Holly Madison

I'm reading this in October, the month I typically reserve for nothing but horror reading. But I feel like this sort of fits the theme; it's just a different kind of horrifying.

I never really watched The Girls Next Door, I didn't read this book because I want an inside look at Hugh Hefner's bedroom escapades (gross), and I really don't care about knowing anything of the inner workings of the "famous for fame's sake" world. I was really drawn to this book when I read a preview of it, and the show more voice of the narrator (and writer) sounded so sad and vulnerable and sincere when she described how she would end it all. Oh, and intelligent. That made me sit right up and re-think how I had judged this person in light of how she became famous.

The book pretty much lives up to all of that. I never expected the prose to be beautiful or poetic. It feels honest. Although, there seems to be a certain amount of branding to it that, every so often, creeps over the genuine line. The details are salacious, but, to me at least, the book manages to avoid that sticky, tabloid tell-all feel. I would have liked a bit more self-reflection. There's some, but it's really just a story of her time being with/escaping from Hefner with a little bit of feminist hell-yeahing at the end. There is vulnerability, but only in a retrospective and sort of superficial way. Hefner is never called out as being abusive (except maybe once), manipulating, yes, and the implication is definitely there. But flat out abusive, no.

Overall, it was an interesting read (obviously, I read it in one day). And I'm glad to have my preconceived notions that Hugh Hefner is sad, lame human being confirmed. show less

I was surprised at how I could not put this book down. It would've been like trying to look away from a trainwreck. I give Holly credit for feeling like it was necessary to write this book in order to save someone some pain and heartache in the future if they found themselves in her shoes. I knew ahead of time that life at the Playboy mansion had rules and obviously things aren't always as they seem, but I really had no idea as to the extent of it. It may seem like a "trashy" read because of show more the association with the reality show "Girls Next Door" and with Playboy, but I honestly loved this book. I ended up feeling so bad for this woman and what she had to go through in her 20's, and how abusive the people closest to her could be. This is a cautionary tale, and I would recommend it to others who seem to find themselves in sketchy situations more often than they'd like. I would also recommend it to anyone who just wants to read a non-fiction book full of drama and stories that seem like they should be fiction but aren't! Holly did well for her first book. show less

Down the Rabbit Hole is all about spilling the beans, and I can't say as though I blame Holly Madison for writing it. I hesitate to use the term, but Holly Madison was Heffner's number one girlfriend for seven years, only after years of paying her dues as a lesser ranked girlfriend among a dozen others. She was also one of the stars on The Girls Next Door, a (not so much) reality show that stars Hef's three girlfriends at the time. This book will open your eyes to what life really was like show more in the mansion, and there is not one thing that was glamorous about it.

While I don't question the authors belief in her own honesty, I do think that she sees herself through rose colored glasses. According to her, practically every other girlfriend was a slut, bitch, user... Except her. There were a lot of victims of broken promises, wasted lives, emotional abuse, broken spirits, etc., but I don't think there was a person with honorable intentions among them, including Holly Madison. I accept that people make decisions for different reasons, and sometimes tell lies to themselves to get through it. Often they don't come to terms until later in life, forgive themselves and move on. Other times, people lie to themselves for so long, that it becomes their real life story, and I think that's the case with Holly Madison. A nice woman, living a good life hopefully, who doesn't care to face the ugliness of who she was in her past. Such as the plight of memoirs, right?

Anyway, I am glad that I read it. It's always good to be reminded of the reasons that I am blessed to live the life that I do, simple as it is. show less

Down the Rabbit Hole is all about spilling the beans, and I can't say as though I blame Holly Madison for writing it. I hesitate to use the term, but Holly Madison was Heffner's number one girlfriend for seven years, only after years of paying her dues as a lesser ranked girlfriend among a dozen others. She was also one of the stars on The Girls Next Door, a (not so much) reality show that stars Hef's three girlfriends at the time. This book will open your eyes to what life really was like show more in the mansion, and there is not one thing that was glamorous about it.

While I don't question the authors belief in her own honesty, I do think that she sees herself through rose colored glasses. According to her, practically every other girlfriend was a slut, bitch, user... Except her. There were a lot of victims of broken promises, wasted lives, emotional abuse, broken spirits, etc., but I don't think there was a person with honorable intentions among them, including Holly Madison. I accept that people make decisions for different reasons, and sometimes tell lies to themselves to get through it. Often they don't come to terms until later in life, forgive themselves and move on. Other times, people lie to themselves for so long, that it becomes their real life story, and I think that's the case with Holly Madison. A nice woman, living a good life hopefully, who doesn't care to face the ugliness of who she was in her past. Such as the plight of memoirs, right?

Anyway, I am glad that I read it. It's always good to be reminded of the reasons that I am blessed to live the life that I do, simple as it is. show less