This is a fictionalized telling of Monroe's life, although it seems to hew pretty closely, at least in the broad strokes. Names are changed for many of the characters, but it's pretty obvious who they are. I have a biography on my to read very soon list to help me sort out what is fact and what is rumor in this book, which I think will help.
The thing that is either a strong pro or con of this book, depending on whether you like it, (for me it was a mix) is that parts of the book seem to be an internal monologue of Monroe's, or at last form her perspective, which makes for a jumbled (not to mention unreliable) narration. The pro is that this really adds to the atmosphere of the book and the sympathy you feel for Monroe - this version of her, at least, is clearly ill. On the other hand, though, at least for me it made for an at times unpleasant reading experience. It also made it hard to tell at times what was "real" and what was in Monroe's head or imagination or dreams.
The real strength of this book is the emotional reaction of the reader - you really feel for Monroe and are disgusted at what can only be called exploitation by many of the people around her. You definitely end up feeling like she really never had a chance, and understanding how she ended as she did.
I'll be really curious to see how this squares with a biography of her. While it really wasn't to my taste from a writing style perspective, it was a powerful book and I can see why it was a National Book Award finalist. While it was not my favorite, it's something I could easily recommend to others, which is not something you can say every day.
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