sophilozophy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Now the protagonist in so many tales over the years takes back the narrative to literally become the author of her own story. After years of being silenced, she's letting her voice be heard again… and it's compelling.
The Woman in Me is the first memoir that I’ve read so far. I remember listening to her music when I was young. Recently I got my old CD/DVD Binder from back in the day and saw that I actually own physical copies of Britney’s music. She came up around the time that peer-to-peer file sharing was getting popular and before access to online music stores became the norm to the point that the majority–including myself with few exceptions–don’t purchase physical CDs anymore. I think the fact that she was an artist that I grew up listening to as well as all the information floating around online that wasn’t from her perspective, but in my mind to make money off her name was a reason why I chose to read her memoir. She has a right to be heard and she isn’t shying away from using her voice now like she did on June 23, 2021.
The book was written in a very easy way to read. I don’t mean in terms of what is being told, but how. I remember tweeting that the number of pages–288–could mean that the book wouldn’t be as real and in-depth as everyone was hoping. After reading the book, I can say that wasn’t the case at all. There were a lot of raw moments, but I think the fact that the writing style was very straight to the point–this is what the public saw through the salacious headlines of gossip blogs and magazines, what really was going on, how it affected her–and not full of unnecessary elaboration and soliloquies is why it has so many revelations in what I thought wouldn’t be enough pages. Like the middle book syndrome that doesn’t live up to the first and/or is just a filler.
I felt the fear and pain of Britney through the pages during the increasing bloodlust–I think that is the best word–of the paparazzi, during her conservatorship and betrayal of her family. I see the current headlines, but I personally don’t know if the media are outraged or if it’s just the different gossip blogs and magazines using her again for headlines, but framing it to fit the “we’re on Britney’s side” narrator that will get them the most clicks today.
There were a few times that Britney mentioned not being fit for the public eye. I personally don’t know if anyone is really made for that kind of life 24/7 and wonder how things would have turned out if she took more breaks in between album cycles like other artists.
Britney took responsibility for her actions like the time she yelled at a child actor thinking she was protecting her sister after being told that she was being mean to her on the set of her show. She was pregnant at the time and is a “real mama bear”–her words, not mine. We all make mistakes and it’s great that she owns up to the mistake, but am curious why she didn’t mention the actress by name. The fact that it was Alexa Nikolas is known. She said that her sister lied to her and how horrible the experience was as a child and a fan of Britney.
It’s moments like these and for example, walking on a film set uninvited and getting to sit in the director’s chair that show that Britney knew the power she had. I guess events in life along with other complications–that she writes about–made her forget and feel powerless.
She talks about the difference in the press when it comes to female and male celebrities. The discrepancies are very real and gave the world the perception that she was on a downward spiral. I think one could say–and even Britney admits–that she was having a tough time and needed help, but a 13-year conservatorship? I don’t think so.
Her family failed her–on multiple levels–and actually made the situation worse. It seems that failure is generational when Brintey talks about her grandmother Jean–whom she got her middle name from. She was also placed in a hospital and medicated with lithium. If I were her, I would cut off my family too. They have what they seem to want most now–money. This shows how money really changes people–her mother, sister and brother–or brings out the worst in people and makes them greedy for more despite already having more than they worked for–her father. I will never understand how they were able to put her under conservatorship because she was reportedly unable to care for herself and her finances, but healthy enough to be on TV shows, releasing music and on tours for years.
On February 1, 2008, she was involuntarily placed under a conservatorship by Judge Reva Goetz, with her father, James “Jamie” Spears, and attorney Andrew M. Wallet, as conservators. The episode of How I Met Your Mother that featured Britney aired on March 24, 2008. With how quickly she was placed under a conservatorship, one would assume that a person in that situation is in a crisis and in need of immediate help, but strangely healthy enough to work on the set of a TV show.
The fact that her father with his particular history and connection to others involved in getting Britney into a conservatorship without probably being investigated is mind-blowing to me. Didn’t the judge want to at least meet Britney and hear her out first? Maybe put a third party in place while they scrutinized her father, which would have uncovered reasons why he specifically is unfit to be a conservator. She describes a moment after the conservatorship was put in place and what her father said. It sent chills up my spine.
