I came for the juicy stuff (and there is plenty of it, even with all the media spoilers) but stayed for the more gut wrenching bits. This is a very sad book, and a must-read if you ask me. It’s also very quick… you will easily finish it in a few hours. I cannot imagine enduring everything that Spears has gone through. To have every single person close to her have an ulterior motive. To have everyone (including her own parents) just take, take, take. Variety’s review (I read several reviews; this one is very good) describes the book as an explanation of how she survived the men in her life and I think that is very true. Her father, Justin, Kevin… the paparazzi (mostly men), late-night talk show hosts, creepy interviewers, a sexist media narrative, etc. This is a woman who is/was so incredibly talented and has accomplished so much yet had to beg (publicly, in court!) for her freedom. (All the while living on a $2,000/month allowance as her parents took millions of dollars from her!). A woman who has been made the butt of countless jokes. (As Amy Odell puts it, “It’s hard not to feel guilty as a fan who followed her during this terrible time in her life through the sexist narrative the press made available to us.”). I think (at least I hope) that our society is slowly waking up to how horribly we have treated so many women over the years (Monica Lewinsky and Pamela Anderson stand out to me here as well). We still have a long way to go.
Author: Britney Spears