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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I listened to the audiobook and would recommend it. I love when authors read their own autobiographies, and Parvati does a nice job here. I of course had to read this, she's my favorite Survivor player of all time! She was robbed in Heros vs. Villains! This book doesn't really get too deep behind the scenes of her time on Survivor and focuses more on how Parvati has employed survival strategies to navigate her life. I had no idea about her early life on a commune and how that profoundly influenced her life and her game on Survivor. It was all very interesting, especially her chronicling the different survival strategies she employed through time and how her body "kept the score" of past, unresolved traumas. And then how she healed from all of that. This book also has the only description of dating a nonbinary person I've ever read, which I appreciated. Overall fun read, would recommend!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
As a fan of Survivor, The Traitors, and many other reality TV shows, it's not unfamiliar to watch fans assume who and what a person is based on the persona we see for less than an hour a week. Parvati Shallow, one of Survivor's most iconic winners, is not spared from this especially because of how she uses her feminine charms and strategic mind to clear a path to the end. She is a Black Widow, but she is so much more than too.
Nice Girls Don't Win is an exploration of Parvati's upbringing, how reality TV shaped and distorted her own perception of her identity, and the pain and healing that comes after. All this while she still has to live her own life and discover who she is at her core. It is so interesting to see how different core events in her life formed her to be a survivor, both to her benefit and detriment. It's wonderful to hear how she was able to let go and grow. My one criticism is that I do think it does get a bit too much on the therapy speak towards the end.
Listening to it as an audiobook was great. Hearing Parvati's charm, wit, playfulness, and emotion enhances the experience. She is a great narrator.
It's an overall good read. Hearing tidbits about the behind the scenes of reality shows were cool, but this mostly is a personal memoir about relationships, motherhood, and reclaiming your identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
reflective
medium-paced
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Messy and personal and honest. Huge win for nosey people ngl
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Loved learning more about Parv’s life and it’s shaped her along her journey
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I enjoyed this - it's a quick read and a very interesting window into somebody who has led a very interesting life. I wouldn't recommend this to somebody who's unfamiliar with who Parvati is - her Survivor arc is important subtext and I don't know how well that translates if you haven't watched those seasons. Conversely, it's also pretty light on Survivor BTS stuff so I wouldn't call it a must read for casual Survivor fans either. But if you find her compelling and are curious about how a female reality star television edit in the year 2008 might have done a real number on somebody, it's a good read.