Audiobook Review: This is Me: A Reckoning by Hayden Panettiere
This is Me: A Reckoning
Author: Hayden Panettiere
Narrator: Hayden Panettiere
Published: May 19, 2026
Audiobook: 7 hours 47 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened: August 30- September 4, 2026
Book Description:
Hayden Panettiere’s career in entertainment began before she was old enough to walk. From early commercials to film and television roles in hits like Remember the Titans, her career unfolded in the public eye, resulting in tremendous success by her early teens. She had become a fixture of early-2000s pop culture, earning acclaim for performances in Heroes, Nashville (which earned her two Golden Globe nominations), and beyond—while quietly carrying the weight of expectations that came with being Hollywood’s “It girl.”
Behind the image was a far more complicated reality. As Hayden entered adulthood, the industry that once felt playful grew unforgiving as she learned by experience the pressure placed on young performers, the hefty price that often comes with fame, and how quickly someone else can take control of your story. She recounts being scrutinized by tabloids, watching her body and private pain become public property, and performing storylines on-screen that echoed trauma she was living through off-camera.
In this memoir, Hayden shares a rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss. She holds nothing back as she reflects on the moments she calls “lifequakes”— experiences that fractured her sense of self and forced her to rebuild it from the inside out. In This Is Me: A Reckoning Hayden showcases her most vulnerable role yet. . .this is her story, on her terms.
Jessica’s Review:
Hayden Panettiere’s life began August 21,1989 and she passed away on August 16, 2026. Just a few days shy of her birthday, Hayden was only 36. This memoir was released on May 19, 2026 and through it Hayden shares with us her life in the way she wants. Hayden shares from her childhood through giving up custody of her daughter. She also shares about her life in between.
From the time she was eight months old, Hayden was involved in show business. While listening to this she never had a chance to have a ‘normal childhood’: A childhood not in the spotlight. I never had children, but who would want to expose their infant to this kind of life? Hearing about her leaving school and then going to work as a young girl was frustrating for me. She grew up in the spotlight dealing with everything the children go though but exposed for the public to see.
Hayden had many battles in her short life: post-partum depression, the unexpected loss of her younger brother, giving up custody of her daughter and addiction. And addiction is how we have ultimately lost her as it has been determined that Hayden overdosed on drugs.
While talking about her life, Hayden also doesn’t give extreme details. She talks about two events when she was 18-19 years old in Hollywood and what happened but does not give names; she only alludes as to who these ‘mystery men’ are. I think that was most likely that if she gave names, then it would have become a ‘he said/ she said’ situation and a possible battle that she did not want to fight. She does speak on her relationship with Mila Ventimiglia while filming Heroes and their significant age difference. The biggest surprise for me was that Hayden came out as bi-sexual with a preference for women. She stated that she knew this from a young age.
We get to hear about her life working on soap operas, Heroes, Nashville, and a couple of the Scream films. We also get to hear about her filming Remember the Titans, which was filmed in Georgia, so I enjoyed hearing about that time in her life. I remember going to see the movie in the theater. We also experience her addictions, her relationship with the father of her daughter Wladimir Klitschko, her postpartum depression, and more.
There was so much more that she could have shared, but so much was glossed over. But again, look at the title of this memoir: Hayden told the story of her life in the way she wanted. I listened to the audiobook and she narrated it. I am choosing to not give this memoir a star rating and just leave my thoughts to it. May she finally rest and have the peace in death that she failed to have in life.
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Book Review: A Girl and Five Brave Horses by Sonora Carver
A Girl and Five Brave Horses
Author: Sonora Carver
Narrator: Laci Morgan
First Published: 1961
Audiobook: 6 hours 8 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: November 1-5, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
In the roaring ’20s, adventurous young Sonora Webster sees an exciting act that will change her life forever. Hooves pound as a horse gallops up the ramp of a 40-foot-tall tower. A girl in a sparkly swimsuit waits at the top, and at the last possible second, leaps on its back as they dive through the air, falling to a tank of water far below with thunderous applause.
Sonora is hooked. From that moment on, she is determined to BE that girl, despite the danger, and endeavors to join the diving horse troupe. This memoir follows her exciting career and life on the road as a traveling performer with W.F. Carver’s stunt show, even after she was blinded in an accident. Despite her lack of sight, she continued to dive for eleven years, becoming an inspiration to blind and disabled people who heard her story. Sonora’s life even inspired the beloved 1991 movie, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.
Full of twists and turns, humorous animal tales, moments of tragedy, and hope, listeners will enjoy this exciting true tale of a strong American woman finding her place in history during the Great Depression, with an unbreakable spirit and the help of her brave horse partners.
Jessica’s Review:
If you have seen the movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, then you know the very basic story about Sonora Carver. A Girl and Five Brave Horses is Sonora’s story in her own words. This is the story of a life of determination and strength despite the unexpected events that life can be the cause of.
The movie gives the basis of what happens in her life and Sonora’s memoir adds to it. At times the memoir was detailed and other times it isn’t. I wanted to know more about Sonora’s family (especially her relationship with her sister Arnette) and more on her relationship with Al, unfortunately which we don’t get. The movie leads you to believe that Al is much younger than he actually was: Al was about 20 years older than Sonora. The movie does not show that Arnette was a part of Sonora’s life during her horse diving. And for taking place during the Depression, we are not told how life was for those living during that time.
We do get details about Sonora’s treatment for her eyes and her adjustment into life without sight. Growing up and loving the film, I think I went in with big expectations for the memoir and I was disappointed. I feel we could have been given so much more than what we got. There were just details for some events and then other important events were just rushed through. Carver was from another time and maybe that was why we didn’t get as much details as we would get if this story happened now. This could be because Sonora is telling her story to someone else versus actually writing it.
I really don’t like giving a lower rating (3.5 stars) for a memoir, which is someone’s life, but there was so much more that could have been with this memoir than what we got.
Purchase Links:
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Audiobook Review: Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley
Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom
Author: Christine Brown Woolley
Narrator: Christine Brown Woolley
Published: September 2, 2025
Audiobook: 8 hours 43 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 2-5, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
From TLC’s Sister Wives star Christine Brown Woolley, a groundbreaking and heartfelt memoir about living in a family like no other and finding the strength to leave Mormonism—and the only life she’s known—behind.
Christine Brown Woolley had always dreamed of having a picture-perfect family—beautiful children, an adoring husband, and of course, a sisterhood of wives to share him with. Raised in Utah by practicing polygamists, Christine knew her life was less than normal, but that didn’t stop her from loving the full house of her childhood any less.
Becoming Kody Brown’s third wife in 1994, Christine finally found the big, happy family she had hoped for. When TLC’s hit show Sister Wives premiered in 2010, Christine knew it was her chance to shine a light on the brighter side of polygamy—the helping hands, the lively discussions, and their unmatched devotion to each other. But the cameras also revealed a much darker truth.
Now, in this candid tell-all, Christine shares for the first time the journey that led her away from the Morman church and the bold path she is carving to live apart from all she has ever known. Moving, genuine, and insightful, this is a uniquely powerful tour de force of Christine’s journey toward and beyond her time in the spotlight as a sister wife.
Jessica’s Review:
I first watched some of Sister Wives years ago, and for some reason I decided to start it over and watch it in December of 2023. I am all caught up, and yes, I have a favorite former sister wife (Janelle all the way!) and a strong dislike for Kody. After finishing Christine’s memoir my opinion of Kody is this: He’s a total douche! Yes, this is Christine’s perspective of her life, but I mean, if you have seen the show, then you know: It’s like a ‘knife to the kidneys’!
I know that reality shows are not necessarily ‘real’, but there are some things mentioned in Woolley’s memoir that give a whole different perspective on the show. When I found out about the book, I knew I wanted to read or listen to it. Woolley narrates the memoir herself and it sounds just like how she speaks and it was like she was speaking to me.
Christine can be a bit ‘much’ at times on the show but she is who she is and you can take it or leave it. We find out the details about the falling out Christine had with Meri, and the closeness she gets with Janelle over time. She goes into the Mormon religion, polygamy, her background and her dislike for Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, which she was not a part of. She goes full throttle telling everything with no holding back. From her first kiss at the alter to the wedding night, to the lack of a sex life, to finally leaving Kody and the polygamist way of life. To starting over, and finding a love that she fully deserves with David Woolley. Christine has lived quite a life.
People are talking about the details of Christine and Kody’s sex life, and many other things that were believed from the show and confirmed with the memoir, but there were many other things that were not on the show: Yes, the sister wives did drink in Vegas. How early on Christine thought about leaving Kody, but never acted on it. And how much things changed early on once Robyn came into the picture. Things are definitely not how they appear on television! What I found shocking was Christine was at the beginnings of addiction to oxycodone, but realized it and was able to get off of it herself.
There was so much more I could say, but I will just say this: Read or listen to the memoir if you are a fan of the show! I really hope Meri and Janelle also write memoirs one day so we can hear their side of their lives!
Purchase Links:
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