The book that has all of Tik Tok down on their knees praying to Taylor Jenkins Reid was absolutely worth every second of reading. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a page-turning novel displaying the deceptions of Hollywood, and it’s bound to leave the reader questioning the thin line between reality and fiction. 

Authored by Reid, the book begins with a young aspiring writer, Monique Grant, who is given the opportunity to tell the story of the timeless Evelyn Hugo. Monique is not exactly a world-renowned author, but there must be a reason that Evelyn Hugo personally asked for her to write this story. Summoned to Hugo’s posh and expensive home, it is now up to Monique to not only find out why she was chosen by all the writers in the world but also narrate the story of a mysterious yet intriguing woman. 

At the start of the novel, Hugo’s old age brings her urge to tell the world the story of how and why she had seven husbands. Was she in love seven times? Was it all for the cameras? Was every single one of those marriages worth the rumors that flew about her? The world wonders as Hugo makes the decision to put her life into words and create a story.

Monique arrives almost every day to write Hugo’s story, and as she unveils every one of her seven husbands, one question remains–who was Evelyn’s truest love? 

The readers are left wondering about Monique. Through every article clipping and on-screen romance, the world is left in the dark as to who the real light of Evelyn’s life is. The characters are carefully construed into these mosaics with different pieces of the world created into one. 

There are many persistent themes this book embodies–the idea that almost everything one sees online is fake, that everybody has a different perception of love, and that sometimes the best way to be inherently good is to accept that one is evil. Evelyn had swallowed that bitter pill from the very beginning of the novel, as she bluntly stated that in her time of fame she had not been a good person. 

This novel shows the reality of being a renowned Hollywood actress —  with every pair of eyes staring at you, watching you, waiting for you to mess up. The readers follow Evelyn’s story as she goes through difficult times with no one watching over her, and finds a way to be someone she is content with. Through her endeavors, Evelyn finds people who love her unconditionally, whether those people are her husbands or simply friends in actingEvelyn is a flawed and raw example of femininity that the readers learn to accept as she shows her strength by proving that women too can get what they want if they are willing to pay the right price. 

In a world where movie actors and actresses serve as role models and idols to so many young people, it is important to remember that they too are people with feelings. This book is a perfect representation of the obstacles that must be overcome to make a name for yourself in Hollywood. It is real, true,  and exactly what this generation needs to read in order to comprehend the realities behind the idealities of social media that condemn them. 

The best part of the book is that nothing is censored. When Evelyn tells her story, she tells the whole truth, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.  All the way from how she made it to Hollywood in the first place, to coming to terms with her sexuality, and to why she left the show business. Granted, Evelyn was not perfect and she made her share of mistakes, but that was the valuable lesson buried inside the book; the people that look perfect and put together on the outside are in so much pain on the inside.

Evelyn had to hide a whole part of who she was because of her work and the public eye. Sometimes you prioritize work over living and you think it’s the right thing to do, but this book teaches you that there is nothing more worthy of prioritizing than yourself. 

This book is one that either takes you one sitting or five; either way, it’s the perfect read for when you feel that the world is against you because even when Evelyn did, she built her own world. It’s filled with love, hurt, friendship, scandals, and passion that’ll reignite the fire in you. Accept the flaws, cry when you want to, but always always allow yourself to be happy.