Book Review: Down The Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison

Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Author's Website

Title: Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of  Former Playboy Bunny
Author: Holly Madison
Series: None
Genre: Biography & Memoir
Original Release Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: Dey Street Books, 1st Edition
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★★★

The shocking, never-before-told story of the bizarre world inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and, finally, the secret truth about the man who holds the key—from one of the few people who truly knows: Hef’s former #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door.

A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice’s journey into Wonderland, after Holly plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show for four years—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Life inside the notorious Mansion wasn’t a dream at all—and quickly became her nightmare. After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide.

But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.

In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the Mansion, the drugs, the sex, the abuse, the infamous parties, and her real behind-the-scenes life with Bridget, Kendra, and, of course, Mr. Playboy himself.

With great courage, Holly shares the details of her subsequent troubled relationship, landing her own successful television series, and the hard work of healing, including her turn on Dancing with the Stars. A cautionary tale and a celebration of personal empowerment, Down the Rabbit Hole reminds us of the importance of fighting for our dreams—and finding the life we deserve.

My Thoughts

I struggled with whether or not I should post a review about this book seeing as how I review YA books, and this was definitely not a YA book. The content wasn't explicit or graphic, but the subject matter definitely pushed the limits of YA appropriate. I finally chose to write this review because the book was fantastic, and it deserved my attention. I will say that this book has a few trigger warnings for suicide and verbal abuse.

This memoir was riveting. I love learning about things I don't know anything about. Who hasn't been even a little curious about what it would be like to live in the Playboy mansion?? I do understand that are two sides to every story so I'm willing to take this memoir with a grain of salt. There were a few parts of the book that I wondered if she fabricated the truth a bit too much. I still absolutely loved it!!!

This book was very well paced - I had a very hard time putting it down. I also loved her voice. She was a pleasure to read. She came across as charming, intelligent, and down to earth. I do have to admit that the pacing of the story slowed down for me when she left the mansion to pursue other things, but that is likely because I found the mansion part of her life read more like fiction than real life.

Overall

I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to anybody who feels that they can handle the subject matter. I loved it for what it was, not for what it stood for or for what the message was. It was well written and intriguing. This book is probably one of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read.