Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍We’re back with another First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?Here areTHE RULES:
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
First lines:
It turns out the Leteo procedure isn’t bullshit.
The first time I saw a poster on the subway promoting the institute that could make you forget things, I thought it was a marketing campaign for some new science fiction movie. And when I saw the headline “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!” on the cover of a newspaper, I mistook it as something boring, like the cure for some new flu—I didn’t think they were talking about memories.
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness but with the support of his girlfriend Genevieve, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron starts hanging out with a new guy, Thomas. Aaron’s friends notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can’t deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself.
Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is…
Have you read More Happy Than Not or is it on your TBR? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
It’s the first Monday of a new month and we’re back with another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.
This week’s book is When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton. I do remember adding this earlier in the year because of how much love it was getting on bookstagram. I hadn’t heard of Cleeton before though! This book has a rating of 4.05 stars with 8k+ ratings and over 1k+ reviews, so it seems like a pretty well-loved book!
In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life–and heart–to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost. As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…
Why do I want to read it?
Ever since watching Dirty Dancing but especially after watching Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, I grew a slightly smol obsession with Havana, Cuba. Yes, I was viewing this place through rose-tinted glasses, but I was still swept away. Saying that, this book sounds seriously up my alley! I’ve always loved historical fiction especially when it’s mixed with a little bit of romance, but especially when it involves strong and empowering women! Many of my booksta friends who’ve read this have really loved it and that makes me even more keen to pick it up! I don’t know if I’ll get to it this year, but it’ll definitely depend on my mood. I know that Cleeson had another Havana book that was published before this, but I don’t think they’re connected or a series? I could be wrong though, so if you’ve read either of these, please let me know!
Have you read When We Left Cuba? Is it on your Goodreads TBR too? Leave me a comment and let’s chat!
Yayaya, HAPPY FRIYAY, book lovers and friends 😍We’re back with another First Lines Friday! This is a weekly featurefor book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?Here areTHE RULES:
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
First lines:
“The Nazi officers are dressed in black. They look at death with the indifference of a gravedigger. In Auschwitz, human life has so little value that no one is shot anymore; a bullet is more valuable than a human being.”
Do you recognize the book these first lines come from?
Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.
Have you read The Librarian of Auschwitz or is it on your TBR? Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂
One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia. An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun. Lina doesn’t know if she’ll ever see her father or her friends again. But she refuses to give up hope. Lina hopes for her family. For her country. For her future. For love – first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose… Will hope keep Lina alive?
Late one evening in 1941, 15-year-old Lina is dragged out of her home by Soviet soldiers, alongside her mother and brother. She’s confused, scared, worried for her father and most of all wondering, why them? This story chronicles their journey to and their experience in Siberia where Lina and hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians, Estonians, and Latvians identified as criminals against Soviet rule were deported to slave in labour camps or outright exterminated. With her world torn apart and having to deal with trauma, loss, grief and despair, Lina keeps a tight hold to the hope of survival through her memories and love of art.
“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch.”
This was a harrowing and heartbreaking novel full of enduring hope in the face of absolute brutality and injustice. It was a testament to hope and love and kindness. I have always been gripped by historical fictions ever since I read books like Anne Frank’s Diary, the Devil’s Arithmetic, Night, and others in school. I admit though, that I didn’t have any prior knowledge about the same horrors happening in other countries and to other peoples during that same period. This was a very educational read, as much as it was a poignant account of those who suffered under Soviet rule.
“Was it harder to die or harder to be the one who survived? I was sixteen, an orphan in Siberia, but I knew. It was the one thing I never questioned. I wanted to live.”
Sepetys writes in a simple, yet powerful and compelling way that made it difficult to put this book down. I dreaded having to leave for work in the morning because I knew I had to put it to the back of mind and I couldn’t wait to race home and pick it up again at days end. I thought that all the characters in the book were well written and many of them had believably mature personas that I oftentimes forgot that Lina was only a teenager and her brother Jonas, only a boy.
