I thought this was very interesting in hearing about the glamorous days of fashion models. Do I wish there was more gossip on other models? Always. I think Macpherson was extremely respectful throughout the whole book.

I’ve rated this book 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding it up to 4 because I really enjoyed the author’s narration in the audiobook format - it made the experience much more personal and engaging.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with this to listen to.

This book provides a compelling look into Elle’s life, as told through her own eyes. It starts by exploring her early years in modeling, highlighting both the glamour and the challenges of being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age. As the story unfolds, Elle doesn’t shy away from addressing some of the darker chapters in her life, particularly her struggles with addiction. Her vulnerability and honesty about these experiences added a raw and authentic layer to the narrative, making it easy to empathize with her journey.

One thing I noticed, however, was that some of Elle’s views came across as a little out of touch, perhaps reflective of her unique life experiences and perspective. While this could have been off-putting, I found it didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment of the book. Instead, it served as a reminder that this is her story, told unapologetically from her point of view.

What I appreciated most was how the book felt like a love letter to herself - a way for her to reflect on her journey, acknowledge her struggles, and celebrate her resilience. Her narration added a deeply personal touch, almost as though she were sharing her story directly with the listener. It made the audiobook format feel especially impactful and immersive.

Overall, this was an interesting and heartfelt read that offered a candid glimpse into Elle’s life and the lessons she’s learned along the way. While it wasn’t perfect, the gripping audio narration and her raw honesty left a an impression on me, which is why I’ve chosen to round up my rating to 4 stars. I would suggest listening to the audio over reading it for the best experience

As a fan of celebrity memoirs, especially those narrated by the author, I was excited to listen to Elle by Elle MacPherson. There’s something intimate and engaging about hearing a life story told in the subject’s own voice, and this audiobook delivers that personal touch. MacPherson’s narration brings warmth and sincerity to her journey, adding authenticity to her raw and vulnerable reflections on her struggles with addiction and her battle with cancer. Her openness and honesty about these experiences are deeply moving and could undoubtedly offer strength and encouragement to listeners facing similar challenges.

However, beyond these powerful moments, the rest of the memoir fell short for me. Much of the writing felt overly self-serving, with sections that lacked depth or fresh insight. The tone often veered into fluffy territory, making it difficult to stay fully engaged. Additionally, the book suffers from excessive repetition, which detracted from its pacing and made parts feel redundant. While MacPherson’s charm and sincerity shine through, the narrative could have benefited from tighter editing and a more balanced focus on her personal growth alongside her accomplishments.

Overall, Elle is a mixed experience. It’s worth a listen for fans of Elle MacPherson or those drawn to memoirs that tackle life’s hardest battles with raw honesty. However, the uneven tone and repetitive storytelling may leave some listeners wanting a more cohesive and compelling narrative.

A look at the life of Elle, the supermodel. Was definitely long winded and hard to read at some points. Gave off the vibe as woe-is-me and all the hard times I have had in my life as a super beautiful, incredibly lucky supermodel. Definitely made it hard to keep reading. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I couldn’t get past 20% of this audio book. Although I loved that the Elle MacPherson was the narrator, the story was too self indulgent and there wasn’t a lot of meat to the story.

I enjoyed the audiobook. I loved the music that transitioned the various parts. I didn’t enjoy the story itself. I found the organization of the novel to be a little clunky at parts. The first part of the novel was interesting but I found this book only enjoyable if you knew Elle or were Australian.

I didn't really know that much about Elle, not sure why I picked this book. I will say this book was longer than it needed to be, I zoned out a lot in the beginning. The ending part about how she dealt with her cancer was inspiring. But overall this book was just ok for me,

I actually requested this and then saw it on libby app after it was published so I had a chance to toggle through both of them. What I expected was more of her life in modelling and the pressure to be perfect with a lesson. But what I did find was more how she became an entrepreneur and how to feel beautiful more than look beautiful. Aka self love.

I loved the positivity in this...the wellness aspects and how to live a more empowered life. But it just felt stale if that made sense?
I grew up with her as one of the "faces" and I expected it to be more about the supermodel brand or the cattiness of what drives the industry.

In the end, a quick memoir. Not one I'll remember for it's depth but one I still appreciated it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was really enjoyable and I learned so much about Elle that I didn’t know before. Learning about her struggles and all that she has gone through is very powerful.

cws: alcohol addiction, throwaway drugs mention, infant allergies, disparaging remarks about formula, alternative "medicine" for wellness, breast cancer

Elle Macpherson starts off her 12+ hour memoir "Elle: Life, Lessons & Learning to Trust Yourself" by saying, "this is not a memoir" and then proceeds to narrate a memoir. That's not a bad thing, but it is indicative of the things to come -- a full life from birth to today, her experiences all wrapped up in self-healing, self-love, and self-realization. Macpherson takes us through her childhood in Australia, her whirlwind move into international modeling in New York as a teen, her various romances and marriages and what they meant to her growth as a person, overcoming addiction (although there's some nearly thrown away lines about 'microdosing' various drugs in the '90s because it was New York! Everyone did it! but the main focus is alcohol and even an addiction to perfectionism, which is brought back with how many times prior she says something in her life was 'perfect'), her entrepreneurships, and struggle with and healing from cancer.

