A review by thebougiebookworm
Open Book by Jessica Simpson
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Though I wasn’t always a huge Jessica Simpson fan in the 90s/2000s, a friend of mine highly recommended this audiobook, so I figured I’d give it a chance. If nothing else, I could relive some of the nostalgia of Newlyweds and the pop genre of that era. What I actually got was so much more.
Jessica Simpson is a great example of how the industry, and society as a whole, constantly underestimate and undermine women based on how they look. Often labeled a dumb blonde (guys, she KNOWS it’s tuna, not chicken), sure she was a bit sheltered as the daughter of a Texas preacher, but it’d be folly to believe for a second she’s the idiot the media portrayed her as.
Simpson is raw and vulnerable in this tell all. She holds nothing back, especially when it comes to people who treated her like dirt (looking at you, John Mayer). But she also acknowledges her part in some of the bad turns in her life, even being transparent about her struggles with alcoholism.
She never suppressed her emotions either. Though our life experiences are drastically different, I found myself shedding a few tears alongside her as she spoke about particularly difficult stages in her life. She’s honestly overcome a lot in her life, and one has to respect the resilience and graciousness with which she did it.
One thing to point out, she did suffer some trauma and abuse in her life, so please check content warnings before diving in.
I’m glad I read this and happy to say while I’m never going to be a big fan of her music, knowing her just a little more makes me a fan of her as a human.
Jessica Simpson is a great example of how the industry, and society as a whole, constantly underestimate and undermine women based on how they look. Often labeled a dumb blonde (guys, she KNOWS it’s tuna, not chicken), sure she was a bit sheltered as the daughter of a Texas preacher, but it’d be folly to believe for a second she’s the idiot the media portrayed her as.
Simpson is raw and vulnerable in this tell all. She holds nothing back, especially when it comes to people who treated her like dirt (looking at you, John Mayer). But she also acknowledges her part in some of the bad turns in her life, even being transparent about her struggles with alcoholism.
She never suppressed her emotions either. Though our life experiences are drastically different, I found myself shedding a few tears alongside her as she spoke about particularly difficult stages in her life. She’s honestly overcome a lot in her life, and one has to respect the resilience and graciousness with which she did it.
One thing to point out, she did suffer some trauma and abuse in her life, so please check content warnings before diving in.
I’m glad I read this and happy to say while I’m never going to be a big fan of her music, knowing her just a little more makes me a fan of her as a human.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Car accident, Infertility, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Death, Emotional abuse, and Bullying