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siijayreads's review against another edition
4.0
"I knew that I must take control of my life. I could not give up these new insights. There was a whole world out there and I had to find my own place in it."
Such a revealing, jarring, and insightful memoir. Before this, my knowledge about Elvis Presley was limited aside from knowing he is the singer of the most popular hits songs I often hear on the radio when I was young. Having read this book gave me so much perspective about what the world was like back then which became even more special in the lens of someone who is in close proximity with a famous person. I only knew of Priscilla because she's the grandmother of Riley Keough, whom I have known since she’s friends with my favorite actress. I also heard a lot of controversies regarding her and Elvis' relationship and I got intrigued but didn't bother to really delve deeper into it. It wasn't until the recent Priscilla movie, which was based on this book, that I finally learned that this book exists, and it finally convinced me to read it. I listened to the audiobook and the experience was magnified because it was narrated by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley herself! I honestly didn't expect anything diving into this book but it certainly left me with so many reflections in life and I'm surprised that I can relate to some of Priscilla's internal struggles.
Throughout the book, I felt a myriad of emotions. A sense of protectiveness for teenage Priscilla who was about to become enamored with an older man, anger and shock for the things she went through while being in that relationship, sadness when the moment she realizes she's slowly losing herself, contagious joy for little things that makes her happy, and pride for the woman she slowly became after years of abandoning her needs for a man and untangling herself from those toxic cycle. I love those moments where she stood up for herself. This book also is a perfect example of how love makes us blind and tolerant of the things we don't deserve and how it makes us act more impulsively. We let others treat us badly because we're more afraid of losing them.
Priscilla spent a significant number of years in her life being tied to Elvis while she slowly lost herself in the process. It was so heartbreaking. While she did find happiness in all those years, the moment she freed herself from him, which was narrated during the latter part of the book, was one of the most refreshing and inspiring reads I've had in a while. I love stories where women break out of their shells and blossom from the inside and out. It was such an engaging experience listening to Priscilla narrate her own story. Her little laughs while reading particular sections from the book make me think she went back in time reliving the scene. I recommend this to anyone who wants to delve into reading nonfiction books!
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
amandas_bookshelf's review
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Abortion
elishasbookreview's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
broncoannee's review against another edition
1.75
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
melishajo's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship
issyd23's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
yourfriendgil's review
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
hushedreads's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Drug abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
shelbitedeschi's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
holliesarah's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide