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threegoodrats's review against another edition
3.0
I'm at a loss for how to rate this. It was pretty good until it suddenly wasn't anymore. She should have ended it when she left the Playboy mansion. My review is here.
jenivere's review against another edition
3.0
Actual rating: 2.5
What can I say? Watched the show in college and couldn't resist.
What can I say? Watched the show in college and couldn't resist.
liesthemoontells's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
2.75
I started this audiobook almost immediately after finishing Crystal Hefner's incredible memoir Say Only Good Things about her time with Hugh Hefner. As Crystal's memoir was the first to be released post #metoo, I wanted to get a perspective from another woman who had had an incredibly similar experience, but with a different lens. This review is more of a comparative analysis of the two than a singular appraisal of Holly's story, as that's the context I read it in.
My Spotify Premium app capped my audiobook minutes 3/4 of the way through it, and my impression of the last section of the book has definitely coloured my memory of the first part, but I will try and be as unbiased as possible.
Holly Madison's description of her time in the Playboy Mansion is as chilling and disturbing as that depicted by Crystal Hefner. From her reading, Holly seems to have worked through her trauma and put much more emotional distance between herself and her time in the mansion than Crystal, although I wonder if I would feel the same way reading the print versions of the two book.
The Hefner of Holly's book is ten years younger than that in Crystal's, and while his power is clearly ebbing by the time Holly entered his life, he still wields it cruelly and brutally. The Hefner of Holly's book is more calculating, more vibrant, and more deliberate than the one we find in Crystal's. Holly's Hefner orchestrates the world around him, making every person in his orbit bend to his petulant will.
In contrast, by the time Crystal enters the mansion, Hef is still just as abusive, but much of the abuse seems to be perpetuated by the clockwork of the Playboy Corporation based on the patterns that Hef had created for his partners in the preceding years rather than by the man himself, who is too frail to be as imposing as the figure Holly depicts.
Holly Madison is far more eager to throw the other women in Hef's orbit under the bus than Crystal, who seems reluctant to even name other women who she met in the mansion, let alone badmouth them. At first, I thought this cattiness may have just been a poorly aged product of the book's publication occurring pre #metoo, when the systemic dynamics of misogyny in Hollywood were less widely discussed. However, Holl 's continued cattiness and badmouthing of the women in her life in the last section of the book, once she is well away from the Playboy mansion, makes me think that this may just be an unfortunate part of Holly Madison's personality that Crystal does not share.
While the first part of Holly's story of reinvention following her time in the Mansion was filled with pathos and triumph, the last couple of chapters were a wall of self-aggrandizement interspersed with sniping at other D-list celebrities, repetitive and tireto the point where I almost DNF'd.
Her own descriptions of her petty social media feuds paint her in a pretty bad light, and her continuous put downs of Crystal have aged even more poorly with the context of how much abuse and psychological torture she was experiencing at the points at which Holly chooses to mock her. Her inability to recognise that Crystal was experiencing the exact same patterns of torment that Holly did lacks empathy to the point of cruelty.
The coda of Holly's book is milquetoast to the point of meaninglessness, throwing off some platitudes about loving yourself before loving anyone else and tying off the story in a "happily ever after" fairytale bow that contrasts awkwardly with the Alice in Wonderland metaphor that's been hammered throughout the entire book. This is especially true in comparison to Crystal's book, which ends with a stunning indictment on how the Playboy industrial complex churns out a dangerous fantasy for young girls to aspire to. Holly's self-absorbed Disneyland wedding ending comes across especially facile in contrast.
Overall I'd only recommend this as a read if you're a) looking for more perspectives on life in the Playboy Mansion after reading Crystal Hefner's book, or b) a big fan of Holly Madison in her own right.
My Spotify Premium app capped my audiobook minutes 3/4 of the way through it, and my impression of the last section of the book has definitely coloured my memory of the first part, but I will try and be as unbiased as possible.
Holly Madison's description of her time in the Playboy Mansion is as chilling and disturbing as that depicted by Crystal Hefner. From her reading, Holly seems to have worked through her trauma and put much more emotional distance between herself and her time in the mansion than Crystal, although I wonder if I would feel the same way reading the print versions of the two book.
The Hefner of Holly's book is ten years younger than that in Crystal's, and while his power is clearly ebbing by the time Holly entered his life, he still wields it cruelly and brutally. The Hefner of Holly's book is more calculating, more vibrant, and more deliberate than the one we find in Crystal's. Holly's Hefner orchestrates the world around him, making every person in his orbit bend to his petulant will.
