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nadia_not_there's review against another edition
5.0
Coincidentally I read this book in the same week I watched episode 4 of The Penguin, which tells the story of Sofia Falcone’s gaslighting, forced institutionalisation, imprisonment and torture.
We’re not supposed to feel bad for rich powerful privileged women right?
Well, dammit, men will find a way regardless. To control, to silence, to gaslight, to abuse.
Britney is certainly not the first woman celeb in history to go through this, and indeed many women have experienced this and worse, but this story matters so much. For these themes to come through in a bestseller by someone who the tabloids (i.e. abusers of the precious right to free speech, which others in the world are denied and die for) and streaming services love to exploit could be a good way to get these issues on the table in a big way, which is difficult for the “little guy” to achieve. Britney got the chance to publish a guaranteed bestseller and used her platform to highlight lifelong patterns of these issues.
I will admit that I am not a very critical reader: I find something to like in almost everything I read, I can read almost any genre, and I tend to be especially forgiving of autobiographies/memoirs, because public figures are seldom the best writers!
Britney is not a writer. But she tells her story authentically, with much reflection and what feels like a difficult honesty. The pacing is not slow and she doesn’t really belabour any points. Where she does refer to certain chapters of her life a lot, such as her relationships with Justin & Kevin, or her father’s many flaws, it’s clearly because those affected her profoundly, and she had a lot to say that could not be said before. Tbh I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. She describes the awful things that happened to her while admitting to her own faults and apologising.
After the forced mental “treatment” and rehab, violation of privacy, denial of basic rights, after all the content made without her consent, after having no control of her life for so long, after her creativity and passion were repeatedly stifled, after tabloids provoking then exploiting her merely to keep media shareholders rich, it’s great to hear her own voice.
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, and Gaslighting
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Cultural appropriation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
tschwedii12's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Pandemic/Epidemic
booksbri's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Abortion
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Torture, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
ctruett's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.25
"There have been so many times when I was scared to speak up because I was afraid somebody would think I was crazy. But I’ve learned that lesson now, the hard way. You have to speak the thing that you’re feeling, even if it scares you. You have to tell your story. You have to raise your voice."
It's true that I don't usually read celebrity memoirs, but there has been such a hype around The Woman In Me and in the end I couldn't resist. Especially since I already had some knowledge of the things that happened to her, and I was curious to see just how far things really did go. Boy, this memoir was no picnic! Britney Spears tells her story as it is without any filter, and it is shocking just how much she has had to endure ever since she was little. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be SO betrayed by the very same people who are supposed to protect you... And how it was even possible for it to take that long for her to be able to do something about it. While I would have liked more dept in certain parts, I can't deny I liked the way this was written. Simple, but very effective and there are many trigger warning worthy topics incorporated along the way. She isn't afraid to name names either, and I applaud her for finally being able to truly speak up for herself. I remember certain events from when I was a teenager, and this memoir has definitely put things in perspective. It's truly a miracle she was even able to perform and create new content while being in such an impossible situation! I listened to her music when she first became popular, and while I wasn't a true fan or anything I'm still glad I finally read this memoir. It shows some of her music career, but the main focus is on her personal situation over the years. If you like reading celebrity memoirs and don't mind things getting dark, I can definitely recommend The Woman In Me.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
5.0
What a gut-wrenching story told from a prominent celebrity voice. Britney was a staple in so many peoples' lives, and I'm so glad she's finally speaking up.
Britney Spears is a household name today, but in this memoir, Britney speaks on her humble beginnings and how she got to celebrity status. Though she has been through so much, Britney still has her faith, humor, and good heart.
The Woman in Me had me laughing and tearing up within the same chapter. It just goes to show that if we put our minds to it, we can truly be unbreakable. I have even more respect for Britney after reading her memoir and am so proud of her for what she has accomplished and where she's at today.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Abortion
Moderate: Body shaming, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Pandemic/Epidemic
zesha's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Sexual assault
weelasswithabook's review against another edition
5.0
🌟 Memoir
God this was a difficult read. Right from the get-go it's just a heartbreaking perspective on Britney's life. Right from the beginning of her life she was exposed to suicide, death, and abuse. Just the content warning list above should give you an idea of just how sad this poor woman's life has been.
Britney Spears was a staple of the majority of us elder Millennials childhoods and there's a sense of guilt there (at least how I feel) that we all just took her persona at face value and assumed her life was glitter and dreams. Obviously we weren't to know what was going on behind the curtain, but I don't think I'll ever hear certain songs of hers the same after reading this, now I see where some of the lyrics may have stemmed from.
From a technical aspect, I've seen reviews complaining about the actual writing of the book, and I do agree it felt very juvenile, HOWEVER, this woman was basically trapped as a late teen for the majority of her life and had her voice stifled. It's only very recently that she's had her own life back and I don't think we should be too hard on her for the technicality of her writing. I think it's pretty unfair.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Abortion, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
catherineisa's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Car accident, and Pregnancy
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Pandemic/Epidemic
chinomi's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic