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Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2017)In this groundbreaking debut essay collection, featuring never-before-seen photos, actress Lily Collins—star of Mortal Instruments and the upcoming Rules Don’t Apply—is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with: body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and so much more.
For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lily’s honest voice will inspire you to be who you are and say what you feel. It’s time to claim your voice! It’s time to live your life unfiltered.
For the first time ever, Lily shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.
By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Lily’s honest voice will inspire you to be who you are and say what you feel. It’s time to claim your voice! It’s time to live your life unfiltered.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 9, 2017
About the author
Lily Collins
3 books619 followersEntertainment has been a big part of Lily Collins’s life since her childhood in England. Once she moved to Los Angeles, Lily attended the Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts and performed in numerous musical theater productions. In 2009, Lily made her film debut in the Academy Award-nominated film The Blind Side. Her other films include Mirror Mirror; The English Teacher; Stuck in Love; The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones; and Love, Rosie. She is starring in Warren Beatty’s upcoming film Rules Don’t Apply opposite Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, and Matthew Broderick, among others, and will soon be seen in To the Bone, Okja, Halo of Stars (previously known as The Clown), and the TV series The Last Tycoon.
Lily also has a passion for journalism, which she discovered while working for Elle Girl UK. Later, she reported on the 2009 presidential inauguration for Nickelodeon, covered the Democratic and Republican national conventions for Seventeen magazine, and was a contributing editor for CosmoGirl and the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Lily has always strived to empower young people to use their voices, starting in high school, where she trained to be a teen therapist. Within the last few years, she became an ambassador for the anti-bullying organization Bystander Revolution and has taken part in national WE Day events that encourage today’s youth to stand together and speak out. Unfiltered is Lily’s debut book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,465 reviews
Want to read
February 28, 2017so. freaking. excited. for. this. book.
January 2, 2018
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I needed a break from one of the other books I was currently reading and desired something lighter that required less commitment, and Unfiltered was a wonderful choice.
CW: eating disorders, abusive relationships, addiction
I really enjoyed the writing style. Lily Collins is my favorite actress and her voice throughout these essays felt entirely authentic and raw. I believe had I read this book without knowing who the author was, I would have a fair chance determining this was her writing.
My favorite passages of course have to be the stories on food and eating disorders. Lily successfully expresses what it is truly like to suffer from anorexia/bulimia without including descriptions that would be intensely triggering for other survivors. She tells her story in a way that is honest, "unfiltered," and saddening, but still manages to give readers a glimmer of hope that shows that recovery is possible and something to desire. I especially enjoyed learning about her journey with food, from the pain provoked by the eating disorder to her joy of cooking and baking. This truly is an inspirational tale of how overcoming your inner demons is within your reach.
The other passages that really stood out to me were those expressing her love for her parents, her struggle with her insecurities and efforts towards good self esteem, and her experience with toxic and abusive relationships and partners. Each chapter is well placed, fully developed, and successfully gets the author's point across. I feel every word of this book is equally important and something that everyone, especially young girls, should read.
Could not be more pleased with Lily Collin's essay collection. I feel this is a book so many of my followers would enjoy!!
CW: eating disorders, abusive relationships, addiction
I really enjoyed the writing style. Lily Collins is my favorite actress and her voice throughout these essays felt entirely authentic and raw. I believe had I read this book without knowing who the author was, I would have a fair chance determining this was her writing.
My favorite passages of course have to be the stories on food and eating disorders. Lily successfully expresses what it is truly like to suffer from anorexia/bulimia without including descriptions that would be intensely triggering for other survivors. She tells her story in a way that is honest, "unfiltered," and saddening, but still manages to give readers a glimmer of hope that shows that recovery is possible and something to desire. I especially enjoyed learning about her journey with food, from the pain provoked by the eating disorder to her joy of cooking and baking. This truly is an inspirational tale of how overcoming your inner demons is within your reach.
The other passages that really stood out to me were those expressing her love for her parents, her struggle with her insecurities and efforts towards good self esteem, and her experience with toxic and abusive relationships and partners. Each chapter is well placed, fully developed, and successfully gets the author's point across. I feel every word of this book is equally important and something that everyone, especially young girls, should read.
Could not be more pleased with Lily Collin's essay collection. I feel this is a book so many of my followers would enjoy!!
August 20, 2022
I liked Lily Collins the actress (in fact she is one of the few actresses of who I would go to watch a movie simply as it has her name on it), after reading the book I really respect lily Collins the person and the writer. This is not a self help book but more like number of therapy secession written down. Lily shares a troubling experience (nothing in her life is off limit), boyfriend/relationship issues, body type issues, or even bulimia.
This is not a celebrity whining about how they had everything but were not happy. This is Lily discovering and overcoming everyday obstacles in her life. Yes Lily is very young you think how many obstacles could she possible have? She has the same things all the rest of us had growing up, maybe a few less the some few more then others. The thing is young people usually tend to listen to young people. She it the right age (possible looking younger is a bonus) were a young person might thing she is wise but not an adult telling them what to do. Being a celebrity definitely helps her get her message across. Part of the message is that people with these problem are not alone, the longest chapter in this book is the acknowledgements where Lily give thanks to many of the people who have not only helped he out during her life, but also called her on her mistakes. Immediately following this is a section full of address of useful website and organisations for some of these problems and other organisations she has been involved with.
If you are looking for just an autobiography of Lily Collins this is not that, but if you do read it you will have a much better understanding or who Lily Collins the person is that just an autobiography would give you. One of the ways I judge a book is if I am a bigger fan of the person or gaing more respect for the person after reading their book. This is definitely the case here. I would definitely be interested in both watching and reading more of work. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Lily Collins or young people going through a hard time growing up.
This is not a celebrity whining about how they had everything but were not happy. This is Lily discovering and overcoming everyday obstacles in her life. Yes Lily is very young you think how many obstacles could she possible have? She has the same things all the rest of us had growing up, maybe a few less the some few more then others. The thing is young people usually tend to listen to young people. She it the right age (possible looking younger is a bonus) were a young person might thing she is wise but not an adult telling them what to do. Being a celebrity definitely helps her get her message across. Part of the message is that people with these problem are not alone, the longest chapter in this book is the acknowledgements where Lily give thanks to many of the people who have not only helped he out during her life, but also called her on her mistakes. Immediately following this is a section full of address of useful website and organisations for some of these problems and other organisations she has been involved with.
If you are looking for just an autobiography of Lily Collins this is not that, but if you do read it you will have a much better understanding or who Lily Collins the person is that just an autobiography would give you. One of the ways I judge a book is if I am a bigger fan of the person or gaing more respect for the person after reading their book. This is definitely the case here. I would definitely be interested in both watching and reading more of work. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Lily Collins or young people going through a hard time growing up.
August 26, 2018
For the first time ever, Lily Collins shares her life and her own deepest secrets, underlining that every single one of us experiences pain and heartbreak. We all understand what it’s like to live in the light and in the dark. For Lily, it’s about making it through to the other side, where you love what you see in the mirror and where you embrace yourself just as you are. She's learned that all it takes is one person standing up and saying something for everyone else to realize they’re not alone.
I don’t tend to follow Collins or her films, but I love reading memoirs and essays, so I decided to give this one a go. And for the most part it did not disappoint. These essays cover a wide range of topics, from art, tattoos and Hollywood to eating disorders (battling with anorexia and bulimia), abusive relationships, self-love and acceptance, the connection and closeness between mother-daughter relationships, the complexity of father-daughter relationships, and a whole lot more.
But the one thing that stood out most about Unfiltered was how Collins laid her cards on the table and didn't hold back in addressing her past and present. I learned a lot about her character through the wisdom she imparted in this book. With quotes such as:
“My mom was the one who finally encouraged me to speak with a very dear friend who had been in this same kind of relationship years before. We sat for a couple of hours and talked about our shared experiences, and at the end he looked at me so powerfully and said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” With that simple statement—originally coined by Maya Angelou—it all clicked.”
“Forgiving myself is just as important as forgiving others.”
“It starts with me. In order to accept the love I deserve from someone else, I must truly believe that I am worthy of it. And I am. And I’ll never let anyone tell me differently.”
I loved the essay on “WE ACCEPT THE LOVE WE THINK WE DESERVE” because I'd just researched that quote last night and found my favorite post that explains it so well.
And then this piece about her mom:
“I remember feeling so guilty as a teenager if I had plans on the weekend because I didn’t want to leave her alone. If I left, what would she do? She never put that pressure on me; it was something I put on myself. I think this dynamic is common in mother-daughter relationships as complex and close as ours. I felt this innate sense of responsibility to protect her from loneliness, much like her instincts to protect me.”
This resonated so strongly with me.
“They are the proof that sharing our stories is key. It doesn’t matter where we’re from, what we look like, how old we are, or who we love—we all deserve to talk and connect. We all deserve to feel part of something greater. Because we are.”
But with all that I loved, the swiftness of this book made it difficult to fully connect with the author. Since a lot felt brushed over and rushed, we didn't fully get to dive into Collins's thoughts and feelings. There were only handful of essays where I actually felt something more, like when she talked about her eating disorders, accepting herself and coming of age. Her intellect, charm, and heart felt finally palpable and there. But then towards the end, it would once again feel so hurried that I'd loose the emotional bond created in that moment. It reminded me a lot of Alexandra Elle's poetry collection, Words from a Wanderer.
However, on a more positive note, I was appreciative of the amount of photographs scattered throughout the book:
3.5/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Unfiltered, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
I don’t tend to follow Collins or her films, but I love reading memoirs and essays, so I decided to give this one a go. And for the most part it did not disappoint. These essays cover a wide range of topics, from art, tattoos and Hollywood to eating disorders (battling with anorexia and bulimia), abusive relationships, self-love and acceptance, the connection and closeness between mother-daughter relationships, the complexity of father-daughter relationships, and a whole lot more.
But the one thing that stood out most about Unfiltered was how Collins laid her cards on the table and didn't hold back in addressing her past and present. I learned a lot about her character through the wisdom she imparted in this book. With quotes such as:
“My mom was the one who finally encouraged me to speak with a very dear friend who had been in this same kind of relationship years before. We sat for a couple of hours and talked about our shared experiences, and at the end he looked at me so powerfully and said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” With that simple statement—originally coined by Maya Angelou—it all clicked.”
“Forgiving myself is just as important as forgiving others.”
“It starts with me. In order to accept the love I deserve from someone else, I must truly believe that I am worthy of it. And I am. And I’ll never let anyone tell me differently.”
I loved the essay on “WE ACCEPT THE LOVE WE THINK WE DESERVE” because I'd just researched that quote last night and found my favorite post that explains it so well.
And then this piece about her mom:
“I remember feeling so guilty as a teenager if I had plans on the weekend because I didn’t want to leave her alone. If I left, what would she do? She never put that pressure on me; it was something I put on myself. I think this dynamic is common in mother-daughter relationships as complex and close as ours. I felt this innate sense of responsibility to protect her from loneliness, much like her instincts to protect me.”
This resonated so strongly with me.
“They are the proof that sharing our stories is key. It doesn’t matter where we’re from, what we look like, how old we are, or who we love—we all deserve to talk and connect. We all deserve to feel part of something greater. Because we are.”
But with all that I loved, the swiftness of this book made it difficult to fully connect with the author. Since a lot felt brushed over and rushed, we didn't fully get to dive into Collins's thoughts and feelings. There were only handful of essays where I actually felt something more, like when she talked about her eating disorders, accepting herself and coming of age. Her intellect, charm, and heart felt finally palpable and there. But then towards the end, it would once again feel so hurried that I'd loose the emotional bond created in that moment. It reminded me a lot of Alexandra Elle's poetry collection, Words from a Wanderer.
However, on a more positive note, I was appreciative of the amount of photographs scattered throughout the book:
3.5/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Unfiltered, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
April 12, 2017
I've never been shy about being silly. Life's just too short for that. It's important to do the things you love, even if other people think they're weird. And who are they to say what's weird anyway? Do THEY set the cool standard? No. Doing what we love is what makes us unique. Goofball, nerd, dork, geek, nutcase, and eccentric are all nicknames I'll wear proudly if it means living each day laughing and smiling and being happy!
This book is poorly written, very boring, and consists mostly of cliches and platitudes.
Collins really has close to nothing to offer here, and she is a terrible writer.
The book is her saying: love yourself, you're beautiful, don't take shit from boys, I love Harry Potter, I love Disneyland, my mom is the best mom, be strong, be yourself. And not in a cool or deep way, either. Just basically saying everything just like that.
Although we as daughters all have personal experiences with our own dads, we can still relate to one another's feelings and frustrations on a broad level. We can help one another come to a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for our father-daughter relationships. Our dads may not always live up to our expectations of what we think they should be or do. We may even find that they aren't capable of giving us what we need. In these moments it's so important to remember that recognizing someone's flaws is a gift. It allows us to take a step back and reevaluate how we approach them and how to move forward. It also spares us the agony and pain of blaming ourselves for their actions. Once we've realized this, it's time to express our thoughts and feelings. We must let them know how much we still need them and how it's never too late to right wrongs or change patterns. It can get better for both of us.
This book put me into a bit of a stupor, it was so boring and pointless. The only parts that were slightly rousing were when Collins discusses her anorexia and her bulimia. Of course, her descriptions of these diseases are on point, and even though she doesn't transform into a good writer when talking about them, I think it is good and right and helpful for a 28-year-old to help other young people who might be suffering about her struggles. Oftentimes as an anorexic you feel very alone, and perhaps reading about Collins' experiences might help some teens to realize that their behavior is not unique and that they have sisters who suffer in similar ways. Luckily Collins got the help she needed and was able to put her anorexia and bulimia in remission, but - as she did an amazing job of pointing out in the book, you are never cured from these EDs. They are always lurking in your subconscious... or in the back of your head, waiting to come out again. She rightfully worries about having to lose weight for a role in which she portrays an anorexic, terrified her ED is going to come out and play again. Luckily, she did it under the supervision of a nutritionist, but if I were her I would have been terrified. If I were her I'd have turned down that role with a loud "Hell, no." But she says she is glad she did it and that the film helped her understand more about herself and her disease.
Even though Collins is 28, she sounds a lot younger in this book. Her 'voice' here sounds like maybe a 19 or 20-year-old. This was weirding me out a little bit. She sounded early college-age, not 'nearing thirty' age. I'm beginning to think this is a celebrity thing, though, as a lot of celebrity memoirs I read by women have a feel that's a lot younger than the author.
Tl;dr - A boring, dull and poorly written book that is nothing more than platitudes and 'you go, girl' sentiments. Really fluffy, meaningless, and with no substance. This isn't due to Collins' age!!!! Many women of similar age have written great memoirs. She simply isn't cut out to be a writer.
I'm hesitant to give this one star - simply for her discussion of anorexia and bulimia. If even one teenager (or older) reads this and gets decides to deal with their illness it will be a complete success of a book in my mind, regardless of the fact that the majority of it is useless, meaningless drivel.
P.S. I don't think I have ever seen a Collins film, I don't know who she is, and I have no interest in her as an actor and I am pretty unfamiliar with her acting. So that didn't affect my review any.
This book is poorly written, very boring, and consists mostly of cliches and platitudes.
Collins really has close to nothing to offer here, and she is a terrible writer.
The book is her saying: love yourself, you're beautiful, don't take shit from boys, I love Harry Potter, I love Disneyland, my mom is the best mom, be strong, be yourself. And not in a cool or deep way, either. Just basically saying everything just like that.
Although we as daughters all have personal experiences with our own dads, we can still relate to one another's feelings and frustrations on a broad level. We can help one another come to a deeper understanding and greater appreciation for our father-daughter relationships. Our dads may not always live up to our expectations of what we think they should be or do. We may even find that they aren't capable of giving us what we need. In these moments it's so important to remember that recognizing someone's flaws is a gift. It allows us to take a step back and reevaluate how we approach them and how to move forward. It also spares us the agony and pain of blaming ourselves for their actions. Once we've realized this, it's time to express our thoughts and feelings. We must let them know how much we still need them and how it's never too late to right wrongs or change patterns. It can get better for both of us.
This book put me into a bit of a stupor, it was so boring and pointless. The only parts that were slightly rousing were when Collins discusses her anorexia and her bulimia. Of course, her descriptions of these diseases are on point, and even though she doesn't transform into a good writer when talking about them, I think it is good and right and helpful for a 28-year-old to help other young people who might be suffering about her struggles. Oftentimes as an anorexic you feel very alone, and perhaps reading about Collins' experiences might help some teens to realize that their behavior is not unique and that they have sisters who suffer in similar ways. Luckily Collins got the help she needed and was able to put her anorexia and bulimia in remission, but - as she did an amazing job of pointing out in the book, you are never cured from these EDs. They are always lurking in your subconscious... or in the back of your head, waiting to come out again. She rightfully worries about having to lose weight for a role in which she portrays an anorexic, terrified her ED is going to come out and play again. Luckily, she did it under the supervision of a nutritionist, but if I were her I would have been terrified. If I were her I'd have turned down that role with a loud "Hell, no." But she says she is glad she did it and that the film helped her understand more about herself and her disease.
Even though Collins is 28, she sounds a lot younger in this book. Her 'voice' here sounds like maybe a 19 or 20-year-old. This was weirding me out a little bit. She sounded early college-age, not 'nearing thirty' age. I'm beginning to think this is a celebrity thing, though, as a lot of celebrity memoirs I read by women have a feel that's a lot younger than the author.
Tl;dr - A boring, dull and poorly written book that is nothing more than platitudes and 'you go, girl' sentiments. Really fluffy, meaningless, and with no substance. This isn't due to Collins' age!!!! Many women of similar age have written great memoirs. She simply isn't cut out to be a writer.
I'm hesitant to give this one star - simply for her discussion of anorexia and bulimia. If even one teenager (or older) reads this and gets decides to deal with their illness it will be a complete success of a book in my mind, regardless of the fact that the majority of it is useless, meaningless drivel.
P.S. I don't think I have ever seen a Collins film, I don't know who she is, and I have no interest in her as an actor and I am pretty unfamiliar with her acting. So that didn't affect my review any.
June 27, 2017
Íntimo, sincero y valiente.
December 1, 2018
Okay well, was it even a book!
I mean seriously bro, I felt I was reading something written by a teenager. Well I don't understand why does everything starts and ends up on ex-relationships in this book. And well there's a huge differnce in between a confident, bold, grown up lady talk and childish rants and considering experiences of your failed relations to be the centre of your learning. Grow up man. There's hell lot of real life shit going on in people's lives. A lot of people younger than Collins may have too much more to teach. I am sorry this book turned out to be extremely rubbish and time wastage for me. No lesson learned. May be this was written just for the sake of writing a book. I resisted the urge to leave this book unfinished so many times but finally I gave up after reading 85% of it. Mind it, my first ever book that I didn't complete. Such a boring and good for nothing book. And I am sorry I have to say this because I was expecting more. Seriously disappointed in this book.
I mean seriously bro, I felt I was reading something written by a teenager. Well I don't understand why does everything starts and ends up on ex-relationships in this book. And well there's a huge differnce in between a confident, bold, grown up lady talk and childish rants and considering experiences of your failed relations to be the centre of your learning. Grow up man. There's hell lot of real life shit going on in people's lives. A lot of people younger than Collins may have too much more to teach. I am sorry this book turned out to be extremely rubbish and time wastage for me. No lesson learned. May be this was written just for the sake of writing a book. I resisted the urge to leave this book unfinished so many times but finally I gave up after reading 85% of it. Mind it, my first ever book that I didn't complete. Such a boring and good for nothing book. And I am sorry I have to say this because I was expecting more. Seriously disappointed in this book.
March 19, 2017
"Be you and embrace your differences as things that make you unique and special. “Different” shouldn’t be considered confusing, negative, or something that divides us. It should be a quality we applaud and admire within ourselves and others."
I love Lily Collins so damn much, even before she started writing this book.
She was such an inspiration for teenagers like me. Long before I started reading books and finding an escape route to the fictional world, I grew up thinking that girls on the cover of Vogue magazines were born perfect, no necessary enhancements required but I know better now.
LJC wrote a lot of her past experiences in this book. Starting from her insecurities, former relationships, addiction, eating disorder, rejections and up to her journey to finding and discovering her self worth. It was refreshing to know that even the great Lily Collins battled the thing that current teenagers are now facing. She made me realize that it doesn't matter how much I eat as long as I'm happy with myself, I should never give a fuck about what others would say.
I noticed Lily's sudden weight loss but it never occurred to me that the reason behind it was because she was not feeling good about herself. I mean, I thought she was perfect and I never wanted to change anything about her but it was clearly not the same for her. I guess we all ruin ourselves for aiming towards perfection. I am so glad that Lily wrote this book, I was on the brink of having an eating disorder, I don't eat as much as I ought to, I feel insecure about myself, I walk the hallways looking down because I thought I wasn't pretty enough. This book saved my life, thank you Lily.
All I could say is that if I love Lily Collins before. Then, I basically worship her now.
March 17, 2017
BLOG REVIEW:
https://passthefeels.wordpress.com/20...
•••••••••
I guess I’ll start this review off by saying Unfiltered went straight on the favourites shelf.
Yep, I loved it.
I’ve always admired Lily Collins, always loved her movies/acting abilities, so when I saw that she was coming out with a book I,
1. freaked out.
2. knew there was no chance I wouldn’t be buying it.
3. had to patiently or not so patiently wait for it to come out.
This collection of essays really was something special. You know when you’re reading a book and you can literally feel how important it is in the moment, and is going to be to you in the future. That’s how I felt with this. Only bookworms (which you probably are if you’re reading this) would understand how every once in a while, if you have the right book, the turn of each new page signifies a new beginning. Changing your life in different ways, no matter how small, with every word read.
I know I’m personally going to re read this book over and over again, I don’t even know how many times a year, to keep me grounded, and remind me of the important things in life. I even want to re read it already and I just put it down :’)
Lily Collins really knows how to express herself, she is such a fantastic writer.
It didn’t feel like some random celebrity wanted to write a book just for the status of having written a book, no. You can 10000% tell how much this book means to Lily, and how much effort she put into making it the best she possibly could.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this, was how raw and honest Lily was about everything that she went through. It was just so interesting, and in a way, comforting to see that celebrities really are just like us.
Almost every issue that was discussed throughout the book, I have encountered (except the relationship issues, because, well, I’ve never had one. And I’m okay with that). Anyway, specifically one topic that was thoroughly talked about, I related to so so much. It was crazy to see the similarities between both of our issues, and how it effects individuals in certain ways.
One chapter that also stood out to me was the cooking chapter, it really inspired me, and made me want to try harder with the foods I make. Also to try out baking for my family and friends, which I’ve always enjoyed, but never really made time to do often.
I also really loved the chapter explaining all Lily’s tattoos, and her deeper meanings behind each one.
I think you can probably tell from this review, that I suggest this book to each and every one of you. Whether you’re a fan of Lily or not, because you really don’t have to be.
Honestly, I think this book is less focused on being about Lily’s life, and more focused on her sharing her stories in order to inspire and encourage others to both do the same, and get the most they possibly can out of their own lives.
I have a vision of reading this collection of essays until the end of time, and maybe even annotating/highlighting as I go… which scares me so much, but you’ve gotta remember, you own your books, so make them yours, allow them to be a reflection of you.
https://passthefeels.wordpress.com/20...
•••••••••
I guess I’ll start this review off by saying Unfiltered went straight on the favourites shelf.
Yep, I loved it.
I’ve always admired Lily Collins, always loved her movies/acting abilities, so when I saw that she was coming out with a book I,
1. freaked out.
2. knew there was no chance I wouldn’t be buying it.
3. had to patiently or not so patiently wait for it to come out.
This collection of essays really was something special. You know when you’re reading a book and you can literally feel how important it is in the moment, and is going to be to you in the future. That’s how I felt with this. Only bookworms (which you probably are if you’re reading this) would understand how every once in a while, if you have the right book, the turn of each new page signifies a new beginning. Changing your life in different ways, no matter how small, with every word read.
I know I’m personally going to re read this book over and over again, I don’t even know how many times a year, to keep me grounded, and remind me of the important things in life. I even want to re read it already and I just put it down :’)
Lily Collins really knows how to express herself, she is such a fantastic writer.
It didn’t feel like some random celebrity wanted to write a book just for the status of having written a book, no. You can 10000% tell how much this book means to Lily, and how much effort she put into making it the best she possibly could.
One of the things I appreciated the most about this, was how raw and honest Lily was about everything that she went through. It was just so interesting, and in a way, comforting to see that celebrities really are just like us.
Almost every issue that was discussed throughout the book, I have encountered (except the relationship issues, because, well, I’ve never had one. And I’m okay with that). Anyway, specifically one topic that was thoroughly talked about, I related to so so much. It was crazy to see the similarities between both of our issues, and how it effects individuals in certain ways.
One chapter that also stood out to me was the cooking chapter, it really inspired me, and made me want to try harder with the foods I make. Also to try out baking for my family and friends, which I’ve always enjoyed, but never really made time to do often.
I also really loved the chapter explaining all Lily’s tattoos, and her deeper meanings behind each one.
I think you can probably tell from this review, that I suggest this book to each and every one of you. Whether you’re a fan of Lily or not, because you really don’t have to be.
Honestly, I think this book is less focused on being about Lily’s life, and more focused on her sharing her stories in order to inspire and encourage others to both do the same, and get the most they possibly can out of their own lives.
I have a vision of reading this collection of essays until the end of time, and maybe even annotating/highlighting as I go… which scares me so much, but you’ve gotta remember, you own your books, so make them yours, allow them to be a reflection of you.
April 15, 2017
***Actual Rating: 3/5 Fearless Stars***
As we all know, Unfiltered is a memoir about the well-known actress, Lily Collins. She starred in the movie City of Bones as Clary Fray and Rosie in the film Love, Rosie. Basically, Lily Collins talked about her struggle with eating disorder; she initially suffered from anorexia and later bulimia. She also shared her childhood memories as well as personal experiences of heartbreaks and failed relationships. We could see how much she’s changed throughout her life and perhaps, learn some lessons from her experiences.
Honestly, there weren’t many chapters I truly, completely appreciated because I always agreed with her at some points but strongly disagreed with her other opinions. For example, in her essay My mom: The Myth, the Legend, I couldn’t agree with her more about how much our moms have taught us and they’re definitely the greatest women in the world. Undoubtedly, we should always try to show our gratitude whenever they’re around.
However, Lily started this chapter by saying that her mom thought traveling around the world is better than learning from textbooks; therefore, her mom took her to lots of countries and let her experience the exotic cultures. *STOP RIGHT HERE* Okay, I tried not to be rude, but she was saying that traveling was a big part of her childhood as if it didn’t cost her anything. As if TRAVELING WAS FREE.
Undeniably, traveling is indeed the best way to explore a different culture and immerse yourself in a brand-new atmosphere. Since I’m a pragmatic person, not everyone could afford traveling like she could. I mean, if you don’t have financial problems, then of course you can do exactly as she did and lead a colorful life by going abroad. But reality ain’t fairytale, this kind of lifestyle isn’t suitable for everyone.
In my opinion, traveling around the world from a young age is not necessarily the ONLY way to explore the world. Anyway, let’s be more practical, how many teenagers can really “learn” the knowledge from textbooks by actually putting themselves in the real places?
The one and only chapter I LOVED was chapter 16 Everything happens for a reason. Lily kind of wrapped the book up in this chapter since she recalled most of the main stories mentioning before and gave us her suggestions. In short, there were three quotes I absolutely adored and I think they summed the book up perfectly.
★
When you finished reading this book, you’d realize that she had experienced heartbreaks several times. She always tried to say something encouraging to comfort and reassure herself that she wasn’t responsible for the failure of relationships. This quote was by far the most genuine, heartfelt one I’ve ever read from this book. I actually felt the strength when citing it and I really appreciated a powerful ending like this.
★
We may see signs like “The end is not the end; it’s just a new beginning,” everywhere that it seems like a total cliché to us. Before I read this chapter, I used to feel NOTHING whenever someone told me that simply because it’s too commonly heard to actually figure the meaning out. Miraculously, I was totally convinced by Lily’s story because even though her love life was sort of…complicated and full of heartbreaks, an end to a relationship (or basically, just anything in life) guaranteed her to have aslightly better one in the future. The reason I trusted her words so much is because in retrospect, I did realize whenever unexpected things happened, it usually had something to do with my previous experiences. Sometimes the realization doesn’t come immediately after the current ending/failure, but there’ll be a time when understanding strikes you. Not until that moment will you eventually find a way to regain your confidence and see a way out, leading you towards a brighter place.
★
To this point of the book (aka chapter 16 out of 17), I still felt like she was trying to get a grip on everything in her life. From the pursuit of acting, modeling, talk show hosting, to personal stuff, Lily had always (and from my point of view, she still does) tried to keep everything under her control. However ridiculous it might sound, I sort of found this quote meaningful and worthy of memorizing. There’s no denying that we should all learn how to handle ourselves, solve our own problems, and at the same time, accept the cards we’ve been dealt. To sum up, this quote was a wonderful wrap-up for the chapter and the book.
As much as I enjoyed reading Lily’s ups and downs in her life, particularly the way she turned her frustration into strength, I did hope she could tell some of her stories differently. I’ll take three parts for example:
★Romance:
Not gonna lie, but I was super intrigued when she first talked about her relationships. I mean, c’mon, she’s a beautiful, young lady, who appears in many movies, and hangs out with several hotties in social events. Who wouldn’t be curious about what kind of guy she appreciates? Anyway, I did admire her courage to share this aspect of her in this book; however, I wasn’t fond of the way she explained her previous relationships.
She said this at about the third or fourth time mentioning her failed relationships and every time she analyzed why their romance didn’t work out, she tended to say she was trying to voice her opinions and that was when the guy left her. Later on, she’d tell her readers how important it is to speak up for yourselves and never back down just because someone speak ill behind you. And then, she’d say how these relationships ended wasn’t her fault because she was being herself and finally got the chance to stand out.
You may think the whole situation sounds about right, but I don’t think you’ll feel that way when her stories become repetitive later in the book.
I even found the certain pattern of her relationships since it all started the same way—the troublesome guy attracted her and he usually was an alcoholic or an addict of something unhealthy—and then they had a great life in the beginning phase, and he began drinking while she became suspicious of his sweet nothings, and she tried to fix him and he DISAPPEARED after listening to her confession.
Annnnnd their story hadn’t finished yet, because after a few months or years, she’d accidentally meet him and they decided to give their romance a chance and everything started all over again. It was also the same scenario with her latter boyfriends. Therefore, I honestly think if she said the guys always ran away whenever she spoke the truth, then maybe she was responsible for her relationships with them!
The fact that she kept insisting on “voicing her inner thoughts” and told us she didn’t understand why they ended like that made me think she was comforting herself by finding excuses. Sorry, Lily, but after reading so many similar situations in your love life, that’s what I felt. Perhaps she could practice introspection sometimes and she’d eventually figure out what went wrong. Luckily, at least I found something quite positive in her lessons from past relationships.
★Battle for Perfection:
In this chapter, I, unfortunately, did NOT appreciate Lily’s attempt to be anyone else but her. She said she wanted to be like the talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, high fashion supermodel Tyra Banks, and famous television host Barbara Walters. After publishing her debut, she was invited to The Ellen Show for the first time and she also mentioned it there. Seriously, I didn’t understand why she couldn’t just be herself when she strongly encouraged others to do so. Don’t get me wrong, all three of her role models are probably of the most wonderful, inspiring people in the world, but when Lily wanted to be a combination of them, I was so confused. Maybe it was her way of complimenting people, or maybe I was overanalyzing her words; whatever she meant by that was totally beyond my comprehension.
★Eating Disorder:
Apparently, eating disorder is Lily’s “deepest fear” because it’s something she has suffered from for a long time. Thus, it’s probably the most understandable part of her story. She gave us vivid depiction of symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia; hence, it wasn’t hard to imagine what she had to endure and what the patients needed to conquer.
Frankly, I was overwhelmed by all the emotional words and feelings; I had a sense of helplessness at that moment and wish I could do something to ease her pain. Just as she noted, “Food should be your fuel. Not a punishment.”(not sure if it was put this way but something like this) I was truly happy that she finally realized how important it is to eat healthily and found the connection between her body and mind.
Though I’d enjoy this part more if she could tell us about her “battle” with eating disorder and focus on the “how” she faced her problems instead of “what” she had to bear. Compared to the extremely detailed explanations of her disorder, there was something missing in her experience of recovery. I totally got it that it wasn’t an overnight remedy but I’d really, really appreciate if she could share her story of fighting against the disorder.
Unfiltered is a collection of Lily’s essays so the chapters are quite short and pretty easy to read. I also found it very relatable and I believed it’d be the same with you. Her stories consisted of her experiences in (partially sad) beautiful childhood memories, imperfect relationships along with fighting against eating disorder. Although her original target audience was teenage girls and young women, I personally think it’s suitable for EVERYONE. You may find yourself in the similar situation some time throughout your life, and it’ll be a good chance to see how she learned to keep moving forward and never give up.
Obviously, I was in a love and hate relationship with this book because to some extent, Lily was living like a fairytale princess in a fairytale-like world. For instance, she always thought she could change her alcoholic boyfriend, fix him, and made him a better person. But that wasn’t how the reality worked! Moreover, even in the last few chapters, she still wanted to control everything in her life and hoped it’d turn out exactly the way she planned. Somehow I wish she could act like a mature adult and be more practical. Other than this, this memoir indeed gave me a better look into her life behind the scene, the more down to earth side of her.
Lastly, though I had mixed feeling about this book, I still recommend it to everyone. Just because I had to disagree with some of her opinions doesn’t mean you’ll think similarly. So I hope you’ll love it more than I did and better yet, find it helpful in the meanwhile.
”I will never need anyone to complete me. I am enough on my own.”
As we all know, Unfiltered is a memoir about the well-known actress, Lily Collins. She starred in the movie City of Bones as Clary Fray and Rosie in the film Love, Rosie. Basically, Lily Collins talked about her struggle with eating disorder; she initially suffered from anorexia and later bulimia. She also shared her childhood memories as well as personal experiences of heartbreaks and failed relationships. We could see how much she’s changed throughout her life and perhaps, learn some lessons from her experiences.
Honestly, there weren’t many chapters I truly, completely appreciated because I always agreed with her at some points but strongly disagreed with her other opinions. For example, in her essay My mom: The Myth, the Legend, I couldn’t agree with her more about how much our moms have taught us and they’re definitely the greatest women in the world. Undoubtedly, we should always try to show our gratitude whenever they’re around.
However, Lily started this chapter by saying that her mom thought traveling around the world is better than learning from textbooks; therefore, her mom took her to lots of countries and let her experience the exotic cultures. *STOP RIGHT HERE* Okay, I tried not to be rude, but she was saying that traveling was a big part of her childhood as if it didn’t cost her anything. As if TRAVELING WAS FREE.
Undeniably, traveling is indeed the best way to explore a different culture and immerse yourself in a brand-new atmosphere. Since I’m a pragmatic person, not everyone could afford traveling like she could. I mean, if you don’t have financial problems, then of course you can do exactly as she did and lead a colorful life by going abroad. But reality ain’t fairytale, this kind of lifestyle isn’t suitable for everyone.
In my opinion, traveling around the world from a young age is not necessarily the ONLY way to explore the world. Anyway, let’s be more practical, how many teenagers can really “learn” the knowledge from textbooks by actually putting themselves in the real places?
The one and only chapter I LOVED was chapter 16 Everything happens for a reason. Lily kind of wrapped the book up in this chapter since she recalled most of the main stories mentioning before and gave us her suggestions. In short, there were three quotes I absolutely adored and I think they summed the book up perfectly.
★
”Ending a relationship feels like the end of the world. Sometimes it feels like I’d never be happy again. But as time passes and your heart mends, you pick yourself up and carry on.”
When you finished reading this book, you’d realize that she had experienced heartbreaks several times. She always tried to say something encouraging to comfort and reassure herself that she wasn’t responsible for the failure of relationships. This quote was by far the most genuine, heartfelt one I’ve ever read from this book. I actually felt the strength when citing it and I really appreciated a powerful ending like this.
★
”I truly believe we all have the power to take situations into our own hands, but I also know that believing in the power of fate allows me to be more at peace when something ends, because I can see it as a new beginning.”
We may see signs like “The end is not the end; it’s just a new beginning,” everywhere that it seems like a total cliché to us. Before I read this chapter, I used to feel NOTHING whenever someone told me that simply because it’s too commonly heard to actually figure the meaning out. Miraculously, I was totally convinced by Lily’s story because even though her love life was sort of…complicated and full of heartbreaks, an end to a relationship (or basically, just anything in life) guaranteed her to have a
★
”I still face opposition constantly, but it only makes me fight harder. It gives me perspective and reminds me that I can’t control anything except for the way I handle myself in each situation and how I move forward and accept the cards I’ve been dealt.”
To this point of the book (aka chapter 16 out of 17), I still felt like she was trying to get a grip on everything in her life. From the pursuit of acting, modeling, talk show hosting, to personal stuff, Lily had always (and from my point of view, she still does) tried to keep everything under her control. However ridiculous it might sound, I sort of found this quote meaningful and worthy of memorizing. There’s no denying that we should all learn how to handle ourselves, solve our own problems, and at the same time, accept the cards we’ve been dealt. To sum up, this quote was a wonderful wrap-up for the chapter and the book.
As much as I enjoyed reading Lily’s ups and downs in her life, particularly the way she turned her frustration into strength, I did hope she could tell some of her stories differently. I’ll take three parts for example:
★Romance:
Not gonna lie, but I was super intrigued when she first talked about her relationships. I mean, c’mon, she’s a beautiful, young lady, who appears in many movies, and hangs out with several hotties in social events. Who wouldn’t be curious about what kind of guy she appreciates? Anyway, I did admire her courage to share this aspect of her in this book; however, I wasn’t fond of the way she explained her previous relationships.
”But the older I got and the more I spoke up for myself, the more the guys literally started disappearing!”
She said this at about the third or fourth time mentioning her failed relationships and every time she analyzed why their romance didn’t work out, she tended to say she was trying to voice her opinions and that was when the guy left her. Later on, she’d tell her readers how important it is to speak up for yourselves and never back down just because someone speak ill behind you. And then, she’d say how these relationships ended wasn’t her fault because she was being herself and finally got the chance to stand out.
You may think the whole situation sounds about right, but I don’t think you’ll feel that way when her stories become repetitive later in the book.
”We need to be with the wrong person to recognize who the right one is, how he should treat us, and what kind of respect we deserve.”
I even found the certain pattern of her relationships since it all started the same way—the troublesome guy attracted her and he usually was an alcoholic or an addict of something unhealthy—and then they had a great life in the beginning phase, and he began drinking while she became suspicious of his sweet nothings, and she tried to fix him and he DISAPPEARED after listening to her confession.
