When I first saw this book released, I wasn't very interested. While I think Britney was beautiful and talented, and I wasn't really sure what was happening with the conservatorship ... I've tended to read fiction and stories. I've made a slight shift to non-fiction and memoirs, and figured I'd give this a go. It was interesting and made me think and search out additional info. Thumbs up for that. It was pretty quick and easy to get through. 

There were so many times in this book where Britney is recalling the past, and framing it/explaining it, from her perspective NOW ... and it honestly feels too soon. Has she come far enough, distanced herself enough, to really be able to be fair? It would be interesting to have another 10+ years pass and see what a memoir/reflection would look like at that time. Even NOW, when this book has come out, just a year after the conservatorship ended, there are "I see now" "I think back now" statements. In a few more years, what will she think about 2023 and this book and will some feelings/perspectives and "I can see NOW" moments will there be?

She DOES state a few times "I'd become weird" and "I started to get weird" ... mentions "a breaking point for me internally" about post-partum depression and her mental health, that she was "out of my mind" ... she explains/retrospectively "shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: F you" ... IS that what she was thinking in the moment? Or after 10+ years and a publicist helping reframe things? She explains taking her son and locking them in the bathroom "the only thing I was guilty of was feeling desperate to keep my own children for a few more hours" (how many horror stories are there of parents taking and hurting their children and people saying "why didn't someone do something?"), she explains the umbrella incident "I snapped, I hit his car, it was a desperate move by a desperate person" ...  there is SO MUCH "I see now" "I think back now" ... type of reflection ... 10+ years later after tons of counseling (as bad as the conservatorship was, she also admits to some help with other ladies in AA, therapy, etc) and just general life growth, YES, you see things differently NOW. But what was going on then? I still don't fully understand the conservatorship and what was entailed, and I don't think it was all on the up and up, but there was some basis for it. If it hadn't happened, and Britney had killed herself, perhaps taking her children with her during another break ... what would the world be saying then? I know, it's all "what ifs"  ... I honestly don't understand the conservatorship at all, but I'm not sure how much more time I want to spend researching. It seems if the conservatorship is like a guardianship for a child, that a child has more protections and follow-up ... I can't imagine a talented child being forced to work, watch their weight, being limited on personal decisions without more outside oversight and scrutiny. It was a good point ... how many MEN get set up in a conservatorship under similar circumstances. Still, one has to wonder what would have happened if Britney had been left on her own also ...

I do think Britney is telling her story the way she sees it ... but it is very one sided. It's interesting that her mother and sister have both written their own memoirs too. JT hasn't commented much (other than "no disrespect" and an "apology" earlier) to tell his side, and nothing B tells is beyond belief concerning their relationship. It would be interesting to get a full accounting from her father, to hear his side, his attempted explanations. 

Rather than just 49 chapters ... I would have appreciated some headers/TOC and/or a timeline ... (I found this online https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-10-26/britney-spears-timeline-career-memoir)

*1981 - Southern childhood
*1993-1995 MMC years
*1998- Jive Records Deal
*1999-Baby One More Time
*2000-Oops I Did It Again
*2001-PopPrincess/MTV Halftime Show
*1999-2022 - JT Years
*2002- Crossroads Movie
*2003- Vegas Wedding
*2003- Madonna Kiss
*2004- Toxic/Grammy, Kevin Federline marriage
*2005- Birth of 1st child
*2006- Birth of second child//Divorce
*2007-MTV Video Music Awards (bad performance), Shaving Head, Umbrella Incident
*2008-Conservatorship Begins. Womanizer #1
*2011-7th Album "Femme Fatale"
*2012-Judge on "The X Factor" then LV residency "Piece of Me"
*2016-9th Album "Glory"
*2017-on Instagram
*2018-followup residency cancelled, mental health facility, GLAAD Vanguard Award (not mentioned in memoir- I guess her speaking at the ceremony doesn't fit the memoir at that moment?)
*2019- the #freebritney movement
*2020- three new singles
*2021- documentaries, court hearing, Jamie Spears removed, conservatorship terminated
*2022- duet with Elton John, marriage to Sam Asghari

The book was released in 2023, and she and Hesam divorced shortly after. Her statement "As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together ... 6 years is a long time to be with someone, so I'm a little shocked but ... I'm not here to explain why because it's honestly nobody's business !!! But I couldn't take the pain anymore, honestly!!! I've been playing it strong for way too long and my Instagram may seem perfect but it's far from reality and I think we all know that !!! I would love to show my emotions and tears on how I really feel but some reason I've always had to hide my weakness!!!" 

After reading this ... it's obvious that even as juvenile sounding as this memoir is at times, it was ghost-written. The lack of !!!!!! throughout is a giveaway (I can't in good conscience remark on the ellipses ... as I'm known to overuse them myself!) The recent post "it's nobody's business" is interesting right after a tell-all memoir has been released.  I get the "woman in me title" but her statements about "giving me back my womanhood" just felt cringy, especially as she sounds (when speaking and writing) like a child. All the "my little heart" and "I was the arguably the biggest star on earth" ... 

Note on the audio - at first I was a little surprised Britney wasn't going to narrate her own memoir. It's somewhat standard for the author to narrate if they are still able to do so. However, as she does the intro and prologue, I could only think "um yes, good decision" as Britney's voice was absolutely grating! Michelle Williams did a wonderful job, and even had the slightest (younger) Britney "sound" (or was that just mental on my part?)