One of many scary moments in the book was when it seemed like the people overseeing her and doctors were working together after she was sent away for not wanting to do a particular dance routine because she was older and it looked really challenging. Shouldn’t therapists and doctors act independently of the conservator? The facility she was sent to costs sixty thousand dollars a month and the decision was made after she supposedly failed psychological tests. Apparently, her cognitive abilities were just fine to get ready for a Vegas residency she didn’t want to do, but not good enough after refusing to do a particular routine. Very suspicious.
The more I look at the circumstances, the more I think why nobody evaluated the situation. I guess it wasn’t in anyone’s interest to stop it, but one would hope that the legal system is set up to ultimately stop injustices like abuse of conservatorship from happening.
I wonder if Britney had reported her father for conservatorship abuse earlier, would it have ended then? I’m by no means putting any blame on her. She was overwhelmed by everything happening around her–to say the least. I just wonder if it would have set off the alarm that needed to go off or be used against her.
There were two moments in the book when she–in my opinion–spoke negatively about Christina Aguilera. The two have always been pitted against one another in the media–unnecessarily so if you ask me since they are completely different people and artists. In the book, she mentions the negativity and unfairness in the press because she is a woman, but then makes a comment about how Christina “seemed pretty messed up” on a night out with dancers in Los Angeles. Very vague and open to a lot of interpretation. I thought when I read that, aren’t you doing exactly what you wouldn’t want yourself? That is apparently what she thought about that night and she has a right to speak, but I wish she wouldn’t have mentioned it at all because it came off as somewhat petty–which we all can be at times.
It could come across as payback for Christina Aguilera dodging a question about the termination of her conservatorship at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards or maybe just being a peer and not having to go through the same thing despite being “pretty messed up”–in her mind. That comment makes me question the motives when it could just have been a harmless observation and people–more exactly me–could interpret more than it really was meant to be. I obviously don’t know and understand why, but I guess it was important for her to mention.
I think because of everything that has happened to Britney Spears she gets handled with care–as some in my life probably do with me–whereas we would at the very least question others. It is really hard for me to find fault with someone in general, but especially someone who has been through it. There is no maliciousness meant with any of my thoughts. I just want to be honest with my thoughts and ruminate on the things she wrote about in her book.
Nobody is beyond reproach. I hope I’m expressing my thoughts as carefully as possible without censoring myself. Most people don’t take the time and effort to express a contradicting thought or view without being disrespectful.
Britney talks about the fact that she didn’t like old friends to speak about her–in reference to the documentaries–without consulting her first. Why doesn’t this apply to Christina Aguilera? Due to the conservatorship, it would have been difficult or even impossible to contact her without her conservator or someone on the team reporting that kind of communication since she said her devices were being monitored. Some of those people might have spoken out for publicity, but I have a hard time thinking that when it comes to people like Felicia Culotta, her former personal assistant from 1998 to 2007. She kept Britney’s secret–one very big one involving an ex–to this day and only spoke out in support. But these are her feelings and therefore valid.
It’s complicated. On one hand, she wants people–in this scenario Christina–to speak about her even though they haven’t known each other for years at this point, but doesn’t want to be spoken about without her permission.
It seems like Christina–and anyone Brintey deems–is in a lose-lose situation. But that’s her prerogative. Don’t we all do the same or something similar, just not on a global stage.
Christina Aguilera has actually spoken–<a href="https://twitter.com/xtina/status/1409673267808329730">tweeted</a> to be exact–in support of Britney after she spoke about her conservatorship for the first time in 2021. The anger about what was done to her is understandable but misplaced in this case from my perspective.
I am glad that Britney Spears was able to say her piece and speak freely. I just hope that she can understand any critique that isn’t given with malice because after everything she has been through it could be hard to take any commentary that isn’t 100% positive.
I hope it goes without saying, but I am going to anyways that any critique of her doesn’t mean she deserved to be in a conservatorship. More than one thing can be true at a time.
