Why You Should Read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid...

This book is utterly captivating from start to finish. I read it over two days and honestly struggled to put it down. Rather than trying to find a couple of hours in the day that I could settle down and read a few chapters, the two days in which I read it were spent glued to my sofa, reading page after page, with the occasional break to eat, sleep and do my laundry. 

Not only is the pacing of this story perfection but the dual storyline running throughout creates a really engaging narrative. One story arc, our starting point, follows Monique, a budding journalist who interviews the glamorous and formidable Evelyn Hugo. Monique’s personal journey is an interesting one, as is her relationship with Evelyn. As she gets to know Evelyn’s personal traumas and experiences outside of the tabloids, we see how this effects how Monique then views her own life and makes her own decisions. It’s this, paired with the mystery of why Evelyn chose Monique to interview her, that really makes you question the complexity of people’s motivations. Are people good or bad or a little bit of both? Can selfishness be a good thing? Can terrible things be forgiven? 

The second story arc is Evelyn’s retelling of her life. The story telling in these chapters is fluid, vivid, convincing, all consuming and utterly magic. Jenkins Reid takes you on an emotional roller coaster, shining a light on the misogyny, sexism and power struggles imbedded in Hollywood, spread across decades of Evelyn’s glamorous and tumultuous life. Just when you think you know what’s happening, something new slaps you in the face.

The characters in this book are extremely well thought out and complex. They’re all utterly lovable and diabolical at the same time. Every single one will remind you of someone you know – sometimes of yourself – and not necessarily in a good way. With themes of love, family, selfishness, prejudice, abuse, pride, sex, sexuality, identity and secrecy running throughout every twist and turn, this book made me laugh, cry and gasp more times than I can count.

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