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readingwithmeredith's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
bootsmom3's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Car accident, Mental illness, Death, Animal cruelty, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infertility, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Animal death, Cursing, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content
jentrevellan's review
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Colonisation, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, War, Domestic abuse, and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
juliamb's review
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Animal cruelty, War, Drug use, and Drug abuse
handmeafish's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, War, Stalking, Mental illness, Gun violence, Cursing, Colonisation, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Violence, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Animal death
Moderate: Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Classism
cheuksin's review
3.75
The tunnel is called Pont de l'Alma, I told him.
Yes, yes. He knew it.
I want to go through it.
You want to go through the tunnel?
At sixty-five miles per hour - to be precise.
Sixty-five?
Yes.
The exact speed Mummy's car had supposedly been driving
Wow. The ghostwriter really worked some magic. At some times it does feel like someone tried to stretch an sentence into and essay. Harry mentions his mother in pretty much every paragraph. Oversharing is a understatement.
Honestly, anyone who could hate Harry and Megan after reading this book is a heartless bastard. My neutral opinion of Will and Kate has also depreciated.
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Stalking, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia, Drug use, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Minor: Infertility, Trafficking, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, and Suicide
kbbru's review
3.75
While "shocking" seems to be a common word applied to his story, none of the contents are particularly surprising if you're familiar with the dynamics of dysfunctional families and institutional oppression. It's all there and it tracks.
What I didn't expect was the ways in which I identified with Harry's experience of a long distance serious relationship, his determination not to repeat the family mistakes, etc.
Other parts of the book were very much not for me, but the chapters were all short, making it easy to keep moving. I can appreciate the bravery it takes to own your (painful) story and share it, even while not yet having enough distance from parts of it to really dig deep.
My critiques are not for how he's handled the situation with his family. It's easy to judge from the outside and with emotional distance how you might have done things differently, to take potshots that give a sense of superiority. It's a different thing altogether to be inside such emotionally fraught circumstances doing the best you can.
The book works if you loved Diana or want to know more about the lives of the family without all the PR shine (like Charles doing headstands in his boxers). If you really connect with stories about dysfunctional families or a controlling, spiteful older brother, Harry has you covered. Maybe you want to read the story of a man who had a painful start in life, but he's doing the work, making mistakes, and trying to change his narrative from the foreordained conclusion. Check, check. My reasons are my own, but any of the above a good entry points for connecting.
If you're looking for an insightful critique of the monarchy or probing into the history of its wrongs, this isn't that book. Colonialism is not reckoned with. And William's tantrum about Africa, as though it's his toy, is sickening.
The book is very personal, raw at times, seething against a villainous press and reeling under the relentless gaslighting and lies. There are places to roll your eyes and some funny moments. Harry is also tender as husband and father, grandson, and as his mother's son.
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Racism, War, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, and Antisemitism
javafenn's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, War, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Bullying, Self harm, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Grief
caseythereader's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Gun violence, Death, War, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug use, Car accident, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Racism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Animal death
gracewiley's review
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, Stalking, War, Animal death, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Racial slurs
Minor: Colonisation, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Addiction, Classism, Pregnancy, and Torture