I greatly admired Lina’s strength of character throughout her story and her ability to keep hanging on to hope even in the most dire of circumstances and through the most debilitating of losses. Her strength and even youthful optimism in the face of adversity lent a lightness and much needed hopefulness to the situation that reminded me in ways of Anne Frank and her perception of her situation. Just as Anne did, I liked that rebellious Lina recorded events through her art and writing, despite the dangers of being discovered. Maybe it was selfish at times but it was also her way of ensuring that nothing was ever forgotten. What I also found very inspiring was that despite the amount of suffering that was inflicted upon Lina, her family and those around her, there was so much forgiveness and even kindness given to the enemy. All the characters felt so very much like family at the end and even the most frustrating/maddening characters managed to redeem themselves too.
Although I felt the ending came quite abruptly, I can see why it was done that way, and I thought it wrapped the story up on a positive note, giving readers hope that there will be a somewhat happy ending to this story after all.
“…evil will rule until good men or women choose to act. It is my greatest hope that the pages…stir your deepest well of human compassion. I hope they prompt you to do something, to tell someone. Only then can we ensure that this kind of evil is never allowed to repeat itself.”
This book made me think a lot about how despite having learned something from our history, it seems that we haven’t learned enough from it. There is still so much fear in people—fear of differences and of things that they don’t understand. It’s disheartening to know that there are still so many greedy, selfish and egotistical people in positions of power who use their words and actions to rouse hatred towards and stoke fear of others. But still, I believe in the power of human compassion and I stand with those who find the strength to step up against these types of people and their abhorrent actions. In her authors note at the end, Sepetys gave more background information to the Soviet massacre of over three million citizens of the Baltic states. I think the greatest lesson to be taken from this novel was beautifully summarized by her:
“Some wars are about bombings. For the people of the Baltics, this was was about believing. In 1991, after fifty years of brutal occupation, the three Baltic countries regained their independence, peacefully and with dignity. They chose hope over hate and showed the world that even through the darkest night, there is light… These three tiny nations have taught us that love is the most powerful army… —love reveals to us the truly miraculous nature of the human spirit.”
This was a fast and beautifully written read. I definitely look forward to reading more books written by Ruta Sepetys!
Have you read The Astonishing Color of After? What’d you think of it? Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!
With how much I’ve been whining about my reading slump this month, it should be pretty obvious that it was not the best month. The slump came swooping in very close to the start of August and continued for almost two weeks! Yikes. It definitely threw off my reading game, especially since I was hoping to really kick ARC August’s ass, but it is what it is. In the end, I managed to read: 14 books.
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★½
★★½
★★★☆☆
★★★½
★★½
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★½
★★★½
★★½
★★★☆☆
★★★★☆
Out of these 14 reads, I managed to get in five ARCs, which is better than none but definitely not my best! Looking back on the month, it seems pretty clear that I’ve been on a contemporary romance streak. I always do like a good romance and since coming out of my slump, it seemed like the only genre of books that I could stick to fairly easily. I only had two 5★ reads and I have to say The Grace Year by Kim Liggettwas my favorite for the month, and it might also be one of my favorites for the year. My review for it will be posted sometime this week so be on the lookout. It was such a surprising book and I can’t wait until it comes out early October so that everyone can read it! It’s claimed to be a cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Lord of the Flies, and it’s a pretty spot on description of this wild story!
I’ve now read 142 of 90 books and I’m already thinking what I should set as my Goodreads goal next year. I might make it 100 just in case 2020 will be a complete turn around from 2019. But if I also surpass the 100 books before the end of the year, I think I’d bump it up to 120. I hope my reading keeps on the up 🙂
I’ve seen other people do this in their monthly recaps too so I thought I’d do the same. Below is a list of all the posts I’ve made this month case you want to read them and happened to miss them! Happy reading, friends. Hope September will either be a better reading month for you or that your good reading streak will continue!
