer characters we come across, especially Harry and Celia who had me). But then there’s some really lovely moments too and throughout you’re wishing and hoping things will go one way but mostly they don’t. I also loved how Hugo grapples with exploring her bi identity, it’s really natural and internally she’s unapologetic but sadly due to the time she’s living in has to hide this part of herself. The characters are very well realised with Hugo being extremely complex. She’s not perfect (none are) by any means but she’s undoubtedly a icon, you really root for her despite the methods she applies to get what she wants but at the end of the day, she did what she did to survive and was only acting in accordance with a male-dominated, misogynistic society that places beauty and whiteness with too high a regard. Despite a later negative, I would say she’s certainly well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. 

Personally I wasn’t the most keen on the domestic abuse storyline in the book. It was mostly done well but some parts did irk me. I also found the writing to be a little basic, not being the masterpiece I was promised in all honesty. A final note of meh was a certain thing that happens but I won’t expand ~ it’s to do with Harry if you’ve read it. 

This book wasn’t the epitome of great literature with there being some parts to be desired but overall it was a very decent read and one I’d be happy to recommend. I also think I’d be giving this a re-read in the future as there’s more to be uncovered and generally it’s an entertaining, fast-paced novel that is deserving of the hype… but there are better books in my opinion. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Death, and Grief

Minor: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Cancer, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Racism, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Homophobia

sarahdawned's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

leah08855's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Addiction, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Sexual content

ljpalgon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Cursing, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Alcohol, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Car accident

kedalrymple's review against another edition

I was very excited to read this book as it seemed to tick a lot of the categories of what I like. Even the start seemed to be more engaging than a lot of books. However, it didn’t take long for the language to start to feel uncomfortable, specifically when discussing race and body image. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that this is an author who is writing popular fiction with the goal of it being picked up by Hollywood. It seems odd that the author would choose to develop main characters of different races, gender identities, and body types than her own, and do so little work to actually research what it is like for people who identify with those traits. Sadly it came across as stereotypical, heteronormative, and  sexist. Clearly this author is trying to fill her books with the types of characters that Hollywood is desperately seeking to  “include” but is skipping the hard work necessary to check her own priorities and privileges beforehand even attempting to write about a character from a different culture than her own. How disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

te_ss_i's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Outing, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Violence

noinikaido's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy and Suicide

Minor: Death

leonormsousa's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Abortion, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Car accident, and Sexual violence