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A review by caseylikekc
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I expected a lot more going into this book, based on the unbelievable amount of positive reviews across BookTok and StoryGraph/GoodReads. But it's just not a great book. It's a beach read, for sure, but that ends up being a problem for a book that wants to sound much deeper than it actually is -- and many reviews I came across praised this book for its depth/diversity!
Reid's writing here is repetitive and, frankly, unmoving. One reviewer mentioned that this book had all of the emotional depth of a "live, laugh, love" wall decal, and truly, there's no better way to put it than that. Like, c'mon -- given The Seven Husband's entire premise, setting, and inspirations, at least give us some camp if you won't give us anything meaningful!
I really thought the book was going somewhere throughout the Don Adler chapters, and with the introduction of Celia St. James. But every potentially interesting or high-stakes moment fizzled out so fast that by the end, I had no reason to care about any of the characters (including their successes and misfortunes). Worse than a book that made me mad, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo made me feel nothing at all.
Reid's writing here is repetitive and, frankly, unmoving. One reviewer mentioned that this book had all of the emotional depth of a "live, laugh, love" wall decal, and truly, there's no better way to put it than that. Like, c'mon -- given The Seven Husband's entire premise, setting, and inspirations, at least give us some camp if you won't give us anything meaningful!
I really thought the book was going somewhere throughout the Don Adler chapters, and with the introduction of Celia St. James. But every potentially interesting or high-stakes moment fizzled out so fast that by the end, I had no reason to care about any of the characters (including their successes and misfortunes). Worse than a book that made me mad, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo made me feel nothing at all.