Broken by Jenny Lawson

Broken (In the Best Possible Way)
by Jenny Lawson
Pages: 285
Published by Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date April 6, 2021
Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened comes a deeply relatable book filled with humor and honesty about depression and anxiety.
As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fans know, she suffers from depression. In Broken, Jenny brings readers along on her mental and physical health journey, offering heartbreaking and hilarious anecdotes along the way.
With people experiencing anxiety and depression now more than ever, Jenny humanizes what we all face in an all-too-real way, reassuring us that we’re not alone and making us laugh while doing it. From the business ideas that she wants to pitch to Shark Tank to the reason why Jenny can never go back to the post office, Broken leaves nothing to the imagination in the most satisfying way. And of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor―the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball―is present throughout.
A treat for Jenny Lawson’s already existing fans, and destined to convert new ones, Broken is a beacon of hope and a wellspring of laughter when we all need it most.

Review:

As in every review of Jenny Lawson’s books, it is always best to listen to Jenny’s narration as it adds so much to the experience. However, this time I received a copy from her book club subscription Fantastic Strangelings. I was in a conundrum do I read or listen? I decided to do both. I have deemed this the best way to read anything Jenny Lawson writes. The book has pictures and footnotes that can’t be captured in an audiobook yet Jenny’s inflection, and joy could be difficult to contain on paper.

Surprisingly, Broken (in the best possible way) is probably Jenny Lawson’s most serious and relatable book to date. I found myself nodding in agreement when the author shared a letter she had written to her insurance company stating her displeasure and frustration and her accounts of her battle with depression and invisible disability were heartwarming.

However, despite the serious subjects peppered throughout the book I also found myself laughing out loud which had my husband check to see if I was being attacked by a hyena. For example, her story about her embarrassing encounter at an airport which led to her tweet going viral left me giggling and feeling that I was not alone in putting my foot in my mouth.

Broken has so many fabulous moments but some honorable mentions are:

• Laser vaginas
• Holes in her brain
• conversations with Victor, Hailey, and Lisa
• bag of dicks
• cooking and cleaning
• buttons
• cockchafer insects

Needless to say, it’s a mixed bag but, in the best way possible.

Broken is a humorously insightful look into mental health while still being refreshingly real. One thing that will always be guaranteed with Jenny Lawson’s books is that they will put a smile on my face and Broken was no exception. It is a novel of broken shards of brilliance.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Fantastic Strangelings Book Club