Annnnnd their story hadn’t finished yet, because after a few months or years, she’d accidentally meet him and they decided to give their romance a chance and everything started all over again. It was also the same scenario with her latter boyfriends. Therefore, I honestly think if she said the guys always ran away whenever she spoke the truth, then maybe she was responsible for her relationships with them!
The fact that she kept insisting on “voicing her inner thoughts” and told us she didn’t understand why they ended like that made me think she was comforting herself by finding excuses. Sorry, Lily, but after reading so many similar situations in your love life, that’s what I felt. Perhaps she could practice introspection sometimes and she’d eventually figure out what went wrong. Luckily, at least I found something quite positive in her lessons from past relationships.
In those moments it’s so important to remember that recognizing someone’s flaws is a gift. It allows us to take a step back and reevaluate how we approach them and how to move forward.”
★Battle for Perfection:
In this chapter, I, unfortunately, did NOT appreciate Lily’s attempt to be anyone else but her. She said she wanted to be like the talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, high fashion supermodel Tyra Banks, and famous television host Barbara Walters. After publishing her debut, she was invited to The Ellen Show for the first time and she also mentioned it there. Seriously, I didn’t understand why she couldn’t just be herself when she strongly encouraged others to do so. Don’t get me wrong, all three of her role models are probably of the most wonderful, inspiring people in the world, but when Lily wanted to be a combination of them, I was so confused. Maybe it was her way of complimenting people, or maybe I was overanalyzing her words; whatever she meant by that was totally beyond my comprehension.
★Eating Disorder:
Apparently, eating disorder is Lily’s “deepest fear” because it’s something she has suffered from for a long time. Thus, it’s probably the most understandable part of her story. She gave us vivid depiction of symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia; hence, it wasn’t hard to imagine what she had to endure and what the patients needed to conquer.
Frankly, I was overwhelmed by all the emotional words and feelings; I had a sense of helplessness at that moment and wish I could do something to ease her pain. Just as she noted, “Food should be your fuel. Not a punishment.”(not sure if it was put this way but something like this) I was truly happy that she finally realized how important it is to eat healthily and found the connection between her body and mind.
Though I’d enjoy this part more if she could tell us about her “battle” with eating disorder and focus on the “how” she faced her problems instead of “what” she had to bear. Compared to the extremely detailed explanations of her disorder, there was something missing in her experience of recovery. I totally got it that it wasn’t an overnight remedy but I’d really, really appreciate if she could share her story of fighting against the disorder.
Unfiltered is a collection of Lily’s essays so the chapters are quite short and pretty easy to read. I also found it very relatable and I believed it’d be the same with you. Her stories consisted of her experiences in (partially sad) beautiful childhood memories, imperfect relationships along with fighting against eating disorder. Although her original target audience was teenage girls and young women, I personally think it’s suitable for EVERYONE. You may find yourself in the similar situation some time throughout your life, and it’ll be a good chance to see how she learned to keep moving forward and never give up.
Obviously, I was in a love and hate relationship with this book because to some extent, Lily was living like a fairytale princess in a fairytale-like world. For instance, she always thought she could change her alcoholic boyfriend, fix him, and made him a better person. But that wasn’t how the reality worked! Moreover, even in the last few chapters, she still wanted to control everything in her life and hoped it’d turn out exactly the way she planned. Somehow I wish she could act like a mature adult and be more practical. Other than this, this memoir indeed gave me a better look into her life behind the scene, the more down to earth side of her.
Lastly, though I had mixed feeling about this book, I still recommend it to everyone. Just because I had to disagree with some of her opinions doesn’t mean you’ll think similarly. So I hope you’ll love it more than I did and better yet, find it helpful in the meanwhile.
March 22, 2017
I really liked this book. I found myself in a lot of things Lily described and the way she wrote about her problems, illuminated my mind. I also faced a few problems she wrote about and I would have liked to think the way she did, to be able to move on from those problems.
I also found some quotes I had to share:
"We all want to feel part of something greater. But sometimes, though we recognize this shared instinct to connect, we get stuck in our own heads, convincing ourselves that no one else could understand our problems, that we’re outsiders.”
“A conversation can’t start unless someone speaks up.”
“The more characters you meet, the more character you build. The more colorful your story, the more colorful your life.”
“I am the key to my own healing.”
I also found some quotes I had to share:
"We all want to feel part of something greater. But sometimes, though we recognize this shared instinct to connect, we get stuck in our own heads, convincing ourselves that no one else could understand our problems, that we’re outsiders.”
“A conversation can’t start unless someone speaks up.”
“The more characters you meet, the more character you build. The more colorful your story, the more colorful your life.”
“I am the key to my own healing.”
Want to read
August 18, 2017This woman is my girl crush. She even made me like Clary Fray! That's how good she is so of course I'll listen to this one.
February 17, 2018
It was a cold winter’s night of 2015 when I was first welcomed into the world of Mirror, Mirror - a movie starring Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer and Lily Collins. I remember being totally shocked (see below gif) when I saw Lily Collins - I could only see her eyebrows!
I don’t say that as a mean comment. At the time, I was just projecting my own securities onto her. I had been struggling with the bushiness of my brows since I was a pre-teen. I thought that was all anyone looked at when they saw me. Fast forward to now and I am actually proud of my eyebrows and extremely grateful for them. I am so glad that Lily Collins and others, like Cara Delevingne, are representing us bushy browed females in Hollywood. It’s what I needed when I was a pre-teen.
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me is a beautiful collection of short essays written by Lily Collins herself. It is raw, honest and inspiring. She talks about her battles with eating disorders, abusive relationships and her ongoing journey to self-acceptance. The most striking thing about this book is how well it is written. I didn't know that Collins had been interested in journalism and wrote for Elle Girl UK at just 15! This experience really shows. I was completely captivated from page one and could not put it down. Every word felt completely necessary and it was almost poetic. Each of the chapters started off with a few sentences that she would then use at the end of each essay – it made it all connected.
Collins should be admired for her bravery. No topic was off-limits. She delves into every issue in her life with such openness and vulnerability. But it’s not all serious. She talks about her love of tattoos, which came as a surprise to me. I never knew she had any! After reading the chapter about tattoos, I noticed that on the cover you can see one of her tattoos on her right foot. She also talks about her parents and has incorporated letters to herself and to her father.
I don’t really want to say much more because I think this book is best if you go in without knowing too much!
Most Memorable Quote
“So, thank you to all those people who have dealt me a crappy hand and told me no – it’s made hearing yes that much better.”
Since Collins had letters in her book, I’m going to finish this review off with a small letter to her:
Dear Lily,
You are incredibly brave, talented and beautiful - both inside and out! Your book is simply wonderful and will help many around the world. The universality of the human experience is something we non-celebs think celebs are exempt to. Your book dismantled such a delusion. Thank you for your book and thank you for being you! My thick eyebrows bothered me for a long-time, but you helped me to embrace them. This is how I react to my brows now when I see them in the mirror:
(Ok, maybe not exactly like that. I'm not in love with them, but I do love them nonetheless)
Love,
Full review also on my blog!
I don’t say that as a mean comment. At the time, I was just projecting my own securities onto her. I had been struggling with the bushiness of my brows since I was a pre-teen. I thought that was all anyone looked at when they saw me. Fast forward to now and I am actually proud of my eyebrows and extremely grateful for them. I am so glad that Lily Collins and others, like Cara Delevingne, are representing us bushy browed females in Hollywood. It’s what I needed when I was a pre-teen.
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me is a beautiful collection of short essays written by Lily Collins herself. It is raw, honest and inspiring. She talks about her battles with eating disorders, abusive relationships and her ongoing journey to self-acceptance. The most striking thing about this book is how well it is written. I didn't know that Collins had been interested in journalism and wrote for Elle Girl UK at just 15! This experience really shows. I was completely captivated from page one and could not put it down. Every word felt completely necessary and it was almost poetic. Each of the chapters started off with a few sentences that she would then use at the end of each essay – it made it all connected.
