Book Review #97: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you watch Booktubers (or the TikTok equivalent), then you've probably heard about this book. I don't think I've heard any book mentioned as much as this one. It has amazing reviews, so I wanted to make it one of my first reads of 2021, to see if I agreed with the hype.

Former Hollywood actress and icon Evelyn Hugo is ready to tell the story of her life, her success, and her seven husbands. When she requests that her biography be written by unknown journalist Monique Grant, no one is more surprised than Monique herself. But when Monique starts to listen to Evelyn's incredible story, she realises that more connects them than she ever thought possible.

Believe the hype.

I loved the opening of the story, the fact that we are introduced to Monique right away, we are in her head, and Evelyn is being kept at arm's length. I loved Monique instantly, and I kind of felt the same way about Evelyn as she did - Evelyn was an enigma that we felt like we knew, while also knowing nothing about her.

By the time, Evelyn starts to tell her story, the reader is as curious about her life as Monique and the rest of that fictional world.

I loved the way the story was told. Monique and Evelyn had really distinct voices, and there were points where I actually felt like I was sitting in the room with them, listening to the story as Evelyn told it.

At the start of the story, while I was curious, I wasn't as invested as I thought I would be. And then a new dynamic, and a new character, were introduced, and this completely changed everything for me. I didn't know that the story would go in that direction, and that held a lot of power.

And from then the story became addictive. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down.

The story uses foreshadowing and hindsight in a really interesting way.

I completely fell in love with the character of Evelyn, both older and younger. She is an amazing creation by Jenkins Reid, and the epitome of a strong female protagonist.

As someone who loves movies and the film industry, reading this book puts everything you read about celebrities in magazines and the media into a completely new perspective, and I think this is a thought process that I'll carry around with me for years to come.

The relationships in this story, both romantic and platonic, are really powerful.

I love that Evelyn is so flawed. She feels real, like she could really exist right now.

It took me until almost finishing the book to realise that this is, amongst other things, a love story. Inevitably tragic and impossibly beautiful.

Closing the book made me feel like I'd lost Evelyn Hugo. I didn't want it to end.

Overall, I can't say that this book will be for everyone, but if you're even a little bit intrigued about it, you won't regret picking it up. Even if you don't love it, it is an important story with a lot to say. I absolutely loved it - in fact, it's only the second book I've ever reviewed that I'm giving 5 stars. It's definitely as good as everyone says it is.

5/5 stars