Synopsis: A down-and-out writer gets the opportunity of a lifetime when an aging superstar asks her to write her biography.
Monique’s career and life is going nowhere. She is getting a divorce. Living in an apartment she hates and a career that is basically on pause. Out of the blue, Monique gets the news that could change her life forever. Charismatic screen legend Evelyn Hugo wants Monique to write the story of her life–the good, the bad and the ugly. She’s ready for the world to know everything. But neither woman is ready for what happens during this journey.
I have to say that Evelyn Hugo was one of the most interesting protagonists ever–in print, movies or TV. It is really hard to believe that she’s not a real person. Evelyn felt very real, very much human. I liked how honest and straightforward she was. She was very smart and calculating. She came across as colorful and nuanced. She made all the other characters more real than they would’ve been on their own. Harry was a great character as well. He was so sweet and I liked his and Evelyn’s special friendship and bond. He was easily my favorite husband of hers. Monique was pretty good on her own. She seemed to learn a lot from Evelyn in such a short time.
The story is told in an unique way. Instead of the usual chapter format, each husband gets a chapter. Different men, different periods in Evelyn’s life. They’re more about Evelyn than her husbands, but it was highly original and well-done. It’s written like a memoir, a gossip magazine and a diary all rolled into one. The format was also surprisingly easy to read. That is kind of ironic because Evelyn is such a complex character. The two biggest twists in the book– Evelyn’s true love and Monique’s connection to Evelyn–came about in a very interesting way. This is my first time reading a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but it definitely won’t be the last.
While I found Evelyn Hugo to be one of the most intriguing protagonists ever, there were lots of times where I didn’t like her so much. Some of the things she did to get ahead were just wrong. It often seemed like she cared more about fame and fortune than she did about the people in her life. And those mistakes proved to be quite costly. She didn’t seem like a good person. But at least she’s honest about it. And she was true to herself. Like a person or don’t, you have to admire someone who’s honest and true to themselves. My only other grievance was Monique. She wasn’t a very interesting character on her own. Kinda boring, really. It was like the friendship between Monique and Evelyn was supposed to happen.
Hands down, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of best novels I’ve ever read. It’s highly original, smartly written and well-researched. I wonder who inspired Reid when she wrote this book? I highly recommend it, giving it a 9.5 out of 10. You can find on amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other such bookstores.
Paint me. Write 