A review by vr_alyssa
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? No
5.0
Immersive read! Once I like a book, I'm generally not great at putting it down. But this was different. It wasn't an 'I need to finish it asap and so I secretly skip sentences/paragraphs'. I just wanted to be in the story, so I would take it out of my bag, even when I only had 2 minutes. Or I'd pick up the book when my partner needed to go to the toiler while we were watching a movie, just so I could get in a page or two.
As a reader, you're basically both reading a fictional biography as well as the interviews leading up to the creation of said biography. Which means the reader knows certain things are coming (I mean, you know it by the title too, she clearly had seven husband, so you know the first doesn't last, for example). But there are a few other things the reader learns to expect early on in the story. I found those hard to predict, despite knowing that they were coming. Furthermore, there wasn't necessarily a need to figure it out (which I usually have with books such as Fourth Wing recently), I could just let it happen as it happened. And, of course, when revealed, the information caught me completely off guard, to the point of mumbling 'No no no no no' aloud for a while.
It was a very interesting and lovely reading experience, to say the least. Best way I can describe it, is that it's human.
As a reader, you're basically both reading a fictional biography as well as the interviews leading up to the creation of said biography. Which means the reader knows certain things are coming (I mean, you know it by the title too, she clearly had seven husband, so you know the first doesn't last, for example). But there are a few other things the reader learns to expect early on in the story. I found those hard to predict, despite knowing that they were coming. Furthermore, there wasn't necessarily a need to figure it out (which I usually have with books such as Fourth Wing recently), I could just let it happen as it happened. And, of course, when revealed, the information caught me completely off guard, to the point of mumbling 'No no no no no' aloud for a while.
It was a very interesting and lovely reading experience, to say the least. Best way I can describe it, is that it's human.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Car accident, Death, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcoholism, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Cancer, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Drug use, and Suicide