Scan barcode
mads_reads_books's review against another edition
Graphic: Gun violence, Classism, Colonisation, War, Death of parent, Death, Stalking, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Murder, Grief, Car accident, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Self harm, Racism, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
Minor: War, Car accident, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Violence, Addiction, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Infertility, Vomit, Xenophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
ellaticonstellation's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Abandonment
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
j_c_'s review against another edition
4.5
I am happy for Harry that he is getting the help he needs to learn how to cope with his trauma, deeply entertained by the entire royal drama (seeing as it doesn't involve me and I am, against my better judgement, a Royal Watcher) and believe that he is, in fact, speaking the truth. For the most part. It helps that this is his face and that he doesn't shy away from names (for the most part).
It is relatively easy to read, this book. It is short and direct, and Harry's humour is intensely acidic and self-derisive. He isn't shy about making a fool of himself, touching on aspects that don't, necessarily, depict him in the most beneficial light.
No matter how much he says he wrote this book to help his family understand, that his end goal wasn't to shame them... I don't necessarily believe it. His depictions of some of his family members are eye-opening and made me think about why he would write them if not to shame them. That being said, he does share some light on some of them, and mostly, (mostly), portrays them in a flattering way.
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Vomit, War, Abortion, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Car accident, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
caitiedundas's review
3.0
Mostly I just found it very sad. I think the book has been sensationalised by the leaked quotes and early sound bites, mostly about Harry’s penis, but the actual content is desperately sad. He comes across as a deeply traumatised, anxious man who is clearly haunted by a childhood and adolescence which sounds pretty grim despite the immense wealth and privilege. It’s very difficult not to empathise with him for his difficult experiences. I particularly enjoyed the first portion of the book, covering his childhood and early adolescence. It was interesting to get a look into this period and I felt he came across the most sincere in these parts. Not that his sincerity was something I really doubted later on in the book, but it was most pronounced early.
That being said, where I struggled to empathise was when it seemed like assertions were being made to try and ensure Harry came across as ‘a normal guy’. This is the worst in the second half of the book with passages dedicated to his supermarket routines, TK Max visits, etcetera. It seemed as though he was determined to come across as any old pleb, when it’s clear this simply isn’t the case, and this is something he does acknowledge in other areas of the book. In a passage near the end he recounts never having ordered an Amazon parcel, or held a house key, so he is clearly well aware of his unconventionally sheltered and elevated lifestyle, making the repeated attempts to situate himself as an ‘ordinary’ person all the more puzzling. Add to that the copious mentions of exclusive members club Soho House, plenty of occasions of friends with spare mansions, lots of monetary talk. The guy is clearly wealthy and privileged, and the book would be better for it if his honesty there was more consistent.
The writing was decent. Nothing I felt particularly blown away by but it was an enjoyable, fast paced read. The atmospheric descriptions, in particular, I thought were strong, and the themes which strung throughout the memoir and motifs which popped up repeatedly were used effectively (the flag, the biro, etc).
Not really a critique of the book as it is indeed reality but it was sad that the book ended on a rather negative note, with evidently little contact between Harry and his Royal family. It feels like quite an open ending, something I suspect is purposeful for another book.
Overall - a decent read! Despite being long it remained pretty fast paced and only took me a few days to read, with a fairly moderate amount of time dedicated to reading each day. Wouldn’t have spent the full price or indeed the current standard half price on it, but the nice it ends up in the charity shops it is absolutely worth a wee read!
Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Stalking, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Racial slurs
Minor: Infertility, Drug use, Medical content, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Bullying, Sexual content, and Miscarriage
lhodgson26's review
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse and War
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
voyage_of_a_time_wanderer's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Drug use