2020: I'm still not exactly sure who told me to read this book, because I don't think I ever would have picked it up solely judging it by its cover (I feel like I'm not supposed to do that...) But I am happy it came my way and that I gave it a shot. It feels very similar to City of Girls, but perhaps only because I read that so recently.

The story follows Evelyn Hugo as she navigates 1950s-70s Hollywood and a world that wanted to deny her own agency. Told from a contemporary lens (Evelyn is now in her 80s, and is recounting her life story to young upstart Monique), this book provides an excellent example of how to tell a modern, inclusive story in an old fashioned and outdated setting. Mad Men could learn a few lessons from Taylor Jenkins Reid.

It's a shame how poorly Monique is treated in this novel, as compared to how well Evelyn is. I honestly thought she was a very flat character, with the characters in her life also flattened to stereotypes (her boss, her mom, her ex, blah). I was frustrated whenever we swapped back to the Monique story, and away from Evelyn's far more intricate and engaging life.

I confess I saw the twist at the end coming about halfway through the book, and dreaded that I would be correct (I was). The ending was so unsatisfying for me, because even though the conclusion to Evelyn's story revolved around her finally accepting and prioritizing her true identity and her real romantic love, the final reveal of the linchpin character shows him denying his himself the same! How frustrating.