BOOK•LIT discussion

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Recommendation Index 5 out of 5
Reading Difficulty 2 out of 5
Spice Meter non-existent (0 out of 5)

LGBTQ+ Friendly

Review
Evelyn Hugo does whatever she needs to, to escape Hells Kitchen in New York City, after the death of her mother. Her desperation to live a life different from the one that she was raised in, a life that her mother wanted for herself, led Evelyn to Hollywood. Reid introduces the reader to the inside life of a celebrity, from the need for fame and fortune to the anguish of loneliness and the cost of being human.

What Reid did best, is capture Evelyn as more than a celebrity but a person grappling with complex feelings. What I found most interesting about Evelyn, was her fierce tenacity to do the hard things for both her career, but also the career’s of those that she loved. Although she may have done many bad things, she was incredibly loyal to her people. When faced with impossible decisions - decisions that do not have favorable outcomes when choosing to do what is “right” – Evelyn always chooses to protect those that she loves.

This read is easy, but it doesn’t lack captivation. Taylor Jenkins Reid was able to create such complex characters, capture the challenges of love and the cost of fame. Once finished, you are left with a piece of luxury, but one that is not material. The luxury left behind, is the reminder that we should know our worth, and demand what we deserve.

” … No one is just a victim or a victor. Everyone is somewhere in between. People who go around casting themselves as one of the other are not only kidding themselves, but they’re also painfully unoriginal”.
– Taylor Jenkins Reid The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

P.S. Reid has several other pieces published that, apparently, exist in the same universe as Evelyn Hugo. Those books are:
Evidence of the Affair
Daisy Jones & The Six
Malibu Rising
Carrie Soto is Back