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
This book has received a lot of love in the community and I think I had pretty high expectations going into it, so I was little bit flummoxed that it ended up being very different to what I expected. That’s not necessarily in a bad way, but I think this might be a big case of it’s not you, it’s me. I mean, I liked it well enough but I didn’t love it. I read this as part of a big group read on Twitter, and they’re continuing on with the series throughout the month but I think I’ll put off continuing it for now.
SJTR was told through the perspective of Audrey Rose Wadsworth, who was smart, fiercely independent and very ahead of the times for that period, and she wasn’t at all shy to show it. I found her rebellious and spunky character refreshing. I love that she was a bit of a nerd, who just wanted to do cool things like autopsies and solve murders, but that she also loved fancy clothes and dressing up. She spends the majority of the story with her uncle, a famous doctor who people think is insane, and Thomas Creswell. Everyone who has read this book seems to have loved Creswell’s character the most. He definitely gave me Sherlock vibes, with his observant deductions and brilliant mind, but I liked that he was also sassy, sarcastic and bold. I felt a little like the romance between Audrey and Thomas was a little insta-love and I wasn’t actually here for it (sorry, please don’t kill me)! I just didn’t feel any spark between them and because of that their romantic interactions fell flat and felt forced! With how quickly the romance evolved between Audrey and Thomas, it was easy to forget the period which this was set in. If it was realistic, half the things that happened with Audrey traipsing around on her own, and especially alone with men, would not have happened. I mean, we’re talking the late 1880s here, so it’s a bit unrealistic. While the more modern tones of the story made it a much easier read than it would’ve been otherwise, I think it also detracted from the whole vibe/setting of the story.
I’ve always had a morbid fascination with the ‘legend’ of serial killers and murderers, and Jack the Ripper is one of the most infamous even until now. While reading, the names of his victims were familiar, but since the last time I went into a spiral binge of reading up on The Ripper was over a decade ago, I didn’t actually remember all the details of what he did to them. So I really enjoyed the fictional liberties that Maniscalco took to develop this story around his legend, while still remaining as close to what happened as possible. I also appreciated Maniscalco’s author’s note that detailed what she took liberties with. That said, I was a little shocked by how easily I deduced who Jack the Ripper was. I won’t say that I figured it out from the very beginning, but it was like a lightning strike moment when I figured it out and I was a little upset that Audrey didn’t see the <b>very obvious</b> clue that was like a big, bright red waving flag in front of her. I ended up wanting to shout at her for the rest of the book because it was SO OBVIOUS and the fact that Thomas didn’t pick up on it when he’s supposed to be a genius who sees everything, was kind of disappointing. I thought the ending was also a bit too rushed, and I was a little disappointed with how it was so… easily resolved and a little too picture perfect happy for such a horrifying story!
Another thing I appreciated was the detail of added photos to some of the chapters. I always find black and white photos a little creepy, even when they’re innocent, and these fit so well with the content of the story. I think only one of them, which I wasn’t expecting at all, gave me a right fright when I was reading this at around 3am on Friday/Saturday, and so I made sure to check the photos ahead of time (during the day!) so I wouldn’t get another shocker. I will say though that this book was a lot darker and more gory than I anticipated, so a word of caution if you’re looking to pick it up and aren’t so good with gore!
I was thinking about going straight into Hunting Prince Dracula, but I’m glad that I didn’t because it would’ve been too much for me. Apparently as I get older my constitution gets weaker LOL I am interested in continuing the series eventually though. So while I did enjoy this thrilling historical fiction, I felt a little too detached from the characters to really fall in love with the story. I’d still recommend it to anyone who likes a thrilling mystery, historical fiction, quirky characters and great banter, as well as a strong female lead ahead of her time.
Have you read Stalking Jack the Ripper? Did it live up to the hype for you?Leave me a comment below and let’s chat!
