Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton

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I was not expecting to learn so much about ADHD and IVF.  

I really enjoyed this. I've never been a Little Hilton per se but I do have this distant intrigue to this socialite, especially since she came out about her horrific experience in those wilderness camps as a child. 

I hadn't realised how much trauma she had been through and found her life that was disclosed in her memoir in her own words to be powerful, engaging and full of growth.

The way she loves her animals and the people in her life was so beautiful to read about, but I'm glad she opened up about the difficulties she had in relationships as it brought her into the perspective of being relatable and empathic. So when she's talking about growth and freedom to live her life, despite her own acknowledgement of her privallages, it's stated with a strong sense of relief and happiness.

I thought this was a fantastic insight into Paris' life. I really enjoyed reading this and finished it (mainly via audiobook, where she narrates it herself) over a day and a bit.



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This book is hard to read. Not because it’s written by Paris Hilton (and her ghostwriter) and not for the reasons that people would assume - that it would be vapid and boring and self serving - because this book is none of those things. This book is a hard read because Paris doesn’t spare the details of the horrors she’s endured, especially as a young adult in the “troubled youth” programs. 

This book was absolutely captivating, emotionally raw, stunningly well written, and had me near tears at points. 

You can decide for yourself if you think her book is genuine or a cleverly crafted PR piece, but one thing is for sure, this is a book that all young girls/femmes - teens and early twenties - should have access to. This book can open up a world for them to know that they are not alone, many of their experiences from small to big and light to dark are normal and that they are not the ones to blame. This is a book many teen and young adult girls/femmes (and even many others in the queer community) can relate to, learn from, and see themselves in.

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Quick disclaimer before I get into the actual story review: the only reason this isn’t a 5 star review is because I listened to the audio version of this book and (genuinely no offense), I just couldn’t vibe with the LA valleyish tone in her voice. While she wasn’t using her fake baby voice that she’s known for, the unnecessarily raspy ending of every single sentence nearly drove me mad in certain chapters. So personally, it deducts a star for me because it did make the experience of this story a little less “enjoyable” if I may even call it enjoyable (considering just HOW MUCH trauma there is to unpack in her story). But the story itself was soul crushing. 

Okay, on to the story.
I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just word vomit my feelings: this was nothing like I expected it to be. I went into this audio book completely blind, curious about what Paris might have to say because I remember being OBSESSED with The Simple Life back in the day. I knew Paris as the iconic Barbie girl who was an excellent business woman and knew how to market herself and keep herself relevant. What I did not expect was the horrific tragedies she had gone through.

From being literally kidnapped — with her parents permission! - and forced into an abusive youth facility to all the other unfair struggles she faced, I was shocked. I can’t fathom how she was able to forgive her parents after everything she went through because of THEIR continuous choices, but I guess it just goes to show how compassionate and big her heart truly is. Turns out I did not know Paris Hilton at all.

Paris shows how resilient she is and how strong she is to have endured the level of abuse on literally all levels she has had to go through. The fact that so many desperate parents who truly just wanted the best for their children had been scammed not only out of their money but also been broken beyond repair by these massive industries that are STILL RUN TODAY and that benefited from these difficult situations is absolutely disgusting and makes me lose my faith in humanity. 

And I truly just can’t help but question what the fuck her parents were on who kept repeatedly sending her back to the place that literally broke her apart each time she managed to run away. You can tell me whatever you want, but when your child begs you to come home and confesses with tears they’re being abused and you’re literally witnessing them dwindle into nothingness with your own eyes, how do you justify it with “we couldn’t have known”???????

I hope one day she gets to fully heal from all that she has suffered from and I pray for all the other victims whose names haven’t been mentioned but who have suffered the same — if not even worse — fate.


This was a very eye opening book and I’m glad I gave it a shot.

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Reading this made me simultaneously respect and despise Paris Hilton that much more than I thought I did. I really don't know what I was expecting when I picked this up (definitely not my usual choice of book), but that was not it.

I am saddened by her confession of being subjected to horrible abuse—details of which I won't go into because they are really that horrible—instigated by her own parents, and am genuinely hoping that those relationships can be mended for her.

On the other hand, I grew increasingly annoyed by her constant whinging about "work". Every other page is marked by how much she throws herself into her work, how she can't live without the work, how she's always been work-driven, and can't you just see that she's so hardworking? I get it. Work is something that is a constant in everyone's lives and some people find a lot of meaning in it, but being humble is something that means a lot to me, and for better or worse, Paris Hilton ain't it.

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