jeanettesreadingcorner'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
3.5
- Evelyn Hugo’s life story is certainly entertaining and eventful. However, I don’t love it enough to keep my copy. I had high expectations because of how popular it is. I only started enjoying it towards end.
- I didn’t like Evelyn that much for most of the book. I don’t agree with how she treated Celia early on. I guess I don’t like how fake everybody is to each other but that’s Hollywood. I actually started to like Evelyn more after she retired from acting. When Evelyn started living as her true self. I enjoyed Celia St. James and Harry Cameron’s characters more. Evelyn, Celia, Harry, and John (and eventually Connor) being a family together was my favorite part of the book.
- I didn’t care about Monique Grant’s character at all throughout the book. The plot twist at the end was what made her interesting to me. I was mostly reading this to know who Evelyn Hugo is.
- The Old Hollywood glamour and timeline was fun and well-written. I especially loved the outfits and historical references. I also enjoyed seeing the actual media articles on Evelyn and getting to read about her in that perspective.
- The plot twist towards the end! I kind of suspected it or made guesses about it early on. I wasn’t exactly correct but I had an idea.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Cancer, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Biphobia
Moderate: Outing, Suicide, Vomit, Blood, and Misogyny
leonormsousa'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
4.5
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
taytastic's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Overall a fun read, the last chapters have such an impact and the story is wonderfully tied together at the end.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Outing
vr_alyssa's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
As a reader, you're basically both reading a fictional biography as well as the interviews leading up to the creation of said biography. Which means the reader knows certain things are coming (I mean, you know it by the title too, she clearly had seven husband, so you know the first doesn't last, for example). But there are a few other things the reader learns to expect early on in the story. I found those hard to predict, despite knowing that they were coming. Furthermore, there wasn't necessarily a need to figure it out (which I usually have with books such as Fourth Wing recently), I could just let it happen as it happened. And, of course, when revealed, the information caught me completely off guard, to the point of mumbling 'No no no no no' aloud for a while.
It was a very interesting and lovely reading experience, to say the least. Best way I can describe it, is that it's human.
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Car accident, Death, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Cancer, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Drug use, and Suicide
fanboyriot'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
4.5
“Doesn’t it bother you? That your husbands have become such a headline story, so often mentioned, that they have nearly eclipsed your work and yourself? That all anyone talks about when they talk about you are the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo?”
And her answer was quintessential Evelyn.
“No,” she told me. “Because they are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo. And anyway, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife.”
Graphic: Sexual assault, Cursing, Mental illness, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death, Suicide, Classism, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Child death, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Outing, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Murder, Cancer, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Drug abuse
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Fatphobia
lindasoderlundd'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
4.25
Graphic: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Lesbophobia, Cancer, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Suicide
mollythehedgehog'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
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Car accident, Terminal illness, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, and Lesbophobia
blackferrum's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Spoiler
Actual rating: 3,5Bingung harus mulai dari mana. Kebanyakan reviu buku ini bagus, bintang 5, dll. Terpancing rasa penasaran akhirnya baca. Terjemahannya aku akui, luwes banget. Karakter Evelyn Hugo sendiri somehow kerasa mengintimidasi, tapi di sisi lain manusiawi aja. Yah, mungkin bagi orang luar macam aku begini lihat dia nggak kesentuh. Buku ini dimaksudkan buat memperlihatkan sisi "manusiawi"-nya.
Kayaknya nggak perlu bahas summary-nya, deh. Bingung mau spill semua apa enggak. Yang pasti, tujuh suami Evelyn Hugo memang nggak biasa. Kalau bukan sifat dan kelakuannya, pasti alasan mereka menikah. Satu hal yang pasti dan nggak begitu sreg waktu tau buku ini ternyata banyak muatan bendera pelanginya. Yang biphobia better jangan pernah coba-coba baca buku ini. Muatannya lesbinya banyak banget.
Oke, mungkin bahas soal Monique aja dulu, ya. Ternyata dia punya plot juga karena memang benang merahnya ada di dia. Alasan kenapa Evelyn kekeuh minta Monique buat wawancara dia yang bikin aku bertahan. Soalnya ya kenapa mesti pilih jurnalis yang masih "muda" banget, bukan bermaksud underestimate, tapi ini bicara soal Evelyn Hugo, megastar.
Perjalanan Evelyn Hugo sampai bisa jadi bintang besar juga nggak mudah. Satu hal sih, yang bisa aku simpulkan, cinta itu rumit. Latar belakang Evelyn nggak bagus dan jelas dia nggak bisa mengenali mana cinta sejati mana yang cuma obsesi. Well, dia sebut sih siapa cinta sejati hidupnya di sini, tapi melihat perjalanan kisah mereka juga nggak bisa disimpulkan oke aku suka sama kamu, aku cinta kamu. Lebih rumit dari itu.
Perkembangan karakternya kelihatan jelas di buku ini, karakterisasinya juga konsisten, menunjukkan tulisan TJR memang bagus. Bakal coba baca bukunya yang lain.
Mau simpen beberapa quotes dari bukunya di sini.
"Dunia menghormati orang-orang yang berpikir bahwa merekalah yang sepantasnya menguasai dunia. Aku tidak pernah memahami gagasan itu, tetapi kini aku tidak lagi ingin melawannya. Aku ada di sini karena aku ingin menjadi Frankie suatu saat hari nanti, mungkin bahkan seseorang yang lebih hebat daripada Frankie. Melakukan pekerjaan penting yang kubanggakan."
"Ketika kau diberi kesempatan untuk mengubah hidupmu, bersiaplah melakukan apa pun yang perlu dilakukan untuk mewujudkannya. Dunia tidak akan memberimu apa-apa. Kau harus mengambilnya sendiri."
"Kau berlari ke arah dunia yang bermoral dan adil, di mana orang baik selalu menang dan orang jahat selalu kalah, di mana penderitaan yang kaurasakan hanyalah usaha untuk membuatmu semakin kuat, sehingga kemenanganmu akan lebih besar pada akhirnya."
"Tidak seorang pun yang hanya menjadi korban atau pemenang. Semua orang selalu berada di tengah-tengah. Orang-orang yang mengaku diri sebagai korban atau pemenang tidak hanya membodohi diri sendiri, tetapi juga sangat palsu."
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident
parchementhallucinations's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Classism, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Sexual content
rat_girly'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infidelity, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Blood
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Outing
Minor: Abortion, Suicide, Infertility, Incest, and Drug use