This last part, the diagnosis and healing work on cancer, is apparently the first time she's talked about it publicly, and her journey is unique in a way that can only be achieved by basically having unlimited time and money. Macpherson tries to frame her ventures into alternative "naturopath" medicines as things that she's chosen that work for her and that she has the power to overcome with just the will of her own brain, but it still comes off very, 'this is best and this is why I did it' while using highly paid doctors and practitioners that are only named-by-initial. It's not that I have a problem with like woo-woo pseudoscience and certain alternatives up to a point (but that's a whole other thing not meant for a general book review) but what gave me pause is Macpherson framing her breast cancer as something *that was her fault* despite that being the opposite of the nature of cancer itself! It makes me as a reader who's not dealt with cancer in my own body but has loved ones that have worry that someone who finds Macpherson an admirable and inspiring person may hear this chapter and think, "Wait, so my cancer is MY fault?" (No!) and then try to mirror some of the things she did to work to heal herself, which again could only have done with the vast resources she had access to (but at least she credits her billionaire then-husband for paying for treatment). --actually Googling something about this book (that's only been out about 2 weeks at the time of writing) already brings me to an article in The Sydney Herald entitled "I never blamed myself for having breast cancer. Until I read Elle Macpherson's book" https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/i-never-blamed-myself-for-having-breast-cancer-until-i-read-elle-macpherson-s-book-20240905-p5k87w.html ) and The Guardian's "If only other cancer patients could wish it all away just like heroic Elle Macpherson" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/elle-macpherson-cancer-alternative-medicine )

But the rest of the book is decent standard memoir-fare although it runs very long and Macpherson herself talks so slowly I had to bump up the speed -- and I'm not a chipmunk-speed audiobook listener! I just have to have a speed that matches normal human speech speed. (This was more evident after the book was over and Penguin House Australia was giving their credits sounding like they were doing a speech speed competition.)

While a memoir is one's own personal story, as I have to do a star rating for NetGalley I can't in good conscience rate this higher than three stars due to the insistence upon mind over matter with disease while only giving minor mentions to who financed the ability to do so, the weird sort of toeing into formula feeding shaming... I went into this knowing about zip about Elle Macpherson and now I know too much and not even enough (as the Guardian article above informed me as to a lot of her yikes-worthy claims and proponents... the details of which were conveniently left out of or glossed over in the book itself). Macpherson is a narrator with a warm voice with an audible smile a lot of the time who just talks at like 1/3 the speed of normal human speech.

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for review.

A memoir by one of Australia’s most successful models of all time. A reflection on the lessons learned from the industry, motherhood and life at large.
I would be surprised if this book was written by a ghost writer (like nearly all celebrity memoirs) because it felt like it was written by someone who has never written a book before. Nothing of substance was happening for 80% of the book, and the 20% with interesting content was told in an utterly unentertaining way.
I did enjoy the personality that Elle put into the narration, but talked WAY too slow, this is the first time I’ve put an audiobook on 3x speed.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Could not get into this at all, poorly written and seemingly very self-indulgent.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I wanted to love this one but I found it poorly written and just not that interesting.

What an incredible life you have lead! Elle Macpherson has been a household name for as long as I can remember. She is the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. But my goodness she’s so much more than “the body” and a beautiful face. Listening to her story in her own voice gives it so much power. From her humble beginnings as a model to the birth of her children and her battle with cancer, she tells it all. Her kind heart comes through many times over. She has been served with so many hardships and she continues to persevere. Not just a model, but a role model for all ages! Thank you so much for sharing!!

Elle Macpherson's autobiography shares her journey through the pressures of perfectionism, cancer, and addiction in the world of fashion. She reflects on her career as a supermodel and businesswoman, her personal struggles, and the importance of embracing one's uniqueness and purpose in life. Elle's story is a powerful tale of resilience, self-discovery, and finding true beauty within oneself.

This audiobook is truly remarkable! I highly recommend embarking on this audiobook journey, as it is a lengthy experience that may seem repetitive at times but is truly captivating. Elle shares her beginnings and deepest beliefs, along with her fears, making it an inspirational listen. It is not a memoir, but rather life notes from one's perspective, offering hope that listeners can benefit or gain a new perspective.

I thoroughly enjoy learning about individuals who have immigrated to the US and the journey they have taken to reach their current position. It is humbling to listen and refrain from passing judgment on someone's life. What sets this audiobook apart is its unique reflection, providing an eye-opening experience rather than a traditional memoir.

I found myself relating to Elle's early experiences, despite our differences in appearance. As a tall woman (6'1"), I could empathize with how her modeling career began to unfold. The thoughts that once consumed her mind were once my own, and I appreciate the connection she had with a model from my home country, the Czech Republic. While my modeling career did not progress far, I understand the challenges she faced.

Elle's struggles with addiction and her transformative journey after falling ill left me in awe of her warrior spirit. The book reveals empowering thoughts on the strength one possesses, even when facing challenges alone. It highlights the importance of perseverance and how things fall into place over time. The audiobook offers encouragement, diverse perspectives, and even delves into the concept of the law of attraction.

No life is perfect, but reading about someone else's happiness and struggles, and how they navigated their life story, is truly inspiring. I hope this audiobook reaches a wide audience, as it deserves to be heard. I can honestly say that I will revisit certain sections for further reflection.

I am currently at a point in my life where I can truly appreciate this book. It feels as though I was in need of the wisdom and insights it offers. The author fills the pages with positive thoughts, gratitude for the little things, and thought-provoking life lessons. I am thankful that Elle chose to share her innermost thoughts with us.

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for audio ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.