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carlytenille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Suicide, Alcohol, Car accident, Child death, Cancer, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Death, Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Sexism
etherealisnt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Don't ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box. Don't do that.
Evelyn Hugo is perhaps one of the more complex characters that I've had the pleasure of meeting in recent history. It's been absolutely lovely to get to know her story and the complexities of her life. I love that she doesn't fit in a box in more ways than one; she's a surprise. She is not necessarily "good" or "bad", but rather simply a human with her own motivations and reasons. We got to learn a lot about Hollywood, moral and emotional issues, and sexuality.
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.
I quite enjoyed the sectionalization: how the 'smaller' chapters were paced and the 'bigger' sections had Evelyn's husbands as the titles. That was a smart way to do it, plus it gives you a chance to be more intimate with the other characters. I got to love Harry till the bittersweet end, he had me in his corner pretty early on.
But let's not forget Monique and her story! Even though she was mostly out of the picture, the times she did show up were well-fitted into the story. She didn't get lost or overshadowed by Evelyn (maybe a little, but come on, she's a star). It had a great unbalanced balance, if that makes sense. Most of the characters had a chance to shine in their moments. Nevertheless, strangely, the star of it all shone the most and the least - we got to know Evelyn like no one else, but she's still a total mystery. And that's intricate storytelling for you.
I’m under absolutely no obligation to make sense to you.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Cancer
Minor: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Abortion
depressed_cat07's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
asteria_6179's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Cancer, and Biphobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Abortion
zzaranazz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the last hundred pages is just tragedy after tragedy after tragedy and it is genuinely got wrenching, I read the last third of the book in a coffee shop. Don’t recommend that. She finally gets the love of her life back a second time, then her best friend/father of her child, dies in a horrific car crash and she has to cover it up, she learns that the love of her life, who she just got back is terminally ill, and they get 10 good years. Until she dies in her arms, while stuck in a marriage with her brother that was loveless but he was a good father to her child, until he also died, and then her kid dies of breast cancer?!?
and then you learn that the person she framed for the death of her best friend Is the dead father, who was the lover of said, best friend, Of the main character in the present day?!? I mean, how can you not fucking love this book.
It made me unstable in public and I did in fact cry for like two hours in a coffee shop in the middle of San Diego, but it makes me want to get on a plane to fly 2000 miles across the country to go see my partner and tell her how much I love her because I’ll be damned if decades with her were stolen from me for fear of the rest of the world finding out queer ppl exist.
Graphic: Car accident, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Abortion
jmermelstein14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Abortion, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Terminal illness
ghost_cat_xo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Abortion, Body shaming, Biphobia, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Cancer, Sexual content, Homophobia, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Car accident, Suicide, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
livreittoashley's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Abortion, and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy
gabi_715's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Medical content, Child death, Sexual content, Blood, Biphobia, and Death
Minor: Abortion
graceybookster's review against another edition
5.0
This is the third book I’ve read by TJR and I was all set to give it 4 stars because I thought it was a great story and the endless explanations of her movies started to become a little tiresome towards the end but I understood why they were there. Then the ending just FLOORED me, especially the last line, so changed my mind to 5 stars!
Although I did guess one of the major twists early before it was announced, the very ending just got me and it’s lingering with me still as I’m writing this. THAT is what makes a 5 star for me. TJR is just so clever and she has such a way with words and themes that just hit you to your core. This was a fascinating story as it gave you a glimpse into old Hollywood, but it wasn’t just glitz and glam. It was eye opening, heartbreaking and absolutely raw. It was yet again another story that makes you look inwards and learn life lessons. It was beautiful and ugly all at the same time. Amazing.
Moderate: Abortion, Car accident, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide