I was so excited to get my hands on this book when it came out. I remember going to Wal-Mart and seeing it in the book section for the first time, and seriously considering standing there and getting a head start on the book. But because I was already Wal-Mart-reading Kerry Washington’s memoir, I decided to be loyal to Kerry.

I can’t be the only one who sometimes store-reads books, can I? It’s a great motivation to walk thirty minutes to the store and back, and of course I’ll buy a little something to thank the store for giving me this beautiful opportunity. Haha.

Anyway. This book. This book felt like the kind of story that needed to be published. It needed to get out there and land itself into the hands, minds, and hearts of millions of people. Not just because this is America’s Sweetheart we’re talking about, but because what Britney Spears went through needed to be known, and I could tell reading it that this was very cathartic for the singer to get off her chest.

If you aren’t aware, for thirteen years, Britney Spears’ family – more specifically her father – had almost complete control over her professional life and, in some ways, her personal life as well. From keeping her hard-earned money from her, save for the little allowance she was allowed to have, to basically forcing her to perform shows and controlling her diet, Britney Spears’ family did not have her best interest at heart. On the contrary, her Conservatorship had a detrimental effect on her body, mental health and her emotional growth as a woman.

I was terrified to read about how small her world became after the Conservatorship was put in place, and how stuck she felt during that time. Part of me loved the hell out of Britney for being so courageous as to divulge some of the horrendous things that were done to her, but another part of me felt so anxious and claustrophobic reading about all of these personal details that I couldn’t wait to get to the last chapter.

There’s also a lot of mature introspection from the author, which made her much easier to understand and emphasize with. She’s not only telling, and showing, but also feeling and, at times, sharing her life and thoughts as though from a witness’ standpoint. I could tell she understood that what had happened to her was unacceptable, especially now that she finally got out of that toxic sphere she was in. It’s hard to realize sometimes that the way the people closest to us are treating us is not normal and it’s not okay.

Like all of us, Britney Spears still has a lot to learn, and a lot more power to grow into, but I’m so proud of her, and I’m so excited to see her thrive as a much freer woman. I follow her on Instagram, and it’s lovely to watch her dance again because it makes her happy, not because she has to.

Purchase this book through Amazon using this link so I can buy myself a cookie while I write more reviews 🙂