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A review by icarly
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I sobbed three times reading this book. Previously, I’ve only cried once reading a book (I was in fourth grade, I don’t remember the title). This book was genuinely so enjoyable and it really did live up to its hype - and I’m mad that I kept putting off reading it because oh my god, it was lovely.
I love morally grey characters. I love characters that do bad things for reasons that they think are justified but that we, as consumers, know are not. I love looking into the minds of these characters and understanding their psyche, and seeing the world through their eyes. Evelyn Hugo was just the right character for this. She was selfish, she was manipulative, and she had all the reasons to be, but also absolutely no reason.
She’s a golden example of the morally grey character. However, unlike a lot of them, she’s aware that she needs to do better. Evelyn admits, without faltering, that she is a bad person. But even the way she wants to clear her name is selfish; she tells Monique to wait until she’s dead. Is that not a way of avoiding facing any repercussions?
Celia and Evelyn were toxic for each other, but also so perfect. They embodied the trope of a sapphic relationship that is so good, it becomes destructive - the moment when codependency becomes apparent, and the two people involved can’t help but be mean to each other in order to feel something again.
It was so indulgent.
The reveal with her father left me reeling, truly. It was set up so delicately, it made everything that Evelyn had said make sense. It encompassed that her selfishness had not waned with age - she was the same as she had always been.
I wish I could read this book again for the first time. I totally understand why so many people recommended it to me (shoutout to my biggest fan, and the only one reading this review, Soph).
My favorite character was probably Harry or, in the best and worst ways, Miss Evelyn Hugo.
I love morally grey characters. I love characters that do bad things for reasons that they think are justified but that we, as consumers, know are not. I love looking into the minds of these characters and understanding their psyche, and seeing the world through their eyes. Evelyn Hugo was just the right character for this. She was selfish, she was manipulative, and she had all the reasons to be, but also absolutely no reason.
She’s a golden example of the morally grey character. However, unlike a lot of them, she’s aware that she needs to do better. Evelyn admits, without faltering, that she is a bad person. But even the way she wants to clear her name is selfish; she tells Monique to wait until she’s dead. Is that not a way of avoiding facing any repercussions?
Celia and Evelyn were toxic for each other, but also so perfect. They embodied the trope of a sapphic relationship that is so good, it becomes destructive - the moment when codependency becomes apparent, and the two people involved can’t help but be mean to each other in order to feel something again.
It was so indulgent.
The reveal with her father left me reeling, truly. It was set up so delicately, it made everything that Evelyn had said make sense. It encompassed that her selfishness had not waned with age - she was the same as she had always been.
I wish I could read this book again for the first time. I totally understand why so many people recommended it to me (shoutout to my biggest fan, and the only one reading this review, Soph).
My favorite character was probably Harry or, in the best and worst ways, Miss Evelyn Hugo.