“But the truth is, praise is just like an addiction. The more you get it, the more of it you need just to stay even.”

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Summary

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My Thoughts

I’d been hearing about this book for a while and hadn’t gotten around to reading it when the hype was still huge, but I finally got it on Kindle during the beginning part of my freshman year of college. I have to say, it absolutely lives up to the hype. I’d heard a lot about it, but it was all spoiler free, so I had no idea what to expect. Picture, for a second, my friends all watching the movie “All Quiet on the Western Front” while I read my book because I dislike war movies. My overall impression? I loved it. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo absolutely lives up to the hype around it. It honestly just restarted my love for reading after I struggled to pick up new books in high school due to how tired I was from my studies.

As a bit of context, the book is structured as an interview Evelyn Hugo, retired actress, is giving to a journalist about her life. The book is from Monique Grant’s point of view, and Evelyn’s story is narrated by Evelyn Hugo herself as she details her life as a Hollywood Starlet. It’s a semi-historical fiction, with a lot of inspiration from 1950s-1980s U.S. history and Hollywood. What I will also say without spoilers is that the book is absolutely LGBTQ+ positive as well, which was a big win for me as I progressed into the book. It’s a queer book, but the main focus of the plot isn’t just the queerness; all the characters are fleshed out as their own people regardless of sexuality, which I love.

The end is devastating and I didn’t see it coming. I literally had to sit down after finishing the book and just take a breath. I absolutely recommend reading this book. If you’re looking for historical accuracy, this isn’t for you. Treat it like fiction that is only loosely inspired by actual Hollywood history. The plot itself is well-paced and interesting, dealing with a lot of issues surrounding homophobia, racism, and sexism in the late 1900s in a meaningful way. I honestly think that this is Taylor Jenkin Reid’s best novel, though I have yet to get Daisy Jones and the Six from the library. Also, because it’s me, I absolutely made the book a Pinterest board as I do for all my favorite pieces of media, and I’ve linked it below 🙂

Review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/snippetsfrommymind/lit-taylor-jenkins-reid/