In contrast, by the time Crystal enters the mansion, Hef is still just as abusive, but much of the abuse seems to be perpetuated by the clockwork of the Playboy Corporation based on the patterns that Hef had created for his partners in the preceding years rather than by the man himself, who is too frail to be as imposing as the figure Holly depicts.
Holly Madison is far more eager to throw the other women in Hef's orbit under the bus than Crystal, who seems reluctant to even name other women who she met in the mansion, let alone badmouth them. At first, I thought this cattiness may have just been a poorly aged product of the book's publication occurring pre #metoo, when the systemic dynamics of misogyny in Hollywood were less widely discussed. However, Holl 's continued cattiness and badmouthing of the women in her life in the last section of the book, once she is well away from the Playboy mansion, makes me think that this may just be an unfortunate part of Holly Madison's personality that Crystal does not share.
While the first part of Holly's story of reinvention following her time in the Mansion was filled with pathos and triumph, the last couple of chapters were a wall of self-aggrandizement interspersed with sniping at other D-list celebrities, repetitive and tireto the point where I almost DNF'd.
Her own descriptions of her petty social media feuds paint her in a pretty bad light, and her continuous put downs of Crystal have aged even more poorly with the context of how much abuse and psychological torture she was experiencing at the points at which Holly chooses to mock her. Her inability to recognise that Crystal was experiencing the exact same patterns of torment that Holly did lacks empathy to the point of cruelty.
The coda of Holly's book is milquetoast to the point of meaninglessness, throwing off some platitudes about loving yourself before loving anyone else and tying off the story in a "happily ever after" fairytale bow that contrasts awkwardly with the Alice in Wonderland metaphor that's been hammered throughout the entire book. This is especially true in comparison to Crystal's book, which ends with a stunning indictment on how the Playboy industrial complex churns out a dangerous fantasy for young girls to aspire to. Holly's self-absorbed Disneyland wedding ending comes across especially facile in contrast.
Overall I'd only recommend this as a read if you're a) looking for more perspectives on life in the Playboy Mansion after reading Crystal Hefner's book, or b) a big fan of Holly Madison in her own right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
2.0
I wish I could put a sad face on this...
So I started this book and at first I was like aww... I feel really bad for her! Then as the book went on I just wanted to roll my eyes at everything she said. I understand being young and impressionable but at some point you have to take some responsibility for your life and this is one thing that Holly Madison is unable to do.
According to her she is faultless. She is innocent. She does everything with best intentions in mind. Oh yeah, she is smart and everyone else around her is a stupid blond bimbo. But she says it with the best intentions... right? Also people may have "misunderstood" her attitude as "bitchy" when she was really just trying to "protect" them. Riiiighhtt. I'm sure you became Heff's number one girlfriend without any intention of ever doing so...
Also... good lord what is the deal with your Kendra hatred? It is the most ridiculous thing. She keeps trying to make it like she has no problem with her but instead every other second it is like jab jab jab! Stuff like, I wasn't like Kendra who was too dumb to understand anything anyways. I am like, really?
I should have known. Pure guilty interest had me look at this. I watched the GND for a season or so and had fun watching it... but this book... boo. I got what I deserved I guess.
Also I found at least 3 typos. Blatant ones. This made me mad.
So I started this book and at first I was like aww... I feel really bad for her! Then as the book went on I just wanted to roll my eyes at everything she said. I understand being young and impressionable but at some point you have to take some responsibility for your life and this is one thing that Holly Madison is unable to do.
According to her she is faultless. She is innocent. She does everything with best intentions in mind. Oh yeah, she is smart and everyone else around her is a stupid blond bimbo. But she says it with the best intentions... right? Also people may have "misunderstood" her attitude as "bitchy" when she was really just trying to "protect" them. Riiiighhtt. I'm sure you became Heff's number one girlfriend without any intention of ever doing so...
Also... good lord what is the deal with your Kendra hatred? It is the most ridiculous thing. She keeps trying to make it like she has no problem with her but instead every other second it is like jab jab jab! Stuff like, I wasn't like Kendra who was too dumb to understand anything anyways. I am like, really?
I should have known. Pure guilty interest had me look at this. I watched the GND for a season or so and had fun watching it... but this book... boo. I got what I deserved I guess.
Also I found at least 3 typos. Blatant ones. This made me mad.