It’s clear why she didn’t do any interviews for the book release or in general, but there are some questions I still have. For example, she never liked that her team and the press portrayed her as an eternal virgin despite–as mentioned in the book–losing her virginity before she even became an artist. While I understand that she went with her team as a young artist, there are moments when she makes us feel like she was calling the shots–rightfully so since it’s her image. She actively promoted this image and profited off the juxtaposition when her image became more sexual to some or to others just embracing her womanhood in the way she saw fit and had a right to do. To be clear–which I really hope comes across, these are all her choices to make and I support her right to do that. Her sexuality or reasons behind her image is no one’s business, but her own. There are just moments when she seems so in control and then so innocent, placing the blame completely on other people even when there came a time she could have tried to control that narrative. I don’t think that mix between being grown yet acting young in some aspects is uncommon for adults, especially young adults–we all have an inner child. It’s just something I’d want to ask precise questions about–no right or wrong answers–just clarifications, but accept what she has made known now which is more than anyone deserves unless she chooses otherwise.
I wouldn’t want to be anyone involved in this conservatorship. That’s the type of guilt–and I hope those involved have the capacity to feel that emotion–that manifests itself as something negative like an unhappy life or takes you to an early grave. It says a lot that her mother and sister did interviews and used her name to promote themselves, but haven’t publicly apologized to date. While I do think that conversation should be private, at the same time the betrayal was very public. Plus Britney has understandably chosen to sever ties with her family.
I appreciate Britney’s candidness in recounting the hard moments of her life. I found raw revelations in the book about her experiences with the media, her family and conservatorship, as well as her critique on the discrepancies in regards to her, but also generally for women in the industry.
There are so many other revelations in the book that I could also start discussing, but I recommend you pick up the book and get an insight into what she has been through in her own words and not from the headlines about certain salacious moments in her memoir to achieve clicks. That’s one of the things that helped push a certain narrative without keeping in mind that she is a person first and not just a public figure for the world’s entertainment.
I wish Britney Spears all the best and hope she has the happy life she deserves.
Check out some quotes–at least one from each chapter–on my blog: https://bookendeavours.wordpress.com/2023/10/30/booktalk-the-woman-in-me-britney-spears/
The Woman in Me is the first memoir that I’ve read so far. I remember listening to her music when I was young. Recently I got my old CD/DVD Binder from back in the day and saw that I actually own physical copies of Britney’s music. She came up around the time that peer-to-peer file sharing was getting popular and before access to online music stores became the norm to the point that the majority–including myself with few exceptions–don’t purchase physical CDs anymore. I think the fact that she was an artist that I grew up listening to as well as all the information floating around online that wasn’t from her perspective, but in my mind to make money off her name was a reason why I chose to read her memoir. She has a right to be heard and she isn’t shying away from using her voice now like she did on June 23, 2021.
The book was written in a very easy way to read. I don’t mean in terms of what is being told, but how. I remember tweeting that the number of pages–288–could mean that the book wouldn’t be as real and in-depth as everyone was hoping. After reading the book, I can say that wasn’t the case at all. There were a lot of raw moments, but I think the fact that the writing style was very straight to the point–this is what the public saw through the salacious headlines of gossip blogs and magazines, what really was going on, how it affected her–and not full of unnecessary elaboration and soliloquies is why it has so many revelations in what I thought wouldn’t be enough pages. Like the middle book syndrome that doesn’t live up to the first and/or is just a filler.
I felt the fear and pain of Britney through the pages during the increasing bloodlust–I think that is the best word–of the paparazzi, during her conservatorship and betrayal of her family. I see the current headlines, but I personally don’t know if the media are outraged or if it’s just the different gossip blogs and magazines using her again for headlines, but framing it to fit the “we’re on Britney’s side” narrator that will get them the most clicks today.
There were a few times that Britney mentioned not being fit for the public eye. I personally don’t know if anyone is really made for that kind of life 24/7 and wonder how things would have turned out if she took more breaks in between album cycles like other artists.
Britney took responsibility for her actions like the time she yelled at a child actor thinking she was protecting her sister after being told that she was being mean to her on the set of her show. She was pregnant at the time and is a “real mama bear”–her words, not mine. We all make mistakes and it’s great that she owns up to the mistake, but am curious why she didn’t mention the actress by name. The fact that it was Alexa Nikolas is known. She said that her sister lied to her and how horrible the experience was as a child and a fan of Britney.
