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amyisonline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
thelibraryofjen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
drachihuahua's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Sal al mundo y toma todo lo que quieres, que no te detengan lo merecespernrider's review against another edition
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism
katie0528's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
baebushka's review against another edition
2.0
Taylor Jenkins Reid seemingly starts this book with a single focus in mind – to tell a challenging story of a latina woman navigating the complex ups and downs of Golden Age Hollywood. Its mystical charm is promised to be destroyed early on when we meet Evelyn Herrera and her tramatising past – a mother that passed away and her abusive husband, the marriage of convenience for which she trades what the patriarchal society holds most dear above a woman's head.
And I could have – and should have – believed the author, should I not come along to the realisation that she does no more and no less than write from priviledge and misunderstanding. From beginning to end, Evelyn is presented as an oversexualised (even through the eyes of her so-called true love) latina woman, who can only rely on her body to propell her forward. Of course there is a – white – more talented actress out there, in spite of her efforts. Of course men lust for her, the idea of her, but only one – gay – man sees her for how she truly is. Of course her herritage must be sacrificed – out of ambition, and hardly ever a trace of regret is seen through her youth.
The book sets us up for most of its length to believe that Evelyn regrets whitewashing herself. Only, the poor twist we see through Monique's eyes reveals that Spoilerit was not her internalized racism, healed during present time, that caused her to choose a woman of colour to tell her story. Not at all. In fact, we find out that it had been the personal connection primarily that made Evelyn choose Monique and her talent only secondary.
Maybe TJR forgot, herself, through the book that Evelyn was not white and, therefore, only edited in the few other scenes we have of latino representation. Her maid, Maria, who is in no way any better than a racist stereotype from a 2000s romcom. SpoilerWithout apparent reason, Maria leaks information about Evelyn's marriage to Don Adler and, overall, is a plot pivot that feeds into yet another stereotype.
And the other person of colour you meet in this book? SpoilerA gay man that stays unnamed until the every end – for a cheap plot twist –, who dies within 2 pages of being introduced.
And, at long last, the reason I have picked this book up to begin with – the promised relationship between Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James. Whatever allyship I had been promised by the TikToks that drowned my FYP for months had disappeared as soon as Celia made her first Spoilerbiphobic remark and, instead of apologizing for it, she drives it home a second and a third time.
It's unclear to me why Celia had been the love of Evelyn's life – on top of seemingly only sexualising her girlfriend, Celia frequently acts in her insecurity and making the biphobia in the lesbian community all the more obvious to the reader. Thanks, I've got plenty of that in real life! Evelyn remains not straight enough – Spoilerand I'm hereby overlooking the d-slur being dropped several times –, nor gay enough to the end of the book.
This book has bad representation and, around rounded edges, bad writing too – but it feeds into our desire to hear of the unturned pages of Hollywood and celebrities, which makes me understand why this book is as popular as it is.
Lastly, one note regarding continuity: I'm not sure how the in-universe gossip newspaper manages Spoilerto find out about Ernie Diaz, Evelyn's first husband and why that was not a bigger blow to her career. Somewhere between Don and Harry we jump a number up in husbands. Why? I didn't see any explanation!
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
heyitsbkay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
greentearex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Miscarriage, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Classism
kyra_johnson_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
earth_to_mars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I like her additions of the articles, both old and new as it adds to the believability of this being a biography of an Old Hollywood movie star.
The pacing is good, slow enough to digest everything that Ms. Hugo is telling us, but not slow enough to feel like a drag when trying to read through each marriage. All in all, her technical skills are the reason I rated this book higher than I wanted to.
My issues lie within the representation within the book. And while yes, I understand this is historical fiction, there's a way to write bigotry without incorporating homophobic and biphobic tropes in a way that almost seems positive. She incorporates Harry as The Gay Best Friend and Celia as The Bitchy Lesbian both of which are not enjoyable in the slightest. She incorporates the downright biphobic trope - The Cheating Bisexual - twice. Once with Evelyn Hugo herself and possibly again with
It definitely feels as though Reid did not have any sensitivity readers or did any sort of research on marginalized groups or even listen to marginalized voices, which has soured the book for me and why I feel I can only give it a 3.25.
In the end, it's a solid book and the characters and their complexities and flaws are what make the book as good as it is with moments that made my eyes water. But, Reid is in desperate need of making sure her biases/ignorance don't bleed into her writing.
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Incest, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia, Car accident, Abortion, and Injury/Injury detail