It’s time for another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners that invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you’re feeling it! I think from this week’s post onward, I will use a random number generator to choose the books for this weekly meme!
This week the random number generator picked #621 on my GR ‘to-read’ list, and the books is: Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. Although this is #621 in a list of over 900 books, this is actually one of my more ‘recent-ish’ adds to my tbr, since I added it in December 2018! I guess I really add books quickly on GR don’t I? 😅This book has a rating of: 3.63 stars.
Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to visit Dexter Styles, a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. She is mesmerized by the sea beyond the house and by some charged mystery between the two men.
Years later, her father has disappeared and the country is at war. Anna works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that once belonged to men, now soldiers abroad. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous and exclusive of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America win the war. One evening at a nightclub, she meets Dexter Styles again, and begins to understand the complexity of her father’s life, the reasons he might have vanished.
With the atmosphere of a noir thriller, Egan’s first historical novel follows Anna and Styles into a world populated by gangsters, sailors, divers, bankers, and union men. Manhattan Beach is a deft, dazzling, propulsive exploration of a transformative moment in the lives and identities of women and men, of America and the world.
Why do I want to read it?
I’m pretty sure that I added this to my GR TBR after talking to my sister one day. She offhandedly mentioned that if I was looking for a book to read, one of her close friends had just finished reading Manhattan Beach and highly recommended it, so I should check it out too! I’m a big lover of historical fiction, I love being transported to past times, and when a mystery involving gangsters and divers and other intriguing elements, is thrown into the mix, I knew that I wanted to read this! If I’m not mistaken, this book won the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction, so that’s also pretty cool. I’m definitely still keen to read this one and I’m looking forward to picking it up!
Have you read Manhattan Beach or is it also on your TBR? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and let’s chat books!
Another month is already over so it’s time for one of my favorite posts: my monthly wrap up! July was a pretty awesome reading month for me. I did cut down on reading graphic novels compared to the previous month, although I continued to read them in between my longer reads, which I think made it easier for me to move onto something new and different; I think of it as a little bit like a palate cleanser! I’ve enjoyed alternating between full length novels and graphic novels, so I’m pretty sure that I’ll continue doing that as much as I can! In July, I read a total of 25 books.
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★½
★★★★½
★★★☆☆
★★¾
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★☆☆
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★¾
★★★☆☆
★★☆☆☆
★★★½
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★½
★★★★☆
★★★☆☆
Compared to previous months, there was an almost equal split of reading physical (12) and e-books (12) this month. As I mentioned above, my reads continue to be a mixed bag including seven graphic novels, five of which were e-ARCs. I’ve continued to slow down my requests on NetGalley, limiting myself to either short reads and mainly graphic novels, so that I don’t feel even more pressure that I just can’t deal with in my life right now. I think I’ll be participating in ARC August this month so keep an eye out for my post on what needs reading ASAP! Looking at what I read, I honestly don’t think that I could pick just one favorite, but if I had to pick a Top 3 they’d be: Daisy Jones & The Six The Great Alone Sorcery of Thorns
Notable mentions for me are also Aurora Rising, I’m Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come and The Bear and The Nightingale (for which I still haven’t been able to write a half-decent review for)! I think I read some great books that I really connected with emotionally this month, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue this streak in August!
As I mentioned in my previous wrap up, I achieved my Goodreads reading goal last month and obviously I have continued to exceed the number I set out for myself. I had already changed my reading goal from 75 to 90 in May and I didn’t feel like changing it again in June, so I think by the time 2019 ends, it’ll look like I’m really overachieving this year when in reality I’m just too lazy 😅 That said, I’ve now read 128 books and it’s only August! I don’t think I’ve ever read this much perhaps ever, and I really attribute this to immersing myself in the book community. It’s amazing how this community keeps me so motivated and eager to keep turning pages. I couldn’t be happier that I took the leap to start this blog and to really give 1000% towards improving my bookstagram!
