In the last two pages of “Broken (In the Best Possible Way),” Jenny Lawson explains that the cover illustration was done by an artist named Omar Rayyan. His collection contains “whimsical paintings of people carrying their own baffling little monsters.” To her, this embodies how she feels about her battles with depression and anxiety. “I take mine out in the sun and try to appreciate that the flowers it rips up from the garden can sometimes be just as lovely when stuck in the teeth of its terrible mouth.”

As fans of Jenny AKA The Bloggess know from either her previous two books or social media accounts, she suffers from not only mental illness but ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, pre-diabetes, and anemias. In “Broken,” she really takes those monsters by their horns. One chapter is a painfully-relatable letter to her insurance company, another details her many months going through experimental treatments. While her wit can be found in these sections, they’re just not… funny. And that’s OK, it doesn’t appear they’re supposed to be.

The unique thing about this book is that intermixed with these more stoic chapters are laugh-out-loud ones. That is, if your brand of humor includes things like toddler-sized tiny condoms for your dog to use as boots, buttworms, and bearcat hot buttered pee. (Yes, you read that right.) There are lists of mortifying things she’s said, mortifying things strangers have done and tweeted to her, and mortifying corrections she’s received from her editors.

It’s been a few years since I read her other books, but I don’t recall their ranges of emotion being so vast. As a whole, reading “Broken” is a bit like doing laps in a pool. Start in the deep end with illness, swim to the shallow end to LOL, flip turn and head back to the deep. Seems fitting, since I think she’d agree that to deal with the depths of life, you have to just keep swimming.

My thanks to Ms. Lawson and Henry Holt & Co. for the opportunity to read an advanced review copy via NetGalley. “Broken” is scheduled for U.S. publication on April 6, 2021.

In 2012, I had what I like to refer to as a mental breakdown, for its dramatic implications, but it was really a severe, extended anxiety attack. During my recovery (if you can call it that; I was diagnosed with an actual anxiety disorder because of this, ahem, event), I was reading Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, which had been released in hardcover a month and a half prior to my craziest days.

I already knew who Lawson was; I had read about Beyoncé the giant metal chicken and Jenny’s long-suffering husband on her blog. What I didn’t know, though, was that continuing to learn about her adventures (and misadventures) would help me survive those tough times. Let’s Pretend was one of the few things that sparkled when everything seemed gray.

This week, after a hellacious year not only for myself but for the entire country, I finished reading Broken (In the Best Possible Way), Lawson’s third memoir. What I learned was unexpected, even though it should not have been: she no longer sparkles, but she is burnished like leather, perhaps the kind used to make her high school notebook.

When I say that this should not have been unexpected, I mean this: everyone grows and changes and pivots. And when I say that Lawson no longer sparkles, I mean this: in that growing, changing, and pivoting, she has shed a great deal of the need to be “on,” opting instead to share the deeper truth about her life.

That has been a process for her, as it is for everyone. As she eases into middle age (she turned 47 just last week), she seems more comfortable discussing her mental health in-depth. She’s never kept any of her struggles a secret, exactly, but like most of us would, she has largely held back the gorier details from her books. Hilarity, it appeared, was something she used to protect her readers and indeed herself.

This should not be taken as an indication that Lawson is no longer funny—she is, as you’ll see in so many chapters here, from descriptions of burgling raccoons to an unhinged discussion of dog condoms and yet more conversations with Victor, that best of foils.

But the most affecting chapters are the ones in which she buckles down for what we might call real talk: about her depression, her anxiety, her marriage, her childhood, and even the weather (both factual and metaphorical). It’s refreshing to watch someone else struggle with these things—not out of any malice or schadenfreude, you must understand, but out of feeling recognized, seen, and validated.