Collins should be admired for her bravery. No topic was off-limits. She delves into every issue in her life with such openness and vulnerability. But it’s not all serious. She talks about her love of tattoos, which came as a surprise to me. I never knew she had any! After reading the chapter about tattoos, I noticed that on the cover you can see one of her tattoos on her right foot. She also talks about her parents and has incorporated letters to herself and to her father.
I don’t really want to say much more because I think this book is best if you go in without knowing too much!
Most Memorable Quote
“So, thank you to all those people who have dealt me a crappy hand and told me no – it’s made hearing yes that much better.”
Since Collins had letters in her book, I’m going to finish this review off with a small letter to her:
Dear Lily,
You are incredibly brave, talented and beautiful - both inside and out! Your book is simply wonderful and will help many around the world. The universality of the human experience is something we non-celebs think celebs are exempt to. Your book dismantled such a delusion. Thank you for your book and thank you for being you! My thick eyebrows bothered me for a long-time, but you helped me to embrace them. This is how I react to my brows now when I see them in the mirror:
(Ok, maybe not exactly like that. I'm not in love with them, but I do love them nonetheless)
Love,
Full review also on my blog!
March 20, 2017
Lily Collins has always been and always will be one of my most favorite humans in the world. I get to know her through her talent for acting and since I know that her book is coming out, I just can't resist the temptation to read it as soon as possible!
Just like the name of the book, Lily's writing is so beautifully written and raw, it seems to me that she's empowering all young readers by telling us her own stories, experiences and her own struggles, and the way she fights for her pursuit of happiness, of success.
I agree with this book whole-heartedly, and I would love to thank Lily for sharing such a wonderful storyline with her care-free narrating voice, without shame.
Just like the name of the book, Lily's writing is so beautifully written and raw, it seems to me that she's empowering all young readers by telling us her own stories, experiences and her own struggles, and the way she fights for her pursuit of happiness, of success.
I agree with this book whole-heartedly, and I would love to thank Lily for sharing such a wonderful storyline with her care-free narrating voice, without shame.
May 10, 2017
Okay, yes I read this book because I actually really like Lily Collins.
I've been following her for some time now, and I like seeing the way she's evolving into this amazing woman. She's what I like to call a real inspiration.
This isn't an autobiography per say, you won't learn everything about Lily's life, but you'll learn how she became the person she is today, how life shaped her.
You'll learn that she went through a lot, that she's more than what the medias say about her, that she is her own person.
I truly think teens and tweens as well should read this book, maybe it'll help them for the years to come.
Around the Year in 52 books 2017.
28. A non-fiction.
I've been following her for some time now, and I like seeing the way she's evolving into this amazing woman. She's what I like to call a real inspiration.
This isn't an autobiography per say, you won't learn everything about Lily's life, but you'll learn how she became the person she is today, how life shaped her.
You'll learn that she went through a lot, that she's more than what the medias say about her, that she is her own person.
I truly think teens and tweens as well should read this book, maybe it'll help them for the years to come.
Around the Year in 52 books 2017.
28. A non-fiction.
March 12, 2017
4.5 stars :)
Absolutely loved this, Lily Collins is such a wise, accepting, strong and inspiring female. There's so many quotes I've taken from this for when I need them & I cannot recommend this book enough, it was so lovely and reassuring <3
Absolutely loved this, Lily Collins is such a wise, accepting, strong and inspiring female. There's so many quotes I've taken from this for when I need them & I cannot recommend this book enough, it was so lovely and reassuring <3
July 31, 2018
I decided to try something different from what I usually read and this particular memoir has always captured my attention. Though I wouldn’t say that I’m a diehard Lily Collins fan, I am familiar with her work and movies. And I chose to read Unfiltered because I felt as though it would be the easiest to relate to because Lily is not much older than I am.
After reading this book, I can definitely say that Lily is every bit as classy, kind, and well-rounded as I thought she would be. She is a great role model and many young girls can learn a lot from what she has to say in terms of love, body image, family, and more.
The only negative thing I can say is that it wasn’t exactly anything out of the ordinary for me and because of that, nothing really stuck out to me personally. Since I am 23 years old, I had my fair share of experiences in my life when it came to some of these things, and reading Unfiltered was like reading stuff I already knew and lived by so it felt very... repetitive in a way? I didn’t take away anything new from it and a lot of times I found myself drifting off because I didn’t really... “care” for what she had to say at times since it came off as just common sense to me.
But that personally applies to just me and what I got from this book. It doesn’t make what Lily has to say any less true or relatable. Younger audiences will definitely have more to take away from this book than I did. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about Lily and her struggles growing up. Her journey and transformation was very inspirational and I can clearly see why she’s the beautiful young lady she is now that just radiates elegance and confidence.
After reading this book, I can definitely say that Lily is every bit as classy, kind, and well-rounded as I thought she would be. She is a great role model and many young girls can learn a lot from what she has to say in terms of love, body image, family, and more.
The only negative thing I can say is that it wasn’t exactly anything out of the ordinary for me and because of that, nothing really stuck out to me personally. Since I am 23 years old, I had my fair share of experiences in my life when it came to some of these things, and reading Unfiltered was like reading stuff I already knew and lived by so it felt very... repetitive in a way? I didn’t take away anything new from it and a lot of times I found myself drifting off because I didn’t really... “care” for what she had to say at times since it came off as just common sense to me.
But that personally applies to just me and what I got from this book. It doesn’t make what Lily has to say any less true or relatable. Younger audiences will definitely have more to take away from this book than I did. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about Lily and her struggles growing up. Her journey and transformation was very inspirational and I can clearly see why she’s the beautiful young lady she is now that just radiates elegance and confidence.
April 9, 2017
I didnt know what to expect going into this book, I have seem a few of Lilys movies and i am a fan of her but now I absolutely adore her! I love her strong relationship with her mom and her struggles with her dad, her story and inspirations behind her tattoos, her own health problems that remind us all that shes human too. I enjoyed her writing style and the pictures throughout. Reading it felt more like a conversation, like she was telling me a story, telling her secrets, goals, inspirations and i loved it.
December 8, 2017
I would totally give her a million of stars for this book if I could.
First of all, Lily's writing is absolutely wonderful and the way she tells her stories is just amazing. The topics she wrote about were partly pretty sensitive and I was able to relate to a lot of things she had written about.
I think it's the kind of book that makes you feel less alone with your anxieties and struggles, especially when it comes to things like eating disorders or being in an abusive relationship.
I honestly believe Unfiltered is the kind of book every young woman should read. It opened my eyes to many things and it made think about things like self love and a lot of more things.
First of all, Lily's writing is absolutely wonderful and the way she tells her stories is just amazing. The topics she wrote about were partly pretty sensitive and I was able to relate to a lot of things she had written about.
I think it's the kind of book that makes you feel less alone with your anxieties and struggles, especially when it comes to things like eating disorders or being in an abusive relationship.
I honestly believe Unfiltered is the kind of book every young woman should read. It opened my eyes to many things and it made think about things like self love and a lot of more things.
Shelved as 'to-buy'
October 9, 2017I LOVE Lily Collins! She is one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen, and I believe she is as beautiful from the inside as the outside. I can't wait to read her book. She is a talented actress and photographer.
March 20, 2017
I don't even know her before her role in The Mortal Instruments. When I was obsessed with the shadow hunters world, I found that there was a movie adaptation. So I finally pluck up my courage to see the movie. And I was infatuated with Lily #girlcrush. She is so cute and I really liked her. And after some time I watched Love Rosie for Sam. That's when I started to like her more. So when I heard she was writing a book. Of course, I need to read it. So here we are!
And now I'm waiting for another person to write about her life experiences. *pointedly looking at EMMA WATSON*
"The quirky things that make you different are what make you beautiful."This is what I would say IF I got a chance to meet her. She is what everyone wants to be. Bold and beautiful. Giving your voice is so important. You must love yourself first. Accept who you really are and embrace it. She taught a lot of lessons through her life experience. To be so open would make you vulnerable at times. But she made it. To teach someone. Sure, we both think in the same way. Our opinions are almost the same. But what she really made me is TO LOVE MYSELF. And I really thank her for that.
