Review of Salon Confidential

[Paula Rocha]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Salon Confidential" by Susan Michael.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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I need to tell you something: I like to gossip, and I like to listen to it when people gossip around me. I don't like the kind of gossip that wreaks havoc in people's lives, nor the one that badmouths every single person in the town, but I like to learn innocent, small things about the people I know. I even helped a friend to get a new job through gossip, for example. And do you know where people usually gossip the most? In the beauty salon, especially around the hairdressers. There are even some countries that train these professionals to identify victims of domestic violence and send them resources that might help.


Every single beauty professional listens to plenty of rants, gossip, and drama from their clients, and this realisation made Susan L. Michael write the book "Salon Confidential." This book is a collection of several real-life stories about the clients of the six experienced hairdressers interviewed by the author, who, of course, changed their names and locations in order to preserve the privacy of everyone involved.


I really liked reading about how many friendships were made in the salon from "Salon Confidential." The hairdressers got to watch lots of wholesome stories and share the love from their clients. It is quite refreshing to see human connection being portrayed in happy stories of love and friendship, from elderly people who need special care to children who, at first, were hesitant towards haircuts. Every client who likes their new hair is a story about someone who is feeling beautiful and confident in their own skin, and I love reading about it.


But while most of the stories in "Salon Confidential" are light-hearted and funny, there are also some very sad stories in this book. It is heartbreaking and terrifying to think about how many of these professionals were told stories about significant others cheating on their spouses or even being violent against their wives. I imagine it must feel terrible to befriend a client throughout the years and watch her arrive with bruises on her body and fear in her eyes.


That said, I will rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The only thing I did not like in "Salon Confidential" was when some of the hairdressers would be mean about the appearance of the clients they did not like, but this did not happen very often and did not compromise my enjoyment during the read. This book is very well edited, and I did not find any objective errors in it. I would recommend "Salon Confidential" to anyone who likes to read about real-life stories and gossip. I would also especially recommend "Salon Confidential" for those who work or aspire to work in the beauty industry, since the situations portrayed in the book are a very significant part of the job.

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Salon Confidential
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Andile Sibiys]

I think it's a nice book to read and l like it when people shared their story so that they can help others

[Maria Loukaidou]

I really liked your review. I really liked it when you said how much you rate the book.

[Yasmine ZM]

It is true that there is always gossip in hair salons. I like this new approach of using gossip in a positive way, like identifying and helping victims of conjugal abuse. This book teaches us to see gossip from a different perspective.