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jackie2467's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Violence
chetakwa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse
andthatsonliterature's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
This is the story of a misguided girl caught up in the world of sex, drugs, and Marvin Gaye…
While I won’t make any excuses for Marvin because he was an adult throughout their whole ordeal, I will make a few for Janis. At 17, she was a misguided girl with a warped sense of reality. Her father was pretty much a deadbeat (although he pops back up once she becomes involved with Marvin) and her mama was too busy trying to live her own life to truly give a damn.
Seeking the love she wasn’t receiving at home, she sought love in Marvin Gaye and they began a relationship that lasted over 10 years. Marvin Gaye was a deeply troubled man (dealing with his own childhood traumas) who wanted to be needed by people only to turn around and use those same needs against people to control and persuade them to act according to his rules. He was the true tale of when the manipulated (reference his marriage to Anna Gordy and ties to Motown) becomes the manipulator. The love they shared saw a lot of highs (no pun instead because they were doing every drug under the sun) and plenty of lows.
Kudos to Janis for telling her story and standing in her truth. She laid it all on the table, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
While I won’t make any excuses for Marvin because he was an adult throughout their whole ordeal, I will make a few for Janis. At 17, she was a misguided girl with a warped sense of reality. Her father was pretty much a deadbeat (although he pops back up once she becomes involved with Marvin) and her mama was too busy trying to live her own life to truly give a damn.
Seeking the love she wasn’t receiving at home, she sought love in Marvin Gaye and they began a relationship that lasted over 10 years. Marvin Gaye was a deeply troubled man (dealing with his own childhood traumas) who wanted to be needed by people only to turn around and use those same needs against people to control and persuade them to act according to his rules. He was the true tale of when the manipulated (reference his marriage to Anna Gordy and ties to Motown) becomes the manipulator. The love they shared saw a lot of highs (no pun instead because they were doing every drug under the sun) and plenty of lows.
Kudos to Janis for telling her story and standing in her truth. She laid it all on the table, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
_geminiflyii090509's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
readerenergy's review against another edition
5.0
Welp....
When trauma meets trauma.
Janis Thank you for sharing your story. RIP
When trauma meets trauma.
Janis Thank you for sharing your story. RIP
shannanh's review against another edition
4.0
It was a good read. It gives readers an insight about the personal life of Marvin Gaye.