SIMPLY MORE: A BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN TOLD THEY'RE TOO MUCH by Cynthia Erivo
The multitalented star of stage and screen sparks joy as she encourages us to lean into our power as humans
Note: I listened to this aurdiobook in January 2026.
You know who Cynthia Erivo is, right? The star of the two Wicked films and a Broadway veteran who can sing the pants off any person or sedentary object. Try this if you aren’t sure.
This 2025 quasi-memoir, written and read by the author, was a wonderful listen. Erivo details aspects of her career when she was subjected to closed doors because of her colour and sexuality, but intersperses these stories with examples of her resilience, self-belief and determination to maximise her obvious talent. Erivo’s upbringing wasn’t easy (although she would concede herself that she enjoyed some privileges others in her situation did not - often provided by her fierce and strong mother).
It’s a relatively short book but emphasises her belief that people like her (particularly women) are often labelled ‘too much’. Erivo pushes back on this - this is where the book becomes more self-help, complete with questions it asks of the reader. There’s a participatory element to this book, if you want it, with Erivo the teacher.
The book is certainly one that prompts you to think and to consider the lessons being offered. I liked that and recommended it to a friend for this reason. However, I think I’d also have liked something more memoir-like and more substantial. Erivo is a force and her career has been a picture of hard work leading to phenomenal success, so she has a lot to offer in the memoir space. I enjoyed this, but if Erivo writes more (and I hope she does), I’d love her to dig into her life and the events that shaped her more.
This review would be incomplete if it did not acknowledge the plagiarism story that arose after the publication of Simply More in late 2025. Specifically, a chapter which many people believe Erivo (or, possibly, a ghostwriter that may have been assisting her) plagiarised directly from a speech by her Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande. There’s no denying that, if you compare the transcripts, it’s a direct lift of Grande’s words, and that wasn’t acknowledged in Erivo’s book. This was later noted by the publisher and future reprints will correct the ‘oversight’. It does, however, raise questions of how much Erivo actually wrote and, although Grande is said not to be worried by the issue, it raises questions of authenticity of an artist who’s vulnerablity, authenticity and power has been a trademark. It’s a shame, because it sours a book I loved listening to.
Notwithstanding the above, if you could use a little pep talk, or a little love, this is a book you might enjoy. Erivo’s story is a unique one and worthy of attention. And it may just give you a nugget of wisdom you need to get through to tomorrow and beyond.