And now I'm waiting for another person to write about her life experiences. *pointedly looking at EMMA WATSON*
May 10, 2020
In the last year or so I discovered my immense love for reading memoirs and biographies… especially in the audiobook format when they are narrated by the author :) so it comes as a surprise to absolutely no one that I adored this collection of essays :) there are definitely trigger warning for eating disorders, substance abuse and toxic relationships… so if you are sensitive to those subjects keep that in mind going into this one… I have no complaints when it comes to this book… the only one maybe, is that I would love for it to be even longer :) Lily has such a beautiful writing style… it’s very easy to read, even when she opens up about some serious issues she had to deal with in her life… it feels like you are meeting with a good friend and she just shares with you some things she learned along the way… not to mention that since she narrates her own audiobook, it just gives it a little bit something special ;) I honestly cannot recommend you guys enough to pick up this one, especially if you can get your hands on the audiobook version… I wish I would have read it when I was younger, cause it has a beautiful message, but no matter how old you are I think you will be able to easily find something to connect with :)
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
April 4, 2017
"Our greatest triumphs in life don't come without having to navigate both the ups and the downs."
My first biography: Done! I always loved Lily Collins so I figured why not read hers first? 3 Stars probably wouldn't tell you, but I enjoyed this far more than I expected it to. It's cute, nicely written, handles important topics and is interesting to read. It's veeeery short, which makes Lily only talk about topics on the surface. I get why people would criticize that, but I wanted some cute short stories, not a deep moving story. And that's what I got. I really loved the stories about her parents, found the stories about her eating disorders very interesting and the rest ok. For me personally, as I am quite critical, it was a bit too much self-praising from Lily. But honestly - if I'd be that gorgeous and talented, I'd probably praise myself too.
All in all: If you like Lily Collins or want to read a short biography, why not read this! I'd totally recommend. It's just not some deep, moving stories I'd force my daughter to read. If you know what I mean.
I will definitely continue to watch Lily's movies!
My first biography: Done! I always loved Lily Collins so I figured why not read hers first? 3 Stars probably wouldn't tell you, but I enjoyed this far more than I expected it to. It's cute, nicely written, handles important topics and is interesting to read. It's veeeery short, which makes Lily only talk about topics on the surface. I get why people would criticize that, but I wanted some cute short stories, not a deep moving story. And that's what I got. I really loved the stories about her parents, found the stories about her eating disorders very interesting and the rest ok. For me personally, as I am quite critical, it was a bit too much self-praising from Lily. But honestly - if I'd be that gorgeous and talented, I'd probably praise myself too.
All in all: If you like Lily Collins or want to read a short biography, why not read this! I'd totally recommend. It's just not some deep, moving stories I'd force my daughter to read. If you know what I mean.
I will definitely continue to watch Lily's movies!
May 24, 2018
I don't even know why I started this in the first place (I didn't really know anything about Lily Collins except this City of Bones movie which I didn't really like) but I'm glad I did! Lily is a really cool person and actually has a lot to say and is really brave for admitting all these things
March 5, 2017
Lily Collins is so strong and she is truly an inspiration.
October 12, 2017
Di solito odio i romanzi autobiografici, perché la maggior parte delle volte si limitano a raccontare di argomenti futili e ripetitivi.
Ma questo, questo meraviglioso libro di Lily Collins che racconta la sua vita e le sue lotte, non si può non amare.
Lily è una ragazza come tutte noi, e come molte teenager ha passato periodi in cui ha odiato il suo corpo. È stata debole, ha ceduto a disturbi alimentari e relazioni sbagliate, si è fatta influenzare negativamente dai giornali e dalle modelle sulle copertine, ha creduto che affamarsi fosse sinonimo di bellezza.
Il bellissimo romanzo dell'attrice ormai conosciuta in tutto il mondo non si sofferma solo su avvenimenti spiacevoli, anzi parla soprattutto di una ripresa dello spirito e poi del corpo che comincia nel momento esatto in cui si ammette di avere un problema.
Moltissime frasi di questo libro sono da sottolineare ed incorniciare, credo che le ragazze del ventunesimo secolo abbiano un bisogno estremo di esempi giusti e sani da seguire, di modelli da imitare ma soprattutto di ricevere insegnamenti poco invasivi su cosa sia giusto e cosa sbagliato. Leggere una storia così non può che aiutare le giovani menti a prendere la giusta direzione. Lily riesce perfettamente a comunicarci il suo messaggio e mi piace sempre più. È una bravissima attrice ma soprattutto una bravissima persona.
Ma questo, questo meraviglioso libro di Lily Collins che racconta la sua vita e le sue lotte, non si può non amare.
Lily è una ragazza come tutte noi, e come molte teenager ha passato periodi in cui ha odiato il suo corpo. È stata debole, ha ceduto a disturbi alimentari e relazioni sbagliate, si è fatta influenzare negativamente dai giornali e dalle modelle sulle copertine, ha creduto che affamarsi fosse sinonimo di bellezza.
Il bellissimo romanzo dell'attrice ormai conosciuta in tutto il mondo non si sofferma solo su avvenimenti spiacevoli, anzi parla soprattutto di una ripresa dello spirito e poi del corpo che comincia nel momento esatto in cui si ammette di avere un problema.
Moltissime frasi di questo libro sono da sottolineare ed incorniciare, credo che le ragazze del ventunesimo secolo abbiano un bisogno estremo di esempi giusti e sani da seguire, di modelli da imitare ma soprattutto di ricevere insegnamenti poco invasivi su cosa sia giusto e cosa sbagliato. Leggere una storia così non può che aiutare le giovani menti a prendere la giusta direzione. Lily riesce perfettamente a comunicarci il suo messaggio e mi piace sempre più. È una bravissima attrice ma soprattutto una bravissima persona.
March 23, 2017
This was such an amazing book! I finished reading it quickly, and the whole time while reading it, I felt like I was talking to a friend.
November 3, 2018
My thing with celebrity memoirs, and why I don’t read them, is I literally spend the entire book saying: who cares. What makes a certain person (I’m going to specify celebrities for this review since this is a celebrity memoir) more special than me, and therefore more deserving than me of a memoir? Just because you’re in a few movies or a tv show or sing some songs doesn’t mean your life holds so much esteem that you need to write a memoir.
I love Lily Collins. I have enjoyed all the movies she’s been in and I just get the sense that she’s a fun kind joyous person. So I decided to support her and buy and read her memoir. I don’t regret it, because I learned about her and all that, but it’s like there just wasn’t much substance to this. It was repetitive, not detailed enough, and very preachy. It basically reinforced all my ideas about why memoirs don’t work for me. She has a famous dad and she’s worked in some movies but I don’t feel like that warrants her to have a memoir. She hasn’t done much with her life and she’s still young, so it’s not very thrilling. This author memoir phase is a phase I could live without.
All in all like I can appreciate this book but it wasn’t for me and I don’t believe my thoughts are going to be valuable in whether or not to read the book.
Also side note: you don’t ever need a 15 page acknowledgment section in your book. Ever.
I love Lily Collins. I have enjoyed all the movies she’s been in and I just get the sense that she’s a fun kind joyous person. So I decided to support her and buy and read her memoir. I don’t regret it, because I learned about her and all that, but it’s like there just wasn’t much substance to this. It was repetitive, not detailed enough, and very preachy. It basically reinforced all my ideas about why memoirs don’t work for me. She has a famous dad and she’s worked in some movies but I don’t feel like that warrants her to have a memoir. She hasn’t done much with her life and she’s still young, so it’s not very thrilling. This author memoir phase is a phase I could live without.
All in all like I can appreciate this book but it wasn’t for me and I don’t believe my thoughts are going to be valuable in whether or not to read the book.
Also side note: you don’t ever need a 15 page acknowledgment section in your book. Ever.
April 22, 2020
This is one of those books I'll probably read several times a year.
January 18, 2019
LILY COLLINS IS MY LIFEEEEEE I LOVE HER, so excited for this book.
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