It’s moments like these and for example, walking on a film set uninvited and getting to sit in the director’s chair that show that Britney knew the power she had. I guess events in life along with other complications–that she writes about–made her forget and feel powerless.
She talks about the difference in the press when it comes to female and male celebrities. The discrepancies are very real and gave the world the perception that she was on a downward spiral. I think one could say–and even Britney admits–that she was having a tough time and needed help, but a 13-year conservatorship? I don’t think so.
Her family failed her–on multiple levels–and actually made the situation worse. It seems that failure is generational when Brintey talks about her grandmother Jean–whom she got her middle name from. She was also placed in a hospital and medicated with lithium. If I were her, I would cut off my family too. They have what they seem to want most now–money. This shows how money really changes people–her mother, sister and brother–or brings out the worst in people and makes them greedy for more despite already having more than they worked for–her father. I will never understand how they were able to put her under conservatorship because she was reportedly unable to care for herself and her finances, but healthy enough to be on TV shows, releasing music and on tours for years.
On February 1, 2008, she was involuntarily placed under a conservatorship by Judge Reva Goetz, with her father, James “Jamie” Spears, and attorney Andrew M. Wallet, as conservators. The episode of How I Met Your Mother that featured Britney aired on March 24, 2008. With how quickly she was placed under a conservatorship, one would assume that a person in that situation is in a crisis and in need of immediate help, but strangely healthy enough to work on the set of a TV show.
The fact that her father with his particular history and connection to others involved in getting Britney into a conservatorship without probably being investigated is mind-blowing to me. Didn’t the judge want to at least meet Britney and hear her out first? Maybe put a third party in place while they scrutinized her father, which would have uncovered reasons why he specifically is unfit to be a conservator. She describes a moment after the conservatorship was put in place and what her father said. It sent chills up my spine.
One of many scary moments in the book was when it seemed like the people overseeing her and doctors were working together after she was sent away for not wanting to do a particular dance routine because she was older and it looked really challenging. Shouldn’t therapists and doctors act independently of the conservator? The facility she was sent to costs sixty thousand dollars a month and the decision was made after she supposedly failed psychological tests. Apparently, her cognitive abilities were just fine to get ready for a Vegas residency she didn’t want to do, but not good enough after refusing to do a particular routine. Very suspicious.
The more I look at the circumstances, the more I think why nobody evaluated the situation. I guess it wasn’t in anyone’s interest to stop it, but one would hope that the legal system is set up to ultimately stop injustices like abuse of conservatorship from happening.
I wonder if Britney had reported her father for conservatorship abuse earlier, would it have ended then? I’m by no means putting any blame on her. She was overwhelmed by everything happening around her–to say the least. I just wonder if it would have set off the alarm that needed to go off or be used against her.
There were two moments in the book when she–in my opinion–spoke negatively about Christina Aguilera. The two have always been pitted against one another in the media–unnecessarily so if you ask me since they are completely different people and artists. In the book, she mentions the negativity and unfairness in the press because she is a woman, but then makes a comment about how Christina “seemed pretty messed up” on a night out with dancers in Los Angeles. Very vague and open to a lot of interpretation. I thought when I read that, aren’t you doing exactly what you wouldn’t want yourself? That is apparently what she thought about that night and she has a right to speak, but I wish she wouldn’t have mentioned it at all because it came off as somewhat petty–which we all can be at times.
It could come across as payback for Christina Aguilera dodging a question about the termination of her conservatorship at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards or maybe just being a peer and not having to go through the same thing despite being “pretty messed up”–in her mind. That comment makes me question the motives when it could just have been a harmless observation and people–more exactly me–could interpret more than it really was meant to be. I obviously don’t know and understand why, but I guess it was important for her to mention.
I think because of everything that has happened to Britney Spears she gets handled with care–as some in my life probably do with me–whereas we would at the very least question others. It is really hard for me to find fault with someone in general, but especially someone who has been through it. There is no maliciousness meant with any of my thoughts. I just want to be honest with my thoughts and ruminate on the things she wrote about in her book.
Nobody is beyond reproach. I hope I’m expressing my thoughts as carefully as possible without censoring myself. Most people don’t take the time and effort to express a contradicting thought or view without being disrespectful.
