Ratings14
Average rating3.4
The real, untold, and unvarnished story of life inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and the man who holds the key—from the woman who was Hef’s #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door. A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice in Wonderland after she plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion—including A-list celebrity parties and her own #1-rated television show—quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide. But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it. In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the Mansion, the drugs, the sex and the infamous parties, as well as what her relationships with her Girls Next Door co-stars, Bridget and Kendra were really like. Holly talks candidly about a subsequent abusive relationship, her own successful television series, and the hard work of healing, including her turn on Dancing with the Stars. A cautionary tale and a celebration of personal empowerment, Down the Rabbit Hole reminds us of the importance of fighting for our dreams—and finding the life we deserve.
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I needed a good gossip/glimpse into another's life book. The writing wasn't polished, but I enjoyed the story all the same.
Probably a 3.5. A lot of “not like the other girls” in the way she talks about the other girls, which was hard to read about. Her revelation about her experience with Hef was really interesting though and I think she worded that really really well.
I also thought it was sad and interesting that she never called the relationship with Hef abusive. It definitely was a textbook abusive relationship.
Not going to “rate” biographies because that's weird since it is a real person's life, but I enjoyed this. I loved the Girls Next Door when I was younger, so hearing Holly's side was really interesting. She seems like she's really learned and grown throughout her years in the spotlight. An enjoyable read. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Holly herself which was great.
DNF'd this at 50% (chapter 10) as an audiobook. Super juicy and interesting, but too catty for me to stick with it.