readingwithrae 's review for:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5.0

---

"People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me'- that's intimacy."

listen, i don't think there is anything i can say that hasn't already been said, but i'll try.

first off, holy effin' shit batman, this book lives up to the hype. taylor jenkins reid is one of those rare authors who could write an ode to the phone book and i'd still pick it up and sob my eyes out, because her words are just that good. before i read this book, i was in quite a reading slump, partly because of the children's lit course i'm taking which requires me to read so much that when i do have time to read for pleasure, i find myself finding every reason not to, but also because while i've read lots of good books this year, i haven't yet found something that captivated me to the point of reading for hours on end, unable to put the book down.

until this gem came along, and i became hooked like a fish on a line.

evelyn hugo may be one of the most complex characters i've ever read. she's ruthless in getting what she wants, and is not afraid to use her body and her name to reach the top. she's a woman who is fully confident in her sexuality, and does not think that women enjoying sex should be a crime. she's fearless and strong, but has a softer side, also. evelyn is a woman who would do anything for her best friend, who cries when she's angry, who adores waking up with in bed with her one true love, wondering how she got that lucky. she's frustrating and fierce and full of passion, and by the end of the book i was putty in her hands.

if this isn't enough to sell you, then i'll let you in on a (albeit well known) secret: evelyn's love of her life is not with any of her seven husbands, but is with a woman, one who captivates her and drives her mad and makes her question everything about herself. their love is not easy; being visibly queer in the 1950s was not an option, but despite the circumstances keeping them apart, they always find their way back to each other in the end. their love is not one that is perfect, which is, in my opinion, what makes it so enticing. they bring out the best in each other, and the worst. they both have claws and aren't afraid to use them. they say things they don't mean, and hurt each other in the process over and over again. their love is not one of perfection, but is messy and flawed to a fault. and yet, it is still beautiful.

i don't know what else to say, to be honest, besides read the book. i hope you fall in love with it, with evelyn, as much as i did.