I was obsessed with The Little Mermaid as a child, and we also had other (Christian based) recordings of Jodi's that we listened to as well. This was a fun, easy read about her life becoming Jodie Benson, Ariel, and a Disney princess. Through the book, she radiates with love for her life and appreciation for everyone who has helped her along the way. I recommend it for someone looking for something uplifting, and for Disney fans.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC ebook. Opinions are my own.

Memoirs we're recently a new favorite for me in the last year because I love learning about people who are well known. Given that this actress voiced one of my favorite characters in a movie, I knew right away that I wanted to read this.

The little mermaid changed my life in the 90s. It was the first cartoon that showed me that you could be part of something. I loved learning about the voice behind Ariel

Interesting story behind Disney's Little Mermaid from the voice of Ariel herself, Jodi Benson. I was an early reader, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. All opinions are my own

I really enjoyed getting to know Benson's life through her own words. She talks about, of course, The Little Mermaid, but also talks about working on Broadway. Her faith is like a character of its own and she talks about she created her faith and she now nourishes it. In this memoir, it's not just the good. Benson doesn't shy away from problems in her marriage, saying goodbye to Howard Ashman and the loss of family members. She keeps an upbeat look thought out her life and for me, it was very inspirational.

I loved this book! Jodi Benson spoke about being Ariel, of course, but also gave accounts of her relationship with God and how her faith has grown throughout her life. I highly suggest this book to Disney lovers who are also interested in hearing about someone's faith journey. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

Jodi Benson, more widely known as the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, has had an EPIC career! Jodi has been on all kinds of stages, from Broadway to Disney, playing characters that are still known as some of the best in entertainment history. However, it’s Jodi’s faith in Jesus that is the real shining star of her life. No matter what she does, Jodi’s first priority is to honor God and share His love with everyone she meets. In a collection of stories titled Part of My World, Jodi details her greatest highs and lows and how God gave her strength through it all. Jodi Benson’s story, written with transparency and hope, will not only touch readers' hearts the way her magical voice does but inspire them to deepen their relationship with the ultimate source of life, Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach)!

“I really do believe that when God gives you a gift, He’s going to give you a way to use it—not just for your own enjoyment, but to bless others as well.” ~ Jodi Benson

The Little Mermaid has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. As a kid, I used to dream of swimming with a mermaid tale (okay, maybe I still dream of doing this), and, to this day, Part of Your World is a song my mom and I randomly belt when we can’t think of a word. Yet, until the movie Enchanted was released, I had no idea I had Jodi Benson to thank for these childhood dreams and memories. Reading Jodi’s life story has given me so much respect for her! The way she writes about her faith, shares wisdom from times of hardship, and passionately speaks about her family and work is beyond encouraging! I love reading people’s memoirs, but Jodi’s was exceptional.

“Over the years, I’ve learned that if God really wants me to do something, He will give me the courage, the strength, the endurance, the patience, and the ability to do it—and do it well. All I have to bring to the table is an open mind, an open heart, a willingness to try, and an obedient spirit. He’ll do the rest.” ~ Jodi Benson

Writing this review was the first time in a month that I’ve been able to put my fingers on my keyboard pain-free after getting tendinitis. Being restricted from the work I know God has called me to do was very disheartening; however, reading Part of My World during this time brought light into the darkness, boosting my spirits and reminding me that “All things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose!” (Romans 8:28)

“You’re a work in progress, and this is all part of the journey. You’re going through a rough patch right now, but God has a plan for you. He loves you, and He’s going to get you through this.” ~ Glen & Linda Keanes (Disney animator and friends of Jodi Benson)

Jodi Benson’s testimony will impact everyone who picks up this book — and I highly recommend you do! Thank you, Jodi Benson, for opening the doors of your heart and giving us a glimpse into your life. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to climb all the mountains you have, but I’m so glad you finally said yes to writing this book!

“God can do extraordinary things through very ordinary people. I’m living proof of that.” ~ Jodi Benson

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a pre-release copy of this memoir. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own*

I’ve read a lot of memoirs of women who I’ve looked up to, Amy Poehler, Michelle Obama, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, etc. This was the first that I got to read where the author had the same faith as me. Jodi Benson is very honest about her ups and downs (which we all have). This memoir is for all walks of life as well though as she tells of her beginnings in show business all the way up to her life now. My only wish was a chapter for Don Bluths Thumbelina however we are not obligated to all of a author/performers life and it might not have fit the scope. I especially appreciated the call out to kids with special needs and their connection with Ariel (this I can confirm as The Little Mermaid was one of my autistic brother’s (and my) favorite movies). Incredibly brave to put both your personal life and spiritual life out there for others!

Y’all, the Little Mermaid (Ariel) wrote a book!! Well, Jodi Benson wrote a book but she is always Ariel in my mind so I call it like I see it. And it’s not a boring, look-at-me autobiography from a stuck up celebrity trying to make a buck. It’s a beautiful celebration of how God has worked in and through her life for her good and His glory. She is real, raw and honest about some of the best and the most painful parts of her life and how that affected her faith. I loved getting a deeper look at this actress I have enjoyed seeing on the screen since I was a toddler. I celebrated with her successes, held my breath with her times of waiting and cried with her losses. She and her husband have walked a road filled with the highest highs and the lowest lows, yet their faith has brought them through to a stronger and deeper connection with each other and their family. I cannot tell you how much I loved this book and I’m definitely going to read it over again and recommend it to everyone. This book has power in it but it’s power to bring forth Light and Hope because of the great God it proclaims within its pages. If you read just one book this year, make it this one. It’s one that I promise you won’t regret reading. I certainly don’t and am excited to add it to my bookshelf too.

I received this temporary complimentary Ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Part of My World: What I've Learned from the Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice by Jodi Benson
I received an eARC via net galley in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved reading Jodi Benson's memoir not only as a fan of The Little Mermaid and Disney, but also as a Christian who loves hearing testimonies. Before diving into this book, I had no clue about Jodi Benson's faith, and especially how important it is to her and her story. It was so inspiring to hear about such an influential person in mainstream culture staying true to her relationship with Jesus throughout her life. I also particularly found hearing about the ups and downs of Jodi's career so interesting, I love musicals and broadway, so it was so fun to get an inside look at the industry. Jodi wrote with a personal voice that helped the reader understand her story even better. This amazing memoir is out now, and if you're looking for a touching, inspiring, and heartfelt true story, I highly recommend Part of My World!

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, but provided me with so much information I did not know about Jodi Benson. I knew she was "the voice of Ariel", but learning about her journey from Broadway to Disney, and also how once you're a Disney princess, you're always a Disney princess, was so eye-opening for me. I also have a daughter with Broadway dreams, so reading the details of what "making it" on Broadway entails was sobering. And, while I do not necessarily share her deep faith, I appreciated how her convictions guided her through some of the most difficult times in her life, including the struggles she had at the beginning of her marriage as well as her trials with auditioning.. I would definitely recommend this book, not only to Disney fans, but any fans of show business.

In "Part of My World," Jodi Benson gives readers a look into her life, both personal and professional, and the various bumps and dips she has experienced on the road from a singing six-year-old to a Disney legend with kids of her own. Despite encountering some unexpected twists and challenges, Benson relates her work overcoming them with the help of the family and friends and faith that continually support her.

Although "The Little Mermaid" was only one role in her long career in film and musical theater, it is clearly the one she is best known for, and with around five chapters devoted to her experiences voicing Ariel it makes up about 20% of the book. The chapters preceding it tell the story of her work to get trained and established as a working performer, while the chapters afterward largely deal with her trials and joys sustaining her marriage to fellow performer Ray Benson and starting her family.

While the book brims over with her innate positivity, Benson doesn’t shy away from depicting her life as having distinctly unmagical moments, such as her heartbreak over her two miscarriages and the untimely loss of her niece to cancer. Her reliance on her faith in God is shown to be her major source of spiritual strength in such times.

As the actress who was there at the very start of the Disney Animation Renaissance, Benson had a chance to form relationships with many of the personalities pivotal to that time period, and the glimpses she gives us of the ones who are gone now are fascinating. People like Howard Ashman, who she knew from the time she auditioned for him in the musical Smile to the last time she saw him in the hospital shortly before he passed away, and Roy Disney are shown as being as smart and supportive and genial in real life, as they always seemed to be on camera.

By the end of the book, readers have a better picture of who the voice is, behind their favorite red-haired daughter of Triton: A woman who has lived a life filled with both beauty and sorrow, but always in devotion to her faith in God. While from less-authentic sources, her strong religious beliefs might have come off as aggressively proselytizing, Benson makes it clear that not only does she accept others of different mindsets, but that she herself occasionally struggles to find meaning within it when faced with life’s seemingly senseless tragedies. Ultimately, however, we are given to understand that her faith, like her life, is a work in progress–one we will hopefully get many more years to watch as she continues to give a mermaid her voice.

Jodi Benson's "Part of My World" Book Made Us Love Her Even More. We knew Mrs. Jodi Benson as the voice of Ariel from Disney's Little Mermaid, and Tour Guide Barbi from Toy Story 3 and 4. We have also met her and worked with her at many charity events at Give Kids the World here in Florida. What we did not know is the struggles, the joys, the accomplishments, and the path she was guided towards to become the Voice of a Generation.

The book may be 278 pages, but it only took us a few minutes of reading to realize how much we really loved Jodi Benson. She comes off as down-to-earth, level-headed, and spiritual, even going through all the trials and tribulations of life.

I wanted to like this read, and was very excited about it. While I didn't really grow up with _The Little Mermaid_, I will note that Eric is one of my top animated crushes from that era, lol.

Unfortunately, I could not get into the writing style--far too casual and wordy, like a transcript of a spoken session--presentation, talk, something. Very much a "written like someone talks" style book--which is not my favorite. I don't think this did any favors to a few of the stories shared, either, which is too bad.

Fans of _The Little Mermaid_ and/or Broadway and musical theatre may enjoy this more, though.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is so amazing and inspirational! I love Jodi’s story! I love how she always points back to God! There were moments I laughed out loud, moments I had to talk about to whoever was nearby be with was SO GOOD, and moments that brought tears to my eyes! This is such a beautiful and incredible book! I cannot recommend this enough!

Thank you NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for giving me this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Truly this is an incredible book and I highly recommend reading it if you love The Little Mermaid, Christian testimonies, emotional, beautiful, and inspiring stories, and musicals!

I think that I am definitely the target audience for this book (a Disney and Broadway fan). I really enjoyed some of the behind the scenes information provided in this book about Jodi's experiences on Broadway and recording The Little Mermaid. However, this book had a few instances that I thought were poorly explained/written and relied too heavily on religion. Overall, while this book wasn't for me, if you are a fan of Disney/Broadway you might find this interesting for some behind-the-scenes information.

2.5 rounded up

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), the author, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

I absolutely loved The Little Mermaid so it is really fun to meet the woman behind one of the most loved Disney princesses ever.

Jodi Benson raised me, along with Paige O’Hara (who wrote the forward to the book) and the many Disney characters whom I watched on repeat. But, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Beauty & the Beast’ were my favorites. Benson has such an iconic voice that has brought so many of us joy through the many years of her being in the entertainment industry, but she is truly humble about it all. In ‘Part of My World,’ Benson discuses her journey to stardom, but ties it together with her relationship to God. Her walk of faith is sprinkled throughout and it truly is the centerpiece of her life, wherein she also discusses the tribulations and trials of loss, love, and heartbreak.

The highlights of this book, to me, were the chapters surrounding the making of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and talking about the late, great Howard Ashman. I broke down in tears while she laid out saying good-bye to a mentor, a friend, and a true Disney legend.

Along with mermaid talk, Benson discusses her time on Broadway and what led her to go from stage to being a mom, home-school teacher, and full time performer/voice actress. I was sad there wasn’t any mention of ‘Guidepost Junction,’ but maybe next book?

A lovely autobiography from Disney’s Little Mermaid. Jodi Benson is the voice of Ariel and Barbie in Toy Story 2 & 3. This is a must-read for any Disney fan. Follow the journey from Broadway to Hollywood. A heartwarming memoir.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale Momentum for this e-arc.*

This is a definite must read for any person who is a fan of The Little Mermaid, I appreciate the honesty with which this appears to be written.