Because it can be a tough row to hoe, this life tinged with sadness or nerves or whatever you happen to call your own emotional dilemma, whether it’s temporary or long-term. I hope that others out there encounter the updated version, Jenny 2.0 (or 3.0, or whichever version she herself designates), and feel understood, or if they don’t live with mental illness, begin to recognize what their friends or family members may be experiencing. It certainly helped me.

To make a hard left turn after all of that, though, I must admit that my favorite part of the book was this:

Editor: You’re missing an antecedent.
Me [Lawson]: No, YOU’RE missing an antecedent.

Nothing like a good, sassy comeback to assure the reader that the Lawson we first met still exists, after all.

This quirky read is raw, funny, and a great view into mental health issues. Jenny Lawson does it again! There were a couple chapters that seemed like it needed a little bit of editing down but overall a good read!

I really love Jenny Lawson's books. I feel like I owe her something for writing them. The first one I checked out, Furiously Happy, made me cry-laugh while listening to it on audio in the grocery store and got me so many weird looks.
The second I read, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, also made me laugh inappropriately in public, but it also helped me come to the realization that I was suffering from mental illnesses and that I could do something about them. And I did, and even though things aren't always perfect, I'm much better off than I was then.
I've since gifted it to many friends. Heck, I gave it as a Christmas present a few days ago. It's important to me.
So when I saw Broken appear on NetGalley I requested it so quickly and then obsessively checked my email over and over to see if I'd been approved to get my hands on that ARC. I was so happy when I did.
And did Jenny deliver with her third memoir? Absolutely. It's more of the same hilarious, heartwarming, awkward, horrifying goodness I have come to expect. I laughed. I read large sections aloud to my wife. I was emotionally effected.
I loved it.

Jenny Lawson for the win again. Her humor and intelligence are everywhere in these essays as is heartbreak and struggle.

The deal: This is another book/essay collection/memoir-ish from Jenny Lawson, author of "Furiously Happy," "Let’s Pretend This Never Happened," etc. (I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this review.)
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Is it worth it?: Okay so this one hurts my brain a little bit. When I first read “Furiously Happy,” I was dumbstruck. I couldn’t believe someone could talk about mental health issues I also have in such an affecting and absurd way. Also, I like creatures and Lawson also likes creatures. But this was not it for me. I’m still trying to figure out if I’ve outgrown Lawson in a way or if her writing has changed, but so much of this was cringe city. When she’s good (the very few chapters looking her illnesses square in the face), she’s incredible. But when she’s not (basically everything else, but particularly: using adulting as a verb, actual lists of tweets, a compilation of shark tank pitches, using her real-life husband as a foil to her kookiness, an “are you an introvert” quiz, etc.), the degree of secondhand embarrassment I had was so out of control, it bordered on anger. The wacky comedy stuff feels so try-hard to me now, which is a shame because Lawson is a beautiful storyteller when she keeps things grounded.
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Pairs well with: Questioning everything about yourself at even the slightest growth/evolution of personal taste
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C-

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

As a fan of Jenny Lawson, I have been waiting for her next book and was excited to read an advanced copy; Broken did not disappoint. This essay collection touches runs along the same themes as Lawson's previous books, with a heavy emphasis on her mental health and the darkness and humor that can be found in so many situations. This book made me cry from laughter and the knowledge that so many other people experience the anxiety and depression I have felt. .

I have been looking forward to reading this book since Jenny announced she was working on it. She is on the short list of my must-read authors. I've followed her online for years and have read all her books, so I was honored and grateful to be chosen by Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley to receive an ARC of Broken (In the Best Possible Way) in return for an honest review.

In Broken, Jenny had me laughing, crying, and cheering for her throughout the book, often all at the same time. The chapters about dealing with her insurance company and her honesty in talking about her mental illness was both heartbreaking and familiar, and I can definitely sympathize with her. The chapter about her insurance coverage should be required reading for anyone in the medical insurance industry.

Without giving too much away, I think my favorite parts were actually somewhat more serious than some of Jenny's writing (the fountain and the chapter about souls, which I read three times) but Jenny's sense of humor is pervasive and just as snort-laugh-out-loud as ever. (Although I will say that there was that one chapter about potential Shark Tank ideas that was kind of weird and not really my sense of humor, but still quite "Jenny". I did skim most of it, but in my opinion, it's not really enough of a miss for me to drop a star rating.)

Reading Jenny's books feels like hanging out with your best, silliest, most fun friend. I'm looking forward to returning to reread parts of Broken now and again as I do all of Jenny's books. They're like visiting with a friend.

Jenny Lawson has a wonderful knack of discussing difficult topics in a way you are laughing as much as you are moved by her honesty.
Over the years, she's made no secret of her battle with depression and I cannot imagine the thousands of people she's helped by simply talking about it. Her latest book is no exception as she discusses everything from dogs' anatomy to her vacuum cleaner attempting to burn her house down to the incredible frustration of dealing with insurance companies when it comes to sending a claim.
For those who already love her, this book is a great add to you collection.
Fort those who've yet to meet her, you will laugh as much as you will learn all about Jenny Lawson and her wonderful way with words.

LOVE JENNY SO MUCH! So happy to have gotten this ARC! I have read her previous two books and this is every bit as good! She had me cry-laughing at parts, and also following along with her journey through the hell that is our health-care delivery system now. MUCH LOVE!! Can't wait for another!! Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for the ARC! Recommend very highly!

Jenny Lawson - born and raised in Texas - is a journalist, blogger, author, and humorist who suffers from mental illness, attention deficit disorder, clinical depression, anxiety attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune problems, and more. This makes Lawson's life challenging, but her medication - as well as her husband and daughter - help Jenny cope.

Jenny tries to see the 'funny' in life, and shares her observations with her readers.

I'll give some examples of Jenny's anecdotes, to provide a feel for her humor.

Jenny tells a story about constantly losing a shoe, because one foot is slightly larger than the other. So Jenny walked out of a shoe in a hotel elevator, waited for the elevator to return.....and no shoe! Turns out someone reported it to security. Jenny vowed to stop losing a shoe, but proceeded to do it again and again. Thus Jenny once had to pretend wearing one shoe was an Avant-garde fashion choice, once lost a shoe in a public toilet, once lost a shoe in a storm drain, and so on. (I'd advise fashionable sneakers. 😃)

***

Jenny writes about being so uncomfortable at parties that she gets verbal diarrhea and makes terrible small talk, like comparing dog poop and human poop. Ick!!

*****

After repeatedly mentioning genitals in a chapter about a cockchafer maggot, Jenny looked to Twitter for gender-neutral words for private parts. Hundreds of responses poured in, some of Jenny's favorites being niblets, no-no zone, Area 51, the south 40, the Department of the Interior, my hoopty, my chamber of secrets, my bidness, fandanglies, and the good china.

*****

In a chapter about editing her books - which Jenny does with a gallery of professionals - Jenny acknowledges that the process is awful and painful and hilarious and mortifying...but not boring. For fun, Jenny describes conversations she had about her books with a variety of editors.

Some examples:

◙ Jenny confuses the pirates Blackbeard and Bluebeard because they have the same last name. Editor: I don't think "Beard" was their last name.

◙ Jenny: Let's change "butt" to "buttonhole." Editor: Are you sure you want to do that? Jenny: Oops, that was autocorrect. I meant let's change "butt" to "butthole."

◙ Jenny: Can I just leave a poop emoticon to say sorry for being shitty at words. Editor: The poop image is an "emoji." An emoticon is a typographical display of facial representation using text only. Jenny: Jesus, I can't even use poop correctly.

*****

Jenny has a knack for fun animal names. Her dog is called Dorothy Barker; her suggested monikers for a neighborhood owl are Owl Roker and Owlexander Hamilton; a yard rat is dubbed Boo Ratley; and a squirrel who steals peanut butter crackers is named Squirrelly Temple.

*****

Jenny also tells stories about her husband Victor, her daughter Hailey, and her parents and grandparents. Much of this is amusing, though stories about pulling off chicken heads, eating goats roasted in ground pits, and snacking on gerbil jerky can be stomach-churning.

*****

In a serious vein, Jenny excoriates her insurance company, which avoids paying for her medication and treatments....a phenomenon that's probably familiar to much of the general public.

Jenny also talks about contracting tuberculosis because she takes immunosuppressant drugs for her rheumatoid arthritis; getting panic attacks; having childhood anxiety attacks that were so frequent her mother had to change jobs to work in her school; having regular suicidal thoughts; and experiencing extended periods of depression. Jenny goes on to describe the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) she received to relieve her psychiatric symptoms - treatments that are extensive and painful, but which helped.

Jenny's books do good by helping others who suffer from mental illness. Jenny writes about being on a book tour and meeting wonderful people who dealt with some of the same issues she had. Many folks shakily told her that it was the first time they'd left their house in weeks. Jenny was proud to be able to talk to each person, though it was VERY draining for HER, because she gets anxious being around people. A difficult conundrum indeed.

I like Jenny's humor, and there are some REALLY amusing chapters in the book. However, many sections feel forced, like the author was trying too hard to be funny.

Still, the book demonstrates that mentally ill individuals can have good times and enjoy life, which is a lesson worth learning.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jenny Lawson), and the publisher (Henry Holt and Company) for a copy of the book.

Yet another wonderful book by The Bloggess, Jenny Lawson. Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I adore Jenny Lawson. She has a way to really connect with hardcore introverts like myself. Her stories are much more dramatic (and hilarious) than any I could tell and yet they are super relatable. Jenny's writing is like David Sedaris in that she's sharing her real life experiences in a series of short stories. They are sometimes totally outrageous (just ask her how she got banned from the hardware store) and sometimes they are a little on the sad side.. From her lens there is humor to be found, even in the hardest moments. Like her other books, I belly laughed on more than one occasion while trying to read quietly in bed.

This book does have some somber moments where she talks about her illnesses, anxiety and some of the harder moments of her life, but even those stories have a distilled message that says "I see you. It's okay, just keep going. Oh, and it's totally okay to laugh about it."

I highly recommend pre-ordering this book and picking up all of her previous books if you have the opportunity.

This is the second Jenny Lawson book that I have read. I enjoyed it somewhat less than Furiously Happy, which caught my fancy with extended taxidermy passages. There is much less taxidermy here (but don’t worry, there are still references to a taxidermy prairie dog dressed as danaerys targaryan, road kill hats and alligators)—and it feels a little less like a narrative and a lot more like trawling an online blog. Given who the author is, this suits just fine! But it didn’t quite work entirely smoothly throughout. There are moving chapters. There are funny chapters. There is an extended and completely not funny chapter about bizarrely sexual ideas to pitch to Shark Tank. It’s a mixed bag.

I adore the cover. Omar Rayyan’s art has long been one of my favorite things that exist. I highly recommend reading Lawson’s note about the cover at the end of the book, because it feels not only appropriate to <i>this</i> book, but to 2020 as a year and concept as well.

A small side note about my reading experience with this book: I have depression and severe anxiety, but sometimes I forget—not in a way that means I am happy or carefree, but more in a way where I lose interest and the ability to focus on anything at all and I am not sad, just bored and unable to concentrate long enough to read or watch television or pay attention to my life. So, on a related note, I was sitting in my bed reading this book, caught up in one of the depression chapters and thinking about how my own depression has never really left me stuck in bed when I abruptly realized it was 4 in the afternoon, I hadn’t showered or left the bed since around 8 am the previous morning and I had slept in yesterday’s clothes. It was a mild shock and an eye opener that did actually inspire me to get up and face the remainder of the day from my desk instead of my bed. (I think this nightmare garbage year has done me no favors when it comes to routine)

Reading one of Jenny's books is like sitting down with an old friend you haven't talked to in years. She tells stories that make you laugh, make you hurt and humble you. I love Jenny's honesty in her writing. She doesn't hold back the details that make you cringe... in both good and bad ways. Broken is the book we need this year. It addresses difficult subjects with humor and gives me hope for the future.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co and Jenny Lawson for giving me this eARC of “Broken: In the Best Possible Way” in exchange for an honest review (via NetGalley).

Wow, this book.

This is Jenny Lawson’s third series of essays and I don’t think I have laughed and cried harder while reading a book of essays (sometimes doing both in the same essay). Lawson discusses weird moments in her life, being a magpie, family relationships, and mental health with a perfect blend of humor and poignancy. Reading this book feels like meeting up with an old friend. You settle with your coffee (or vodka) and hear her words as if they were spoken directly to you. She weaves in how our lives can still be beautiful, light, and funny even when we are at our darkest and teaches you the importance of fully embracing the weird moments that remind you that you’re alive.

I tore through the first half of this book and then forced myself to slow down because I knew that I would be so sad when it was over (and yes, I am sad that I finished it). I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a review, but I will 100% be purchasing this book for myself and to give to friends and family once it’s published this coming April.

“Broken: In the Best Possible Way” comes out April 6th, 2021

CW: essays on depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and dementia

Jenny Lawson is hands down always a must read for me. She’s so honest and open and real. “Broken” is well worth the wait. At times heartbreaking and others absolutely hilarious, Lawson always knows what kind of chord to strike. A massive thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this title. It was an honor to read and I’ll be suggesting it at our library.

Jenny Lawson is always a delight. Like her previous two memoirs, this one bounces back and forth between hysterical and poignant (hysterically poignant?). Her open letter to her insurance company over the mess of American healthcare NEEDS to be shouted from the rooftops.

SHOUTED.

And while we're shouting her open letter, we should all sit back and reflect on how her three memoirs are helping to take the stigma out of mental illness and other "invisible" diseases. Jenny Lawson is right there with Allie Brosh in walking people through how living with these illnesses actually works (or really, doesn't work). She helps bring a hopeful glimmer to others suffering, letting them know that despite how awful they feel, they are not alone.

I cannot adequately express how much I love Jenny Lawson’s stories. You know who would be able to? Jenny Lawson.
This is another collection of stories of the wild and sometimes difficult life that Jenny lives. Hilarious stories about awkward social situations and losing shoes WHILE wearing them, perfectly interspersed with raw and powerful and heartbreaking stories of mental illness and what it can (and does) do to its owners.
Jenny approaches these tough subjects with a sense of humor which might stand out to me so much because I do the same. It’s hard to live with anxiety and I only have a fraction of what Jenny describes and yet still I feel a connection because while it is super annoying to panic about going into a store bc *there are people in there*, it also gives me something to laugh about later. Jenny has the ultimate *laugh about it later* stories that had me laughing so hard I was crying and then so introspective and curious that it was like I was reading a completely different book.
Overall I guess I just want to say, “YES. Read this and laugh and cry and enjoy it and even learn from it because this book has everything. Including more taxidermied animals.”

I do love Jenny Lawson’s writing. It’s hilarious and heartbreaking. Often at the same time. Even though I’m a frequent reader of her blog, there was plenty here that was new or an expanded upon story from the blog. My only slight quibble is that the name should have been Borken in the Best Possible Way. Search for borken on her blog for the whole story.

I've been a Jenny Lawson fan for years and am grateful for the opportunity to read and review her forthcoming book, Broken. It was a great mix of humor and introspection. I relate to almost everything she writes about concerning anxiety and depression and reading her raw, honest advice puts so much into perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone suffering from anxiety and/or depression and also anyone who loves someone with these afflictions or just wants to laugh and feel things again after a crazy year.