rhi_'s review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Miscarriage, and Sexism
kelly_e's review against another edition
3.25
Author: Britney Spears
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: October 24, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Brave • Chaotic • Halfhearted
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was a pre-teen when Britney's first album dropped in 1999 and I remember getting the album the following Christmas and listening to it on repeat. However, my interest was short lived and it ended up being the only one of her albums I owned. Despite not following her career closely, I still knew I wanted to read this memoir.
While I can empathize with Britney's story, The Woman in Me lacked depth. She has gone through her fair share of trauma and struggle, revealing some heavy truths within. Yet because she kept thing very surface level, these reveals felt like shock value additions more than a part of the healing process. I can imagine it took tremendous courage putting her story out into the world and I hope it was therapeutic for her. However as a reader, the writing was so chaotic, reading more like a diary than a well-crafted memoir.
With all of that said, what this book did offer me was insight into the behind-the-scenes world of music, as well as the enduring power of music in healing. I also greatly appreciated her devotion to her children, something the mainstream media has certainly left out.
At the end of the day, I am glad to have picked this up and listened to it. However, it was the deep emotional memoir I was so hoping for. I hope the writing process was a healing part of her journey to taking back control of her life. But when I got to the end, I got the sense she still has a long ways to go.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• die-hard Britney fans
• celebrity memoir enthusiasts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Music stopped the noise, made me feel confident, and took me to a pure place of expressing myself exactly as I wanted to be seen and heard. Singing took me into the presence of the divine."
"If no one is used to you being assertive, they get very freaked out when you start speaking your mind."
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Addiction, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Abortion, Miscarriage, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Bullying, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, and Infidelity
ruthiedr89's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Sexism
lennie_reads's review against another edition
5.0
It reignited those feelings of fury and injustice for what she's been through and also made me want to give her a big hug.
Also I 100% recommend listening to the audio version because Michelle Williams is a phenomenal narrator. I genuinely forgot (multiple times) that it wasn't actually Britney narrating the book.
CW: conservatorship, mentions of underage sex, mentions of drug and alcohol use, forced institutionalisation, miscarriage, abortion, mental health issues, abusive family
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Confinement, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Pandemic/Epidemic
aileron's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Abortion, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief, Fatphobia, Bullying, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Miscarriage and Car accident
imstephtacular's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Infertility, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Car accident
verito2805's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Abortion
Moderate: Infidelity, Stalking, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, and Mental illness
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts
carriepond's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Sexism
Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Fatphobia
ninaszewczyk's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexism, Abortion, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, and Child abuse
Minor: Miscarriage