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

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A 6-star read, if I'm being honest. I cried (a lot), laughed, audibly gasped, had to close the book at some parts - this was just everything. 

I don't know if I can fully encapsulate how this book changed my brain chemistry in the span of 7 hours which I binged the entire thing. All I know is it feels like the person I was before I read this book is different, even if marginally so, from the person I am after having read it. 

Usually I start with the things I liked, but this time I'll briefly mention the things that challenged me with the book: 
  • I think maybe I would have appreciated knowing that the book was going to include details on
    sexual assault, sexual harassment, adult-minor relationships, age-gap relationships, and domestic abuse
    . As they are darker themes, I think some people might need warning before diving into the story. That said, I think the level of detail that's included in the book, speaking from the experience of someone who has not experienced those themes personally, did not feel grossly explicit or exploitative. It was always looped back into the plot of Evelyn Hugo sharing her life story. 
(I think that's all I can think of, actually)

Things I absolutely loved about the book:
  • My god, what can I say. First, the writing style was stunningly captivating - I was hooked from the first page and when the story got going, it was off to a quick start. In fact, I was 70% in to the book and it felt like I could've been at 40% and I would've been content with still having much more to go. 
  • The pacing of the book and how it's sectioned off, each dedicated to a different husband-era, was masterful. Nothing felt like it dragged on too long or too short. The details revealed in each section kept me wanting for more, eager to hear how the story unfolded. And the breaks in the story that allowed us to learn a little bit about Monique, the journalist, were intentionally done as a foil and mirror to Evelyn's life. 
  • THE AMOUNT OF HARD, CHALLENGING, IMPORTANT conversations that were touched on in this book - and not only touched on, but lived. My god. Off the top of my head: the lengths people go to in order to escape their current situation, how women are conditioned from a young age to view our worth and value through the male gaze, how love comes in many forms - how it can leave and come back - how it can break us so minutely and make us feel so whole all at once, the fierce love of a parent for their child, the allure of fame and the exploitative nature of Hollywood, the temptation of "more" even after becoming richer beyond your wildest dreams,
    dying with dignity
    , the bravery and courage it takes in society (especially back in the 1930s-80s when most of the book takes place) to embrace the fear of being your true self unabashedly, the selfishness that comes with loving someone, love that's shared with the world and love that's coveted between a small circle of loved ones, the absolute pain and despair of losing people you deeply loved,
    the inner turmoil of trying to navigate your own sexuality without having external expectations or definitions imposed on you
    , what a privilege it is to love openly and publicly, the life of a female movie star whose fame was largely attributed to her looks - the process of aging, the sexualization and objectification of women, making the conscious decision to use your body and sex appeal for your own gain rather than have it used against you, the difference between forgiveness and absolution, how divorce can be an ending with multiple interpretations, how women are constantly doomed to being defined and remembered by their relationships with men, sacrificing pieces of your identity and heritage in order to pursue a better life,
    the joy of being queer and finding spaces where it's safe to be queer and happy - which should not be a revolutionary act, though it is
    , do all ends justify the means?, and if the whole world misunderstood you, would that be fine if one person did? 
  • The LGBTQIA+ representation - the
    bisexual
    representation, the
    (at first) innocence and adoration of women exploring each other as lovers
    , the tension of not wanting to hide but fearing what could be lost if the truth were known, the heaviness of youth and big decisions, the small, quiet moments of confessions of love and "this made me think of you, I am always thinking of you," the navigation of boundaries even with an all-consuming love, the carefully chosen family huddling together to
    raise a child spoiled with love
    , the agony of losing someone not because you didn't love them enough but because you love them too much. 
  • I cried multiple times in this book and let me say, all those tears were deserved. I feel broken and put back together all at once. I think this book accomplished what it set out to accomplish: to highlight the commodification and idolization of celebrities to the point of combustion, the fact that humans aren't meant to be wholly good or wholly bad but our actions each day might teeter toward one side or the other, that in the face of death perhaps the one kindness we can give is the truth, lest it die with us as well
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