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I never would’ve thought to pick this up, mostly because I don’t often think of Paris Hilton. But this is a very interesting look into celebrity, fame, and the dark exploitation of children. Some of the stuff Paris talks about in this novel made me have to take a break. There’s a lot of different trigger warnings for this one, so I would say be careful. It’s not all glitter and sunshine. The very real and horrifying abuse, emotional, sexual and physical that is depicted can be hard to stomach. It definitely revealed as side of “troubled teen” industry that I didn’t know of before now. It’s also a very compelling book at early 2000s and the rampant slut shaming that occurred. All individuals are interesting and have stories to tell and I’m glad I read this one.
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
Minor: Child death
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse
Moderate: Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping
Author: Paris Hilton
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Profound • Candid • Inspirational
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Paris is the story people have always wanted Paris Hilton to tell--the story of who she really is. In this revealing and thought-provoking book, Hilton will separate the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, and show the woman who grew up with incredible privilege but was also trapped in a world of unreasonable expectation at a moment when young women were humiliated for sport in a gossip economy on steroids.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Since listening to celebrity memoirs is something I enjoy, I added Paris to my TBR even though I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Everything I knew of Paris Hilton was from her The Simple Life era, a time when she was portrayed as a dumb, self-centered, privileged rich girl, who didn't have to work for anything. Yet what I got within these pages is the heart wrenching story of a young woman who endured endless trauma throughout her teen years.
This memoir is incredibly difficult to get through, simply because there is a lot of unsettling and upsetting content packed within its pages. Paris details ahead of time that the book will jump around, and it does. As a reader, this structure made for a disconnected experience, but as a human I completely understand why she has done so. It was obvious while listening that there is so much more to the woman than what the media has cast about her. This was a memoir that really made me stop to reflect on the disconnect between persona and personification in the mainstream media. A reminder that what we see in the media is a small snippet of a celebrity's life, and not a full fledged picture of a person's life.
There is definitely some disconnect between her immense privilege that is ignored. She name drops a lot and it is that really detracted from the powerful message she was trying to get across. With a little editing I think they could have easily been avoided, and made for a much more evocative read.
At the end of the day, I gained a respect for the woman she is and how she is using her platform to advocate for troubled teens and against the industry that caused some much trauma in her own life. An important listen for people wanting to understand her more.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• celebrity memoir devotees
• Paris fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"It's humbling to be reminded that no matter how big your life is, you are still a speck of dust that can be swept off this earth in half a second."
"Some friendships just have their seasons, and that's ok."
"Time is the most valuable natural resource we have."
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking
Paris's writing is sensitive, unflinching and honest, often to the point of self-deprecation. What she has been through is astonishing, but she doesn't use her past as an excuse and I so admire the way she owns her mistakes. The way she is using her platform to advocate for victims of the "troubled teen" industry, and to process her own trauma, is incredible.
There is so much more to this woman than the media has given her credit for, and I'm so glad I read her story, in her words.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Rape
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Alcohol
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Stalking, Abortion
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Excrement
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse