A review by honeycoffeereads
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

4.0

If anyone in Hollywood, especially this generation of celebrities, needed a clear the air kinda memoir, Britney Spears would be at the top of the list. I didn't find this to be painful to read or find the writing childish - given that there is 13+ years of abuse that Britney has to find a way to heal from, I thought the timeline of what she endured was descriptive enough for readers to understand what she went through and how she's using time now to find herself whether you're a longtime fan or curious about her lost post-conservatorship. Perhaps I would feel differently if I read a physical copy instead of an audiobook (my first ever!!), but I found the narration to be a master class in capturing someone's voice as physically unique as Britneys (a mix of LA Girl and no-****-given Southern charm) without sounding like a caricature. You can hear the heaviness of what happened and what it took for Britney to bare her story as she only voices the prologue before Michelle Williams takes over. Similar to many celebrity memoirs, the chapters in the beginning and middle are much more in-depth, and by the end, they thin out to the point that the story doesn't feel as complete or thorough as it could've been. I wished that there was more insight in how she crafted her earlier albums versus her later work, but it's understandable how those experiences might be too painful or close to her to delve into. As horrible as it was to learn of how much she endured since her childhood as well as her rise to face and the conservatorship, it's odd to feel grateful to be able to read (or in my case - listen to), her experiences as a woman who has also been through a lot of toxic gaslighting-heavy relationships. This book isn't just about exposing the juicy details that people want on a superficial level, but a first person's personal point of view on the pressures of unsolicited fame, how women are treated in the media, and how the rare of beloved public investment in one of their faves can help give them the courage to save themselves.