Britney talks about the fact that she didn’t like old friends to speak about her–in reference to the documentaries–without consulting her first. Why doesn’t this apply to Christina Aguilera? Due to the conservatorship, it would have been difficult or even impossible to contact her without her conservator or someone on the team reporting that kind of communication since she said her devices were being monitored. Some of those people might have spoken out for publicity, but I have a hard time thinking that when it comes to people like Felicia Culotta, her former personal assistant from 1998 to 2007. She kept Britney’s secret–one very big one involving an ex–to this day and only spoke out in support. But these are her feelings and therefore valid.
It’s complicated. On one hand, she wants people–in this scenario Christina–to speak about her even though they haven’t known each other for years at this point, but doesn’t want to be spoken about without her permission.
It seems like Christina–and anyone Brintey deems–is in a lose-lose situation. But that’s her prerogative. Don’t we all do the same or something similar, just not on a global stage.
Christina Aguilera has actually spoken–<a href="https://twitter.com/xtina/status/1409673267808329730">tweeted</a> to be exact–in support of Britney after she spoke about her conservatorship for the first time in 2021. The anger about what was done to her is understandable but misplaced in this case from my perspective.
I am glad that Britney Spears was able to say her piece and speak freely. I just hope that she can understand any critique that isn’t given with malice because after everything she has been through it could be hard to take any commentary that isn’t 100% positive.
I hope it goes without saying, but I am going to anyways that any critique of her doesn’t mean she deserved to be in a conservatorship. More than one thing can be true at a time.
It’s clear why she didn’t do any interviews for the book release or in general, but there are some questions I still have. For example, she never liked that her team and the press portrayed her as an eternal virgin despite–as mentioned in the book–losing her virginity before she even became an artist. While I understand that she went with her team as a young artist, there are moments when she makes us feel like she was calling the shots–rightfully so since it’s her image. She actively promoted this image and profited off the juxtaposition when her image became more sexual to some or to others just embracing her womanhood in the way she saw fit and had a right to do. To be clear–which I really hope comes across, these are all her choices to make and I support her right to do that. Her sexuality or reasons behind her image is no one’s business, but her own. There are just moments when she seems so in control and then so innocent, placing the blame completely on other people even when there came a time she could have tried to control that narrative. I don’t think that mix between being grown yet acting young in some aspects is uncommon for adults, especially young adults–we all have an inner child. It’s just something I’d want to ask precise questions about–no right or wrong answers–just clarifications, but accept what she has made known now which is more than anyone deserves unless she chooses otherwise.
I wouldn’t want to be anyone involved in this conservatorship. That’s the type of guilt–and I hope those involved have the capacity to feel that emotion–that manifests itself as something negative like an unhappy life or takes you to an early grave. It says a lot that her mother and sister did interviews and used her name to promote themselves, but haven’t publicly apologized to date. While I do think that conversation should be private, at the same time the betrayal was very public. Plus Britney has understandably chosen to sever ties with her family.
I appreciate Britney’s candidness in recounting the hard moments of her life. I found raw revelations in the book about her experiences with the media, her family and conservatorship, as well as her critique on the discrepancies in regards to her, but also generally for women in the industry.
There are so many other revelations in the book that I could also start discussing, but I recommend you pick up the book and get an insight into what she has been through in her own words and not from the headlines about certain salacious moments in her memoir to achieve clicks. That’s one of the things that helped push a certain narrative without keeping in mind that she is a person first and not just a public figure for the world’s entertainment.
I wish Britney Spears all the best and hope she has the happy life she deserves.
Check out some quotes–at least one from each chapter–on my blog: https://bookendeavours.wordpress.com/2023/10/30/booktalk-the-woman-in-me-britney-spears/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Minor: Death, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Abortion
kelseyr713's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This is an intense read in terms of content. Britney was failed at every turn by almost everyone in her life. It frequently made me angry while reading. It's a testament to her character that she's still attempting to find compassion for her parents, sister, and the other people in her life who committed terrible acts against her. I hope the writing of this was cathartic for her and that she cultivates a peaceful life from now on.
The writing style isn't flashy, but feels like a conversation, which I think is what this memoir needed. There are sections that are powerful in their starkness.
