bgeorgiam 's review for:

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton

3.0

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reading this 7 years after publishing, and 8 years after the 2016 election is interesting. there's a lot in this book that i knew, and many many people have known for years. trump is an actual raving lunatic and the circumstances of the 2016 election were strange, vitriolic, and unfair. but it was ultimately, the decision america (or the electoral college really) made. there were parts in this memoir where i wanted to shake hillary; why are you belittling bernie? why are you defensive to your readers? why are you showing me your extortionate wealth and then talking about the working class? perhaps this is one of the key reasons why she felt like she had to write this book. to explain herself. in all honesty, the book shines best when she is not talking about interference, policy, or trump. it shines when she talks about the women she met on the campaign trail. it shines when she talks about the conversations she had with everyday people of america. the finger pointing felt contrived only because it's true. yes, the reason she lost was because a mix of everything and she can point to every which one and give a reason why. but the end point is that she didn't win. and she needed to defend herself. even though i didnt love this book, i still enjoyed myself and am glad i read it.