I’ve written reviews for most of these so if you want to see what I thought of them, you can follow the links below! Most of the e-ARC reviews are going to be posted closer to the publication date! Am I the only one that does that? I feel kinda like a noob for doing that but I’ve done that from the start? Lol Anyway, that’s all for now, friends. I hope everyone’s reading month was super duper!
Goodreads:The Great Alone Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Rating:
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.
At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources. But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.
Kristin Hannah is fast becoming an absolute favorite. This was my second book of hers, the first being The Nightingale, and both have been solid five star reads for me. She has a way of making me feel a deep emotional connection and investment in her characters and their lives. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a big crier and in this book, once the tears started at about the 80% mark, they pretty much kept flowing until the end. Hannah paints anenchanting and terrifying portrait of the Alaskan wild, and a family that struggles with the darkness in their lives that mirrors their surrounding environment.
“This state, this place, is like no other. It is beauty and horror; savior and destroyer. Here, where survival is a choice that must be made over and over, in the wildest place in America, on the edge of civilization, where water in all its forms can kill you, you learn who you are. Not who you dreamed of being, not who you imagined you were, not who you were raised to be. All of that will be torn away in the months of icy darkness, when frost on the windows blurs your view and the world gets very small and you stumble into the truth of your existence. You learn what you will do to survive.”
It’s a beautifully written, intensely atmospheric and heartbreaking story of family, love, hope and survival. I thought Hannah’s writing style in this was a lot more descriptive than in The Nightingale, but it isn’t over done and you don’t get bogged down with all the information about a place you almost can’t imagine because of how wild and foreign it is. The writing really helped me immerse myself in the Alaskan setting, which obviously plays a very significant part of the story. I honestly can’t imagine this book being set anywhere else.
“… home was not just a cabin in a deep woods that overlooked a placid cove. Home was a state of mind, the peace that came from being who you were and living an honest life.”
As much as the setting makes the story, so did the characters and I really loved (almost) all of them. Leni was a beautiful main character. Her growth throughout the story was so wonderful to experience that at times I almost felt like a proud little mama hen. That said, it was also very sad. She deals with so much loneliness and isolation, and endures many trying moments with her father, but she always proves how strong and resilient she is by finding new ways to survive. Leni’s tender and innocent love for Matthew (and his for her) was a bright light amongst the dark tones of the story, even when it set me on edge sometimes because I just knew something bad was going to happen (I was right 90% of the time btw). On the other hand, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Cora. I’m sorry if it sounds harsh, but Cora was weak and what made it worse was that she would often be purposefully provocative in public! Why would you not only put yourself in that situation but risk putting your daughter in danger with that kind of destructive behavior? Cora and Ernt’s relationship was so incredibly toxic and felt extremely suffocating at times. They were such selfish and immature characters and my heart really broke for Leni because she was such a good, loving and kind daughter.
Although the Allbright’s take center stage, I thought the other characters were also well developed. Matthew Walker, Large Marge and Tom Walker were such heartwarming characters and I became so attached to all of them. We learn about their ‘before-Alaska’ lives and their family history which really made connecting with them even easier. Though sometimes that made this an even more difficult read to get through because there’s so much emotion involved, and it already isn’t an easy read to begin with. A lot of bad things happen through the majority of this book, but I will say that the heartache, frustration and fear is so incredibly worth it in the end.
