ashbooks5's review
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
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
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
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
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
kimveach's review against another edition
4.0
This is a story of a boy without a stable home life whose mother dies tragically. That trauma carries into war zones and his search for a relationship that can withstand the scrutiny of the press. With the help of therapy, he's able to move forward.
Some of the best parts for me were learning about life in the palace, at Eton, and in the army. It was also fascinating to learn how Prince Charles divided royal duties and access to money between the brothers.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, War, Classism, Grief, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Cursing
issyd23's review against another edition
3.0
Other thoughts:
- I cannot believe I now know that Prince Harry is circumcised
- Find it hilarious that according to Haz Charles is in his ‘Camilla era’ - Taylor take note! ✍️
- On a serious note his hatred of the media (especially Murdoch) is palpable - I wonder if he’ll pursue them in court
- On a personal note I don’t love that Harry is convinced we (US + allies) were the ‘good guys’ in Afghanistan - and his refusal to think critically about the wider implications and complexities of the war/occupation.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Violence, War, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Body horror, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, and Grief
sydneynorman's review
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Self harm, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Racism, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Gun violence, and Hate crime
e11en's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, War, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
kelly_e's review against another edition
4.0
Author: Prince Harry
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Revelatory • Intimate • Tragic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, Spare is that story at last. From his battles with loneliness and anger; to his struggles at school; to his time in the army; to meeting Meghan, their fairy-tale wedding, and being hounded by the press; to finally choosing to step away from the spotlight lest history repeat itself, Harry bares everything in his memoir.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When I first heard that Harry was going to be sharing his story, I wasn't sure if I would read it. I cannot call myself a royal follower, but of all the members of the Royal Family, I have always had a soft spot for Harry. I can relate to being the second-born and his struggles to find himself or his place in the world. Nonetheless, I placed a hold at the library for the audio knowing the wait would be lengthy and when it finally came through I decided I needed to see what everything was about for myself.
Presented in a chronological manner that works best, Spare offers an unprecedented inside look into royal life. With unflinching honesty, Harry holds nothing back detailing his intense loneliness and struggles in the wake of his mother's death. My heart went out to his younger self as he describes how everything was handled and how he chose to believe his mother was simply off on vacation somewhere for many years.
I never realized the extent of the role the media plays and how it sensationalizes a lot. I don't know how anyone can handle having every single thing you do, scrutinized by millions of people. It will come as no surprise that Harry speaks openly about his mental health struggles, which I highly commend him for. The rigorous standards of the monarchy at times even made him feel like a failure, which is just heartbreaking.
The memoir is quite long and there were definitely parts where it lulls throughout the middle. As with everyone's story there are always parts that are more and less interesting. For me, my interest was mostly in his life in the wake of his mother's death, his time in the army, and his and Meghan's life. I'll admit I was a tad disappointed that his life with Meghan comprises only a small part at the end, but I completely understand his reasoning in doing so - privacy has become an very important aspect of their lives and I respect that. At the end of the day, I am glad that they found each other and have created a beautiful life together.
If you're on the fence about Spare, I'd make the suggestion of reading it for yourself so you can form your own opinions. There is no denying he was born into a life of privilege, yet that doesn't mean he isn't entitled to his own feelings, thoughts and desires. The way he and his family have been treated in the wake of stepping down speaks volumes to the outdated conditions of the monarchy. I'd also highly recommend the audio as there's certainly power in the fact he narrates it himself.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• royal family devotees
• celebrity memoir lovers
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"No one had an answer for a boy actually seeking external pain to match his internal."
"Grief is a thing best shared."
"I'd traveled the world from top to bottom, literally. I'd hopscotched the continents. I'd met hundreds of thousands of people, I'd crossed paths with a ludicrously large cross-section of the planet's seven billion residents. For thirty-two years I'd watched a conveyor-belt of faces pass by and only a handful ever made me look twice. This woman stopped the conveyer belt."
"In this mixed-up world, this pain-filled life, we’d done it. we’d managed to find each other."
Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Car accident, Racial slurs, War, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Abandonment, Suicide, Racism, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, and Colonisation
⚠️ CW: PTSD