If you love Humans of New York, you will love this book. The author sat down with strangers from all walks of life to bear witness to their stories. With their permission, she published some of them here. There are stories of struggle, of adultery, of regret, of grief, and so much more. When I teared up at the very first story (!), I knew I was in store for a very special book. This book will touch you, move you, anger you, and maybe even make you cry.

Craigslist Confessional has been an ad, a blog, even a newspaper column, and now it’s a book. Every story answers the question, “Tell me about yourself.”

What secret would you tell if you could speak with complete anonymity and without stigma? The forty stories here tell tales of love, regret, loss, identity, and family. Many are heartfelt, tearful, and triumphant. Some are all three.

“During my freshman year of college, I became an escort, and everything stopped being normal.”—Erika

“Probably one of the first lessons I learned as a kid was that I couldn’t count on my mother.”—Raven

“Publicly, I was a good Mormon. Privately, I was just like any other teenager: I wanted to explore my sexuality.”—Gordon

“I guess the lesson here is, no matter what happens, try to laugh about it, and try to look on the bright side. Oh, and don’t get divorced.”—Shep

Most of these stories will make your own life seem great, or at least good, by comparison. Several may inspire you to change aspects of your life that aren’t so enjoyable. At least one may seem like your life on the page but written by another.

Overall, Craigslist Confessional is an interesting look into forty other people’s transformational moments. It will also encourage you to look within yourself to find your own answer to “Tell me about yourself.” 4 stars!

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Craigslist Confessional by Helena Dea Bala is a compilation of real-life secrets collected by the author after she posted an ad on Craigslist seeking secrets. I first heard about this book on a podcast and knew that I had to read it asap. I'm a naturally curious person so I love hearing secrets from other people. This book definitely accomplished my desire to know all. It's a quick read with some funny stories and some heartbreakers as well. Read and enjoy!

This collection of real-life confessions is heartbreaking. Some of the stories will make you cringe, some will show you the path not taken, and others show the spirit of the human race embodied in hope.

Helena Dea Bala has done an amazing job in transcribing these oral stories and capturing the "voice" of each participant in her offer on Craigslist to "listen, anonymously and for free, to whatever the speaker felt he or she couldn't tell anyone else". It's amazing the weight of their secrets so many people are carrying around, and Dea Bala gave them an outlet.

Very unique concept for a novel, but a heavy read. The stories shared are short, but extremely heartwrenching.

I think, going into this, I expected the stories that the author collected would be scandalous and dramatic but, mostly, they're just really sad. It's a well edited collection but the stories themselves are hard to read. I don't recommend this as a single night binge, but it's certainly worth the read. It's very reminiscent of Humans of New York, but a bit darker.

It is hard to rate this book because it is real people's stories. However, it was equally hard to read as it was easy to devour. I know that doesn't make a ton of sense, but the stories were intriguing. They were short enough for you to get invested, but long enough that enough details are given. I think the biggest issue is that the stories are all of people who got a raw deal at life. Not all of them have happy endings... in fact, most don't. But that is what makes it real.

I guess I just wish there were more happy stories to balance out the sad and depressing ones. I loved the idea of strangers sharing their secrets and stories. I love reading PostSecret, and I was hoping for a bit of a balance, like that site has been able to do. I wanted a little more humor, smiles, and just hope for humanity.

I'm pretty sure the last story in the book is the author's, which I really love. I really wanted to love all of this book, but it was depressing. Trigger warnings should be given to anyone who gets triggered because this book has it all... and if this is humanity, we're all in trouble.

Fascinating. I loved reading what people freely told without judged. An awesome look into people's lives and experiencing without judgement. Pick up this amazing book and prepare to have your eyes open. So glad I read it. Happy reading!

Ok. This needs to be on your list NOW. Just read the synopsis and tell me this doesn’t catch your eye. I was blown away when I read this, inspired, and humbled by what these individuals have gone through. These stories are phenomenal and I will keep going back to this one again and again. Thank you @helenadeabala for doing this and for sharing your story and theirs. Such a phenomenal idea brought to live and this will be up there for me in top books that I have read this year, yowza.

What a great read! I loved all of the back and forth and the "secrets". Oh, the webs we weave when we think we won't be found out.

I liked that I was able to read it in snippets. I kept putting it down then going back to it that way I could savor every story.

::I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read your work!: This week I read #CraigslistConfessional by #HelenaDeaBala . Let me tell you all, I was not ready. I think I picked up this book with the wrong intentions. I thought this would be a quick dive into the unusual lives of people on Craigslist, but instead it was a dive into the human condition. This book is non-fiction and might also fall under an exercise in qualitative research. The author was disillusioned with her job, and had an honest and revealing conversation with a homeless man which left her feeling a connection. After a while, she posted an invitation on Craigslist to listen to anyone, anonymously, tell their story. The response was overwhelming. For me, these stories landed in two categories..either people recounted the catalyst that changed everything for them, or they were still in the midst of a reckoning. And let me tell you, I don't think I could even list all the appropriate trigger warnings for this book. There are stories of sexual abuse, rape, drug addiction, infidelity, depression, suicidal ideation, SIDS, eating disorders, financial ruin, cancer, divorce, alcoholism...you name it..and it's in this book. All I kept thinking as I read it was "there but for the grace of God, go I." What really made me sad was the fact that some of these people, with these truly heartbreaking stories, didn't seem to realize they were miracles. The hurt and trauma of their situations blinded them to what was so obvious to me...that they survived it! That they somehow pulled themselves together from the wreckage of their lives and kept going. This book certainly wasn't meant to serve as an inspiration, but if there's anything to be gleaned from these stories it's that even after the worst possible moments, we can go on.

Craigslist Confessional grabbed my attention because I really enjoy hearing other peoples' stories. This book gives a glimpse into the lives of strangers. Many of these stories included some extremely hard/sad/tough times. Whether or not you've lived something similar to any of these situations, you're able to connect to many of the storytellers in one way or another- it may be through yourself, a friend, a family member. Each story "sounded different". I think that shows that the author stayed true to each person's voice. Books like this help build empathy in our world.

The author Helena seems to have the American dreaming going for her. An immigrant to the U.S. who graduates from law school who moves on to be a lobbyist in Washington DC. Her life is at a crossroads with student debt and unfulfilling job. One day after having a conversation with a homeless man who is regularly by her entrance to work, a conversation which makes her day better and just might giver her new direction in life . All this just from a conversation with a stranger who will just listen. This leads her to wonder what would happen if someone afford a nonjudgmental ear and have conversation with a complete stranger whose is not their friend, relative or even a therapist just a complete stranger ho once again will give a person someplace to just vent.

The author puts an add on craigslist that states she is willing to listen and talk with no judgment. She does not this will not get much response, she even thinks it might be a little foolish. But she is in for a big surprise when she get a large response from people who have all kinds of issues. This book is a group of these conversations that cover a wide variety of issues. There is a trigger warning that is discussion of molestation and rape so be aware. I read this book in one day it was definitely a good read. I received an ARC from Netgalley and Gallery books for a fair and honest review

I found most of the stories captured in this book to be quite compelling. Some of them dealt with very difficult topics and the author really captured the authenticity of the stories that were being told to her. I think it is extremely important for us to read things in the non-fiction genre that take us outside our realm of experience. . This is a very timely compilation of stories and a book I think most of society needs to read.

Usually, I'm skeptical when it comes to books that are basically a website in printed form. However, I was pleasantly and emotionally surprised by how much I connected with this book.
I don't know if it's the fact that they're stories I hadn't read before or that having them physically in my hand made me have a deeper connection to them, something just made them hit me right in the feels.
It helped cement what Dea Bala is doing as a profoundly special thing that brings people closer to understanding each other. You truly do not know what others have or are going through. Be prepared for it to leave you with a deep "there but for the grace of God go I" vibe.

Deep thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review honestly.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Craigslist Confessional is a book of stories from anonymous people confessing their greatest secrets. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking to read. It is amazing how people have the urge for confession to alleviate the weight of the secret they carry. Thus book is also a reminder of the adage to be kind because everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

I really enjoyed this book. Some of the stories were rough to get through and some even brought tears to my eyes. However, they were raw, honest, & thought provoking. I hope that all readers of this book enjoy it as much as I did.

An interesting if nit a bit depressing read where people basically anonymously tell their secrets ,it was a book I read in between other books ,a few chapters at a time,well done but in 2020 maybe not the book people are looking for to be uplifted and escape to

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own. Pub date - 7/7/20.

This collection of stories/confessions from strangers was riveting and I couldn't stop turning the pages. They are often dark and should come with a series of trigger warnings (rape, mental illness, abuse, PPD, eating disorder, infant death, etc.), but there are also some very uplifting ones. Each story is pretty short so if it's too heavy for you, you can easily skip to the next one. I liked that the author organized them into different themes and each story ended with a message to the reader.

"Everything is not perfect. But knowing that I'm not in it alone makes it, strangely, bearable." While I've been very lucky to not have too many struggles in life, this book helped me appreciate how rare and lucky that is and to have more compassion for others who may not be as lucky.

For fans of Humans of New York, pick this one up!

Upfront know that it's best, I think, to dip in and out of this book of confessions. Treat it like a short story collection. Also know that you might not want to read them just before going to bed. It's a fascinating collection of confessions of all sorts of things but it's often dark. You will understand why people have kept these secrets but also why they want to share them with someone- someone who won't judge them. It's well written and carefully arranged. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Intriguing and interesting view of humanity.