There was so much life in this novel, I know that I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. Kristin Hannah is a wonderful storyteller and I’m sorry that I don’t have better words to describe what an amazing book this is and all the things it’s made me feel. You just have to read it for yourself, but be prepared for your feelings to get put through a shredder! Content warning: physical abuse, alcoholism, PTSD
Have you read The Great Alone? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Leave a comment below and let’s chat! 🙂
Goodreads: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Publisher: Washington Square Press Publication Date: 29 May 2018 Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Panda Rating: (5 pandas)
Reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant to write her story, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Determined to use this opportunity to jump-start her career, Monique listens in fascination. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s – and, of course, the seven husbands along the way – Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. But as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
NOTE: I finished this book in March 2019 but for some reason didn’t post my review on my blog. I remember that I was traveling for work when I finished this and felt completely shattered at the airport waiting to board my late night flight. When I finished it, I felt like if I could give it all the stars, I absolutely would and even now, months later, I still feel that way. I believe the immediate words I used when I finished this were: Wow, holy heck, and why did this book have to end?!
One of my new all-time favourites, definitely a Top 2019 read. Fierce, heartbreaking and inspiring. I dare you to not fall in love with Evelyn Hugo!
I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to read Evelyn Hugo, despite all the insane hype. The story really surprised me from the start because it didn’t go at all the way I expected it to. Of course I thought it would be compelling, but maybe a little predictable. I didn’t anticipate that it would have me on the edge of my seat the whole time and greedily flipping through pages to learn more. How wrong I was! This was such a beautiful, sometimes tragic, life and love story—but it’s probably not the love story you’re expecting.
“It’s always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly.“
Evelyn Hugo is one of Hollywood’s darlings. Starting in the 50s when she exploded onto the scene with her tanned skin, blonde hair, dark brows, and her busty voluptuous figure. She dazzled Hollywood and the masses with her acting and won them over time and again with her looks and sexuality. She was one of the most complex and compelling characters I’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time. Her character managed to evoke a range of contradicting emotions simultaneously. I was enamoured and repelled by her. I admired and pitied her. I loved and hated her. She was brilliant and cunning, always working angles to manipulate the people in her life to ensure that the outcome suited her agenda. Her sexuality was a weapon that she honed to perfection and brandished without hesitation when she wanted. As much as I found myself repelled by her blasé attitude towards some of her awful actions and thoughts, I honestly couldn’t stop myself from admiring her and falling in love with her anyway. She was unapologetic for always openly going after what she wanted, especially at a time when it was unheard of for women to do so, and I admired the hell out of her character for that.
Her story was an endlessly fascinating journey that captivated me from chapter one. From her beginning as a Cuban girl growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, to her making when she moved to Hollywood and decided to become a star. To her career, her marriages, her friendships. To the exploration of love and sexuality throughout her life. To her struggle with her heritage in a society that wouldn’t accept it. All of it kept me hooked and constantly craving more. You not only learn about Evelyn Hugo and her Seven Husbands, you learn just how far a strong willed woman can go when she’s determined to be the biggest, brightest star there is.
“Evelyn looks at me with purpose. ‘Do you understand what I’m telling you? When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn’t give things, you take things. If you learn one thing from me, it should probably be that.'”
On the other hand, I wasn’t so invested in Monique. I didn’t love or hate her, I was just a little meh about her character. I felt for her at the end–I can’t imagine what learning something like this would do to a person–but otherwise I didn’t connect with her character. She did experience an empowering growth through the novel, but I saw her less as a “main” character and more as a plot device to help the story move along (as the character to hear Evelyn Hugo’s story).
Taylor Jenkins Reid is supremely talented. Her writing flows like water, her descriptions are vivid, and her characters are so full of life. There’s a simplicity to her writing that I love because it lets the story speak for itself and allows the characters to come to life without any need for embellishment. I honestly finished this book feeling as if I had said goodbye to real people, old friends even, whom I’d come to know and love, and my heart was broken over it. Her ability to take even the most morally questionable characters, and make them likeable and relatable is probably one of the main reasons why I love her writing.
This is the second TJR book that I’ve read and I can confidently say she has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I’m very much looking forward to reading more of her work as soon as I can get my hands on all of them! If you haven’t read this yet, I urge you to do it ASAP!
Have you read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?Did you love her as much as I did or were you kind of ‘meh’ about her story?Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat about one of my all time favourites!
dinipandareads 