annica_fourie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know how Taylor Jenkins Reed does it, but she writes absolutely heart wrenching stories, with characters that are just the worst possible people.
Evelyn Hugo was without a doubt a terrible person. I did not like many, if any, of the characters. That's a blatant lie, I really liked Harry and Connor and Robert, I even sort of liked Ernie, but the restš¤Ø.
This story was heartbreaking and incredible even if I wanted to through my phone across the room more often than not.
I 100% recommend it, but please be sure to cheack out the trigger warnings before venturing into the glamorous, scandalous and tumultuous life of the legendary Evelyn Hugo.Ā
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Grief, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Car accident
thatbookbitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Outing, Lesbophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Suicide, Blood, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit, Gaslighting, Abortion, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Pregnancy
insidious_toxins's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Addiction, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Cancer, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Terminal illness
gracieec's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, Misogyny, Cancer, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Addiction, Biphobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, Abortion, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Racism, and Blood
thebookwhale's review against another edition
4.25
This book, I absolutely love the concept and the idea. I mean, I love historical fiction, especially when it's sapphic, and this story about Evelyn and also about the film industry is amazing.
I liked that we were introduced to Evelyn through Monique who is writing her biography.Ā
Though, Monique's story felt entirely unnecessary. It felt like it was only there to fill the book, and I would give this book a 5 star review immediately if it weren't for the absolutely unbelievable plot twist.
Spoiler
like no. I literally screamed out of frustration (over the writing) when I read this part. Like what is thisĀ"oh you remember the guy I left at the car accident? Yeah that's your father."
Yes, we were waiting for the explanation on why Evelyn chose Monique, but please, it was just so forced. I would have believed it more when the reason was something like "I liked the article you wrote about the struggles of suicidal people".
Also, I just couldn't care less for Monique as a character. I didn't care for her failed marriage or anything, but I understand that we needed to see the influence Evelyn had on people back at her time and also in the present.Ā
Ā
Now, let's talk about Celia and Evelyn. I don't get why they are shipped everywhere on social media. Personally, I found both of them extremely toxic together.
Spoiler
Evelyn telling herself that her career is more important than Celia and Celia demanding that Evelyn leaves everything for her, it's just not good.I think what made it even harder for them and had a huge impact on how the relationship went is the taboo that was (and is) on gay relationships. It's interesting to see how the world evolves on queer rights during that time period and also how the importance of Celia's and Evelyn's career in comparison to living out who they are changes throughout the book.
So overall, this was great and the only thing that stops me from a 5 star review is Monique. I didn't like her, I didn't care for her, she felt unnecessary, and I was inclined to skip the parts where she was talking with Evelyn ( I didn't tho).
Still, a great book that's worth a read.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Car accident, Biphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Infertility
idontread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Biphobia, Cancer, Car accident, Death, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Addiction, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Child death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cancer, Grief, Incest, Outing, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
fadeddpages'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Infidelity
Moderate: Gaslighting, Car accident, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Body shaming, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
estefizaga'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
5.0
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Cancer, Grief, Biphobia, Car accident, Suicide, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol
fieldofhats's review against another edition
I got 3.5 hours into the 12 hour audiobook and couldnāt force myself to go any further. It pains me to DNF a Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but it pains me even more to give it one star. In all fairness, my true rating might be more like 1.5 stars, but it didnāt think it really deserved to be rounded up.
Letās start with the good, if only because thereās so little of it. The story is split into two very distinct plot lines: Monique and Evelyn. We see much more of Evelyn, but Monique is the main character, or at least the one we see the modern world through. Her story is much more interesting. She has hardships and problems, and because sheās a normal person living in the normal world, they feel much more genuine. I was much more invested in her story than in Evelynās, and in a book thatās titled āThe Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugoā, I feel like thatās an issue.
The drama is good. The troubles and hardships that Evelyn endured and eventually got through are universal and painful, but also particularly feminine issues, which makes this an undeniably feminist piece ā the problem is, sheās a rich, powerful, Hollywood star. I have a much, much harder time relating to and sympathizing with a rich star than a common person. All of the things that Evelyn goes through, lower class people (like Monique, for example) also go through. Having the main character be a rich star just dampens and cheapens the story. Celebrity feminism is antithetical to feminism.
Furthermore, Evelyn is not a good person. Because sheās spent most of her life in Hollywood, she has this heightened sense of entitlement that I just have no respect for. Sheās also manipulative; she guilts and practically bribes Monique into taking the biography job and admits that sheās okay with (and does) use people when itās advantageous for her. She will also do absolutely anything to save her image. And maybe I could get behind that if she wasnāt either rich or a Hollywood star, but she is. Even if her image is destroyed, sheāll be absolutely fine, so I donāt have much sympathy for her. To properly enjoy a novel I have to like the main character on some level, and so this was a huge blow for me.
Yes, she is a powerful woman, and that image can hold a lot of weight regardless of anything. But when we sacrifice integrity and decency for power, weāre left with an awful character. I wish we could portray powerful women without them being rich and manipulative.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Misogyny
cherryfer'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
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual content, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Alcohol