The writing style isn't flashy, but feels like a conversation, which I think is what this memoir needed. There are sections that are powerful in their starkness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexism, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Confinement, Abortion, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Suicide
leilapeach's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Minor: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Bullying, Grief, Infidelity, and Blood
haleymaple's review against another edition
5.0
While this wasn’t incredible literature, it was raw. I felt the feelings being described, cried, and found it relatable in so many ways. This was not a gossipy tell all celebrity book. This is a statement where someone wants to tell their story on their terms and I think hopes to move on. If she wants to stay at home and dance on Instagram because it makes her small, then I’m all for it. She’s clearly a talented entertainer and dancer - I also enjoyed the brief spots where she talked about how alive and powerful she feels dancing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicide, Abortion, and Drug use
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
thegothiclibrary's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Fascinating to hear from Britney herself. Struck by how much responsibility she shouldered so young and how her 30s were taken away from her. So glad she's free now to tell her own story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lindsayerin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism
lilias's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
We learn a lot about Britney in this book, and I think that’s what she wanted with its publication; that, after decades of being portrayed by others since she was a kid, she is finally free and able to say: this is ME.
And some might be surprised by the Britney Spears whose voice is quite obviously present in this book (cheers to the ghostwriters for backing off so much!) I am just a few months younger than Britney, and I vividly remember first seeing the Rolling Stone cover that came out with the release of …Baby One More Time. And I was skeptical, not of her talent but of the male gaze I thought she was pandering to. Britney Spears was everywhere in the late 90s and early 2000s, and her omnipresence and her clear and bold image always made me feel like she had full control over her life and career. But, again, my impression was directly influenced by the media portrayal and her stage persona.
The Britney Spears who wrote this book is a sweetheart. She has been through hell and back quite a few times, and has never really been able to communicate with the public without the shield of her Pop Princess persona or without the misrepresentation by the media until now. And the result is something my 16 year old self would probably not have guessed: I cried. The last few pages of this book broke my heart because tragedy kept coming even after the conservatorship was ended. I was tempted to give this book five stars, and maybe I will eventually, but as much as I appreciated how stripped down this memoir was, I wish there had been a little more from Britney because I felt some restraint.
And some might be surprised by the Britney Spears whose voice is quite obviously present in this book (cheers to the ghostwriters for backing off so much!) I am just a few months younger than Britney, and I vividly remember first seeing the Rolling Stone cover that came out with the release of …Baby One More Time. And I was skeptical, not of her talent but of the male gaze I thought she was pandering to. Britney Spears was everywhere in the late 90s and early 2000s, and her omnipresence and her clear and bold image always made me feel like she had full control over her life and career. But, again, my impression was directly influenced by the media portrayal and her stage persona.
The Britney Spears who wrote this book is a sweetheart. She has been through hell and back quite a few times, and has never really been able to communicate with the public without the shield of her Pop Princess persona or without the misrepresentation by the media until now. And the result is something my 16 year old self would probably not have guessed: I cried. The last few pages of this book broke my heart because tragedy kept coming even after the conservatorship was ended. I was tempted to give this book five stars, and maybe I will eventually, but as much as I appreciated how stripped down this memoir was, I wish there had been a little more from Britney because I felt some restraint.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Child abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
jgazinsmith's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Abortion
crybabybea's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Confinement, Body shaming, Addiction, Stalking, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Sexism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Cursing, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
cajunliterarybelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
5.0
With the language that she uses and her informal tone, Britney Spears clearly gave an honest account of her life as she's experienced everything. My heart goes out to her, because she sounds like she lacks steadfast advocates for any area of her life. When it comes to the view media gives us of celebrities, we would do well to remember they are presenting the most sensational portrayals that are possible to snatch out of that person's life. I really enjoyed learning the truth behind what we thought we knew of Britney and her "craziness". Hopefully, she will be able to find her creativity again, now that she is no longer being stifled and controlled. Recounting trauma such as Britney has dealt with it difficult, and I applaud her for doing so. None of us had a right to know her story, but she still chose to share it with the world including all her highs, lows, and acts of pure defiance. She is a resilient Louisiana woman, and it shows.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Abortion, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcoholism