Cover Image: Radical Love

Radical Love

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Member Reviews

I LOVED Zachary Levi in Chuck, and I would never have guessed that he was struggling with depression because he was such a fun, funny, happy, lovable character. I loved this book because it provides hope to those of us who are or know someone else struggling with depression. I have recommended it to my son because he struggles with depression and I think he will relate to Levi's experiences because my son was always expected to smile, be happy, and be friends with everyone. What an amazing memoir told from an amazing man.

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Can I just say…WOW. It is refreshing to see someone that is in Hollywood, being so real and open about who he is and the struggles that he has/is facing. So often I feel like celebrities that put stuff like this out there are fishing for attention and validation. I didn’t get that from Zach. I got the book from Netgalley, however, my library had this as an audio. Whenever I can listen to a book narrated by the author I’m going to go for it. Zach has a wonderful voice, and I loved hearing his expression. I never know that God played such a part in his life. But isn’t that what most people think? If I’m good enough, pray hard enough, God will fix me? What was more amazing? I have never experienced his depth of depression, but I have come pretty close. To hear my thoughts verbalize was …magical? What he said is something everyone needs to hear.

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Radical Love is a powerful memoir that gives you insight into a seemingly happy and bubbly actor who was actually really struggling behind the scenes. I loved Levi’s raw honesty about this and how it discussed the viscous cycle of abuse. I knew who Levi was but didn’t know much about him but after reading this I am a huge fan. This book is a great discussion of mental health.

Overall, this was a 4.75 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Editing to change my review after the anti-vax and transphobic comments Zachary has made.

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I've been a Zachary Levi fan since the Chuck days and had no idea of what he was going through mentally, as he always seemed so upbeat and very much his own person. This book provided a candid, heartfelt look into what he was really dealing with, all with his usual enthusiasm and love for fellow humans. It can't have been easy to write, but will likely resonate with many readers.

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3.5 stars

I was a devout fan of Chuck, the TV series. That made me a big fan of Zachary Levi and Ivonne Strahovski (I was so delighted as well to find out that she was from Aussie!). So when I saw that Levi was about to release a book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

This book was about Levi’s mental health journey in dealing with his crippling anxiety and depression, even through his successful career years.

I was quite surprised to see that he went through a very difficult period of time (and arguably still is, infrequently) with his mental health state. To me, Levi was one of those people whose smile would always light up the room - this was the main factor that attracted me to his work as an actor.

I’m grateful that Levi decided to write this book and share his story, so that everyone can see that even someone as successful as Levi could still suffer from confidence issue and imposter syndrome. I guess anyone who’s passionate about what they do and care a lot about the quality of their work would always have some level of anxiety.

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Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I loved the experience of reading this.

I have adored Zachary Levi since first seeing him on Chuck. I have followed his career, and loved his episode of Who Do You Think You Are. He spoke about the generational trauma and it resonated with me then. It is why I requested this title.

Reading this book was so moving to me. I found myself relating to so much of what he shared. The one thing I couldn't relate to as much was his faith. I am a spiritual person, but nothing as organized. I liked that even though faith was a huge part of his journey, it wasn't preachy about the power of prayer. It was more about the therapy, and the journey of therapy.

I cried, I laughed, I finished and felt hopeful. I could not have asked for a better read,

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Zachary Levi provides a really open and honest account of what depression and anxiety looks like as well as unresolved trauma. He doesn’t shy away from the good, bad and ugly of it all and his truth is good for everyone to head. Personally, it was a little too heavy on the god and religion for my taste because that has not been my experience with mental health. But good for him for finding the balance that works.

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Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved him in Chuck, love him even more now knowing how much he pushed himself to complete chuck. I just kept thinking through this book how lucky is he to have all this access to the expensive treatments and therapy and what an incredibly resilient person. He put in the work to break the cycle of abuse and crippling mental illness and now using his voice to break the stigma about mental illness and seeking treatment.

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“Vulnerability is a superpower.”

I first requested this book because of the author. I have enjoyed a lot of cinematography that stars Levi and I was interested in what he had to say. I didn’t expect to feel so seen or at least a little more understood after I was finished with it. The sheer candor about his experiences is empathetic (towards himself and others with similar experiences) as well as objective because his mentality is to see the scientific logic behind the emotions. It feels refreshing to have read such a transparent story - especially from someone that I can identify with on the topic of religion and mental health.

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Zachary Levi is one of my favorite actors and I was very excited to read his book. As someone who lives with anxiety, I related to parts of his story; other parts were absolutely heartbreaking as Levi recounted his experiences with anxiety, depression, and mental health. Levi talks a lot about spirituality, which may not be a good fit for everyone but struck a cord with me. If you are someone dealing with mental health issues, this self-help/memoir may provide support.

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I only know Zachary Levi from his role in Shazam. I personally really enjoyed the movie and when I saw that he had a book out that is about learning to love yourself I was intrigued.

The best thing about this book is how honest and open Levi is. He does not shy away from both the bad and the good that has happened to him. The way that he gets this across is by being honest, not by writing all of these things down for us to feel sorry for him. He actually said that writing his book helped him actually understand this thoughts and emotions, which I could certainly tell. At no point in this book did I feel like he was faking any of the things that happened, or his reactions. This reads as a deeply personal look into hisself that he was brave enough to put out into the world in the hope that others may find something in it for themselves.

An honest look in Zachary Levi’s life with some good lessons that I personally took away from it. Certainly plan on this being a yearly reread.

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I love you Zach Levi and pretty much if you love him you will love this book. Thank you Harper for the ARC for my honest review.

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A thoughtful look inside Zachary Levi's life and struggles. Zachary writes with in a very straightforward, down to earth manner to reach out to others that may be able to find help from his journey.

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Zachary Levi wrote an unflinchingly honesty and raw look into his life and journey with mental health and self-love. He said so many profound things that will stick with me long after I finished this book. The only thing that took me out of the book was that I felt the timeline kept jumping back and forth, so it was hard to follow at times. But other than that, I appreciated his candid views on his complicated relationships with his family, friends and the different things he’s gone through in his life. Love and acceptance are not always easy to feel like we’re deserving of, but I feel closer now that I’ve read this book.

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I have been a fan of Zachary Levi's since Chuck. I used to watch it with my dad and now I have even gotten my older kids to watch that show with me. He just always seemed like a nice funny goofy guy. The type of famous person that you would want to hangout with and wouldn't make you feel like you were less than. I still think those things, however, I had no idea how much pain he's been hiding.

This book lays all of that bare. From his trauma from being raised by a narcissistic emotional abusive mother to how that shaped him as an adult. How mental health has peeks and valleys and it's a journey not a destination. This book is incredibly validating to anyone that has struggled with mental health issues. It is emotional and raw and I can only imagine that it must feel like walking around in public naked. I really appreciate his purpose in trying to help others get through their own struggles.

I am not a religious person myself and the author is. He discusses his religion and how that impacted his mental health journey and what it means to him. It never came across as preachy or judgemental. It was more informative on how it shaped him.

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I love Zachary Levi and I have ever since I watched Chuck for the very first time. But I love and respect him so much more after reading this book. For me this book hit home and so many ways. I had no idea we basically grew up in the same areas, we had similar family Dynamics (and also completely different such as family is), and share a lot of the same belief systems and struggles with abuse and fear. If you are a person who deals with abuse on any level this book will be good for you to read. It Will help you feel less alone. And it also shows the ways that Zachary chose to fight against his very nature and the past that wanted him to fail, showing you that you too can break the cycle that his family started generations ago. He is an excellent example of being a human being who is willing to grow and fight for what is right even though it is one of the hardest things you will ever do. He is beautifully imperfect, as you are as well. If you are interested in breaking the cycle of abuse in your family, you need to read this book. If you like Zachary Levi you need to read this book, if you want to laugh or cry, you should read this book. If you want to learn how to forgive and move forward in your life, and if you love god, you should read this book. Even if none of those things apply you should still read this book. Zach, Well done sir. Thank you #netgalley for the advanced readers copy. I loved it.

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This book was like breaking open Zachary Levi and experiencing every trauma-filled moment of his life. I loved this book. He was so open and vulnerable, honest and even brave to share his story. Everyone, whether they experience mental health problems or not, would benefit from reading this book. It's better than any self-help, and his writing is so so good. I couldn't put it down. Beautiful, heart-wrenching, touching. And the profound truth that any type of healing at any journey of your life is a daily process. Thank you, Zachary Levi, for writing this book and sharing your story.

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Zach truly has compassion for people who haven't learned how to love. His biography is heart breaking and it reminds us that just because someone looks like they have the perfect life doesn't mean they do. There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said in these fantastic reviews other than I'm grateful to Zach for writing this book.

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A heartbreaking yet hopeful story about the battle with mental health and generational trauma. Levi not only shares his experience, he genuinely encourages readers to seek out help to better their own lives, understanding it is a lifelong process. It’s a story filled with heartache, love, and faith. A must read.

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Radical Love by Zachary Levi is a moving memoir that explores mental health in a fresh, witty way. I've been a fan of Zachary Levi since the Chuck television show and I've always admired his faith and exuberance. It was emotional to read about his struggles but I loved the little glimmers of hope and humor he interjected into those darker retellings. As someone who has also suffered with the same crippling anxiety and depression he described, it was refreshing to hear about his methods of finding his joy again. I would definitely recommend this memoir to anyone who has ever felt like they weren't enough.

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