Reviews with content warning for Murder - Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

This memoir does what the best of them do: I now feel like I know who Elvira is. Yours Cruelly, Elvira is a fearless tell-all of both a life of showbiz and a tireless journey into the spotlight and acceptance. The narrative covers 70 years of her life and is candidly thorough. This book is also fantastically queer throughout and should be read by both horror fans and lovers of queer memoirs. Check the content warnings though.

I chose to listen to the audiobook because Cassandra Peterson read it herself. I really don't know if there could be a better way to experience it, if possible. Elvira does the voices, like all great storytellers. Loved it and love her.

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birdshootsbats's review against another edition

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funny fast-paced

4.0

Cassandra Peterson’s unique and engaging voice really shines through in her wild ride of a memoir!
The things (few but mighty) that turned me off of this were: an instance where says some shit about male victims of sexual assault, her uncritical praise of PETA, and a few instances of fatphobic & ableist language

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marigoldgem's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

*PLEASE check the trigger warnings before hand*
I grew up loving Elvira and all things strange and unusual. Now I just love her more and admire Cassandra so much for being so bad ass.

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arrr's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.5

She's had a heck of a life. Some parts are difficult and dark. Others are fun and inspiring. Definitely worth reading.

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littleredhat's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Have you ever seen that viral tweet about someone hearing the expression "Dress for the job you want", and winding up sat in a disciplinary meeting dressed as the Goblin King? Well, if that was me, I'd be there as Elvira. The Queen of Halloween with a deep love of the dark. Incredibly funny and witty, and fully aware of her sexiness, whilst never solely being a sex object. I was a fan from the second I saw clips of "Movie Macabre", and when this popped up on my audiobook service recently, I knew I had to snap it up.

Written around her 70th birthday (I can't believe it either), Cassandra Peterson - Elvira's actress and creator - takes us right through her life - from her troubled childhood where an accident left her badly scarred, to her days as a go-go dancer and Vegas showgirl, up to her metamorphosis into the Mistress of the Dark and the years beyond.

Whilst being packed to the hilt with funny and even spooky stories, Peterson's memoir also covers her many experienced hardships. In terms of content warnings, I will say that almost any sort of abuse or assault you can think sadly of features here, as well as addictions, miscarriages, and even murders. As such, the book is troubling and unnerving in places, but very moving: something about Peterson's warm, soothing narration made me able to stomach it. In fact, you admire her all the more for getting through everything she has faced.

A must-read, or must-listen, for all Elvira fans.

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lunarxcross's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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volcanogirl's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book is a whirlwind from start to finish. Peterson's life before she even became Elvira reads like a movie. From go-go dancing at 14 to becoming a Vegas showgirl by 17, it's about as bonkers as you'd expect the Mistress of the Dark's life story to be.

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