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

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. TJR’s writing style is always vivid, reflective, and engaging. Following characters as flawed as Evelyn and Celia was an exercise in restraining judgment in a good way.

Spoiler

I did sort of see the twist coming, though not in the exact way that it occurred. I think it didn’t quite land for me because in general,

I wasn’t drawn to Monique’s character and preferred to stay in Evelyn’s story. And I think at times Reid could have pulled back on spelling out connections and emotional changes—I think the reader is smart enough to put it together themselves based on her specific details and descriptions. (I also had some qualms about a white woman writing the fictional stories of two women of color—it seems like she did her due diligence, but it also feels like a moral gray area that I’m not quite equipped to unpack as a white person.) Still, Reid’s worlds always feel so real you swear it’s nonfiction. I’m always willing to read her again.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Abortion, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

Minor: Racism, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, and Fatphobia