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the_gare_bear's review against another edition
5.0
Elvira has been a staple in my life for a long time. I've always been a fan and have loved her sense of humor and witty comebacks. Cassandra's life story has a lot of ups and down. There are unbelievable things that she has experienced, and things she should never have experienced. As a gay icon she always felt like someone who truly cared about our community and after reading through this book my feelings have definitely been confirmed.
It's hard to believe that at the age of 70 Cassandra still is an absolutely stunning person. Re-living her experiences through the AIDS crisis, losing loved ones, abusive relationships, and dealing with the pitfalls of Hollywood this book has a lot of revelations. But mostly, it's a wonderful story about how to keep your head up and how to look at things and evaluate what's important in life.
It's hard to believe that at the age of 70 Cassandra still is an absolutely stunning person. Re-living her experiences through the AIDS crisis, losing loved ones, abusive relationships, and dealing with the pitfalls of Hollywood this book has a lot of revelations. But mostly, it's a wonderful story about how to keep your head up and how to look at things and evaluate what's important in life.
superwritermom's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
This woman has LIVED. Mercy, the first half of this book could be subtitled All of the Famous Men I Didn't Sleep With--And a Few I Did, and the second half could be a cautionary tale about the paradox of being a woman: be sexy but also if you're sexy we're not going to take you seriously and make your life difficult for you.
Memoirs are difficult to gauge sometimes because we are all the heroes of our own stories. That said, I hope Peterson has found nothing by happiness. I hope that she has found a way to be financially solvent while doing what she wants to do.
What a freakin' ride. Also? I can't look at Tom Jones or Andy Williams--among others--the same ever again.
Memoirs are difficult to gauge sometimes because we are all the heroes of our own stories. That said, I hope Peterson has found nothing by happiness. I hope that she has found a way to be financially solvent while doing what she wants to do.
What a freakin' ride. Also? I can't look at Tom Jones or Andy Williams--among others--the same ever again.
ashenblood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
bookwormkelly10's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
smtvash's review against another edition
5.0
Enjoyed this so much, Cassandra Peterson has such a down-to-earth personality that stories like meeting Elvis or the horrible experience she had with Saturday Night Live feel instantly relatable and not a big deal.
Really wish Peterson had grown up in a different time where her craft could have exploded, but in a weird way she's become one of those pioneers as Elvira was one of my first exposures to CAMP and drag-aesthetic culture. As a queer kid, I know I loved her outfit and style and I knew it wasn't in a sexual way. She also made horror sexy, funny, and plain fun. A far cry from how my mom would react to it.
Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an excellent memoir from a woman who's had quite the life. Simultaneously larger than life yet completely everyday.
Really wish Peterson had grown up in a different time where her craft could have exploded, but in a weird way she's become one of those pioneers as Elvira was one of my first exposures to CAMP and drag-aesthetic culture. As a queer kid, I know I loved her outfit and style and I knew it wasn't in a sexual way. She also made horror sexy, funny, and plain fun. A far cry from how my mom would react to it.
Yours Cruelly, Elvira is an excellent memoir from a woman who's had quite the life. Simultaneously larger than life yet completely everyday.
kayacs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
usernamemustbeunique's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great memoir that left me feeling like I knew the author so much better after reading it. The tone is conversational and rather informal, which totally suits the material. She serves quite a bit of tea as well. I wish all memoirs felt as authentic and personal as this one does. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book about a smart woman with a sense of humor about herself who never seems to stop experiencing adventures in life and learning more about life.