This is written very simply as if Britney is speaking directly to the reader. She talks about her childhood, her father’s alcoholism and abuse, and her rise to stardom. Then she begins to show us how she ended up under her father’s control legally. My take on this is that she was overworked, reeling from a breakup and the loss of her kids, and her family took advantage. In my opinion, they’d been living off of her too long and didn’t want it to end.
The most shocking part of the book to me was that when her father got the conservatorship, he told her “I’m Britney Spears now.” Everything she did was with his permission. She couldn’t even eat what she wanted. And she remained under his control for 13 years. Yet while she was supposed to be so unwell, he had her working nonstop. She became his dancing puppet and golden goose. Her court-appointed attorney did nothing, and she was basically locked away, brought out only for performances. It is shocking and sad. Then she tells us how she finally gained freedom, and how close she feels to her fans.
It was a sad read. It reminds me of a book I read recently set in the 1920s about a husband who sent his wife to an asylum because he wanted her money. At the time I thought that couldn’t happen in this day and age. But I was wrong.
Nobody helped her for a long time. In my opinion: The media wanted its story. Her mother and sister wanted the life they were accustomed to, and her father wanted control. Britney just wanted her kids. This is a compelling story that I read in one sitting, and it’s a warning to women that things like this can still happen.
Although the writing style is not as complex as I would like, this gets 4.5 stars for the content and for shining the light on a situation that I thought couldn’t happen in the 21st Century. I think all women should read this. This is rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
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