Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex’s “Spare” is a brutally honest story that does not leave any details behind. I came into this expecting it to be another cash grab as many prominent people often do. However, I was incorrect.

“Spare” is a tell-all memoir about Harry’s relationships with members of the British Royal family and the general public of the United Kingdom. He endures trauma and although it is easy to dismiss his struggles because of who he is, people tend to forget that he is still human.

The title of the book is an indicator of what Harry’s life has been like as the second born. He’s seen as a “spare,” a “backup,” to his older brother, William, Prince of Wales. In the book, he writes that when he was born, his father, King Charles, said, “Great Diana, you’ve given me an heir and now you’ve given me a spare.” Once I started to understand Harry’s experiences, I realized he’s a person who wants a normal life.

He writes about his mother, Princess Diana, often. Her tragic passing affected him greatly as he’s carried this pain throughout the rest of his life. Paparazzi inflicted the pain even further as he was bombarded with questions from reporters about his mother’s death. He recalls one evening when a reporter came up to him right after Diana’s death. “Harry, what do you think of your mother’s death?” In light of events, the Royal Family’s main concern was their image in the public eye.

Scandals and controversies followed him throughout his life. He recalls the “Native and Colonial” costume party from 2005, claiming that his brother William and now sister-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, suggested he wear a Nazi uniform over his pilot uniform, “I phoned Willy and Kate, asked what they thought. Nazi uniform, they said,” said Harry. “They both howled. Worse than Willy’s leotard outfit. Way more ridiculous! Which, again, was the point.” The photo made it to the front page of the newspapers.

He remembers his teenage years and remarks his drug use. He experimented with cocaine and cannabis, not taking a liking to either. The memoir gets exciting when Harry met Megan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex. The whole world took notice of this fairy-tale romance. Although not without drama as the couple were subjected to abuse, lies and even racism by the tabloids. This led to Harry and Megan deciding to leave the Royal Family, which had not been done since Diana.

Even after all this, many are going to question why he wrote a book on his life if he wants to be out of the limelight. Many have fabricated and villainized him and his wife. Movies and documentaries have been made that incorrectly depict him. If anyone is going to tell his story right, it would be him. Harry is honest about it all and does not hold back on anything. In my eyes, Harry is giving life a try, which is more than someone can say about other members of The Royal Family.

As stated before, I came into this not expecting a lot, but after reading his memoir, I have a lot of empathy for him, and I thank and appreciate his honesty with his readers. This was a fantastic autobiography and believe everyone should give it a try regardless of what your opinion is of the royals.