Dieses Buch war so viel besser als ich erwartet hatte! Ich kann gar nicht in Worte fassen, wie gut ich es fand. Ich dachte es könnte vielleicht ein wenig langweilig werden und war skeptisch vom Internet-hype. Aber schon der Schreibstil des Buches hat mir sehr gefallen. Die Abwechslung der Kapitel hat es zu einem fast read gemacht und die Artikel zwischendrin haben das Lesen erleichtert.

"Sie werden es nicht versuchen. [...] Keiner will Menschen wie uns verstehen."

However ich habe bei diesem Buch tatsächlich mehrfach ein paar Tränen verloren XD. Definitiv ein emotionales, aufregendes und spannendes Buch mit Plottwists, Herzschmerz und realen Krisen.

"Wir könnten im Gefängnis oder in einer psychatrischen Anstalt enden. Verstehst du das? Wir könnten eingewiesen werden. So weit hergeholt ist das nicht. So etwas kommt vor. Auf jeden Fall kannst du dich darauf verlassen, dass Niemand mehr unsere Anrufe beantworten würde."

Content Warnings

grynet's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I bought this book not knowing much about it beyond the synopsis, and I hadn’t read any other books by the author.

The first few chapters left me a bit skeptical. The writing didn’t quite capture my interest and it felt a bit clunky at times. However! Once the narrative shifted to portray Evelyn’s story I noticed a significant shift, and I was hooked. It felt like this was what the author had been excited to write about, that she had something important to say.

There is representation of different ethnicities as well as sexualities, and while at times it felt a little bit forced the majority of it worked really well. I was especially pleasantly surprised at how well a certain part of an LGBTQ character was written (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers). That specific moment didn’t just feel like good represenation, it was simply put good writing. So good in fact that I insisted on reading it out loud to my partner as it made me really emotional.

Beyond representation the book portrays several unique and complicated characters, and they feel incredibly realistic and human in their flaws. Evelyn Hugo herself was a very fascinating character, and the author did an amazing job at writing the character’s best and worst moments in a way where she makes you feel both upset and compassionate.

I’d recommend the book to practically anyone. It was easy to read, the text flowed well most of the time, and it felt like it was written by someone who was very passionate about this story.

Content Warnings

jessicadann01's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Without a doubt, 5 stars. It is my new favourite book of all time. I could read it again. I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters. I wanted to live in the universe of the book to go and watch all of her films now knowing the lore behind the scenes of them all.
I must admit that I did predict the plot twist at the end but it didn’t take away from the book. It definitely isn’t the focal point of the book (for me anyway).
I loved how different it was from anything I’ve read before. You’d imagine a book about a movie star to feel a bit airy and fictional but this wasn’t. I got so lost in the pages that I couldn’t put it down. Every character was so real and flawed, which helped ground it.
I didn’t completely cry but often had tears in my eyes.
I’d read content warnings but wouldn’t be too discouraged from the book from them as they were all mild.

As someone who has recently come to terms with their bisexuality, this is a book I believe all bisexuals must read. It has some very important messages for us. I felt so seen and completely empathised with Evelyn.

Content Warnings