A review by grynet
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings