Not a self-help book. Not an inspirational, aspirational book. Not a cookbook. Just a straightforward memoir about the worst period in Jen Hatmaker's life, when her 26-year marriage fell apart at the beginning of the pandemic, and how she recovered from it. Jen makes it clear from the beginning that this is her story and there are two sides to every story, but she honestly discusses her role in the break up of her marriage, not just the fact that her husband cheated and walked away. She rightfully protects her children's privacy and is not gossipy or petty, but realistic. It's a story about recovery and family, both birth and found, and how to come out on the other side after a terrible life event.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read Jen Hatmaker back in the 7 days, but she didn’t seem to have much new to say and we’re not on the same theological page, so I haven’t read her last couple books. I will admit pure nosiness had my reaching for this one, but it is a much more subdued look at the end of her marriage, her family’s recovery from that, and a lot of vignettes from her past she presents as having influenced her (bad?) decisions. There’s very little religious content, lots of snippets of inspirational quotes, and a real willingness to look at herself. It made me laugh and think.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc!

Awake by Jen Hatmaker is raw, tender, and unflinchingly honest. Jen writes with clarity and vulnerability about divorce, the failures of the church, the weight of patriarchy, and the journey back to self-trust.

There’s no performative redemption arc here—just truth-telling, humor, grief, and hard-won freedom. It’s the kind of book that lingers long after the last page.

Jen Hatmaker manages to write about one of the lowest points in her life with heart-wrenching honesty and bravery while also empowering women. I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t wait to read what she wrote next. She is the epitome of who you want your best friend to be, someone who is not afraid to fall apart in front of you, accept your help, and be forever grateful to you. She loves big and encourages others to do the same.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a raw and real look at the aftermath of an affair and end of a marriage and how Jen navigates her new life while reckoning with the end of her old one. I appreciated her honesty and the inside look at what a person goes through in this scenario. When she shares how she copes and navigates this new chapter of life, it provides great tips and advice for others that may be in this situation. It also reassures us all that this stuff happens and it gives hope to those who find themselves in a similar scenario. Really well written and I really enjoyed the poems shared throughout the book.

5 Stars for Awake. I loved that Jen Hatmaker used vignettes to tell her story and her reactions to life events. Not sordid, just helpful and heartfelt.

Here is my scoring system in a nutshell. Five star books are not only engaging from beginning to end, but they are also beautifully written. Four star books are well worth your time - engaging and well-written. Three star books aren’t bad- engaging but perhaps slow or clunky in parts. Two stars, I finished but it was difficult - something about the pacing, the story or the writing was not compelling. One star - just don’t!

5 STARS= Definitely YES!
4 STARS = YES.
3 STARS = Maybe.
2 STARS= NO.
1 STAR = DNF; Definitely NO!

Beautiful and so real. You could tell author was ready to share her story. Really enjoy this book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

AWAKE by Jen Hatmaker reads like Jen and I are sitting on her porch swing, big cups of hot tea in our hands, a cozy blanket over our feet, and Jen says "let me catch you up." This book is two friends having a heartfelt, serious, joyful, compassionate, healing, and reflective conversation about marriage, friendship, and moving on.

AWAKE is an ode to the family and friends who have your back on your worst days and who celebrate with you on the good times, too. It's about forgiveness and growing into ourselves and the hard and important work we have to go through to find the life we want to live and the person we're meant to be.

Don't worry -- it's funny, too!

Wow. I picked this up largely out of pure curiosity and it was so much more than I expected. Truly a new level for Hatmaker; this will be huge come fall and deservedly so.

You may pick up this book for one reason (and yes, she goes there) but you won’t put it down for other reasons. The pain, the wrestling with truth, the celebration of friendship, the mourning of so many things, the hope, the wisdom and joy, it’s all in here. And if are human it will resonate.

I do not say this lightly. This book was heartbreakingly emotional and achingly beautiful. It was brutal and hopeful. It was a ride. It felt like 6 months of therapy in just a few nights of reading. And having made it through the end I feel I am in fact all the better for it. This may not be the salacious tell-all some may expect it to be, but, Jen has told her story so wonderfully there were times that when it was its saddest and hardest, I wasn’t sure I could keep going. I am so glad I did.

The themes of growth and healing are evident, but to see the negative impacts of the patriarchy on boys and men tackled was refreshing and thought-provoking.

This book made me cry. It made me angry. It made me depressed.
But this book also made me laugh. And best of all, it made me hopeful.

I have looked forward to this book since I learned it was in the works and it did not disappoint! I didn’t follow Jen Hatmaker until 2022 when I heard her on a podcast, but reading Awake I gained insight into her prior transition of being “cancelled” by her religious community and going through a public divorce from her husband of 26 years. Once I started I could not put this book down. I appreciate that she writes about her divorce, but focuses on her role in her marriage and responsibility for recovering. I can also relate to her views on the damage that some religious cultures can inflict on their members and how hard it can be to break away from that without losing all of your faith. Her writing is vulnerable and relatable. She writes about pain but also manages to find humor and, ultimately, joy. This was a quick read for me and I liked the format of short slices of life. It was like having a conversation with your best gal pal that you wish never had to end. This book is perfect for anyone who has experienced a divorce or faith transition. Grateful to Jen Hatmaker, Avid Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Holy smokes, was I looking forward to this book. I was late to the Jen Hatmaker party, but although we come from different parts of the country and different faith traditions, she really speaks to me. As usual with her books, I enjoyed her style of writing and her insights. However, I would have liked more personal anecdotes, although I understand why she didn’t include them. For most fans, they already know her history – however, I don’t really know things like how she and her husband started their church, what happened when she let her more progressive social thoughts be known, or what ultimately happened with her husband and his new life. But she does a wonderful job of telling her story while also taking the high road, which is commendable. Thank-you to Ms. Hatmaker, Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for the ARC of this title

This amazing memoir is raw and heartbreaking at times, but it is also laugh-out-loud funny. While it is told through the lens of the author's divorce, it is (thankfully) not a tell-all and the story is much larger than just her divorce. The end of the book's official blurb explains it well: "More than one woman’s story, Awake is a critical analysis of the story given to all of us: the story of gender limitations, religious subservience, body shame, self-erasure. With refreshing candor, Jen explores a Midlife Renaissance—grieving what’s lost, cherishing possibility, and entering the second half of life wide awake."

✨Book Review✨

📚 I love Jen Hatmaker. While I was reading this book no one else existed or was allowed to need me. I binged this book in less than a day and have 0 regrets about how late I stayed up. Jen has told her story in an excruciating and arresting way, capturing the reader's attention. She was able to share her story while somehow also taking the high road, remaining sophisticated, and still weaving in her quick-witted humor. Reading Awake: A Memoir made me cry and nod along in agreement, it made me cherish things I’d accidentally overlooked, and it read like a love letter to life. Jen is still Jen, maybe more so than ever before, and it’s a beautiful thing to experience throughout these pages.

🌟 If you like Jen Hatmaker and her work then pre-order this book immediately. If you’ve been divorced or experienced trauma, pre-order this book now. I am awaiting my own physical copy, set to be delivered once this book is officially published in September.

Extreme gratitude to @NetGalley and @avidreaderpress for the advanced copy of Awake: A Memoir. Kudos to @JenHatmaker for getting herself back to shore and sharing her journey with the rest of us.

More about: Awake: A Memoir - Jen Hatmaker

📖 July 11th, 2020 at 2:30am Jen woke up to whispers of her husband, on the phone with another woman. Life as she knew it ended in that moment and the hours that followed. This is the story of the end, a messy middle, and a new beginning.

#BookReview #JenHatmaker #AwakeAMemoir #MustRead

Stars: 5

This was the memoir I didn't know I needed. Jen Hatmaker's story was incredibly sad, but how she took care of herself and her kids, and the healing that has taken place over the past five years, was inspirational. Will be recommending this far and wide.

Jean Hatmaker has written a raw intimate memoir of the sudden end of her twenty Six year marriage.We follow her on her path to healing from the pain.Surrounded by family and friends she takes step after inspiring step to rebuild her life.Full of so many emotions including laughter hope and joy.#NetGalley #avidpress