Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Anna Marie Tendler. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars!
In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs.
Okay, reviewing this book makes me feel old, which I am, because I was not aware of the author nor all the gossip revolving around her and her breakup to John Mulaney, someone else I never heard of. I wanted to read this book because I am interested in mental health journeys, having an ex who died by suicide. I thought parts of this book were enlightening - such as her stay in the facility and the help provided there and afterwards, especially in the difficult times of Covid. But it also felt like a lot of rich person complaining - and I'm not referencing her mental health issues. But she hates men, yet is able to live the life she does because of them, and blaming men for all the problems in the world isn't fair either. Sure, patriarchy is real and ingrained and much of her talk about how women are viewed when reacting to men's bad behavior was spot on. There were times when I wanted to tell her that the rest of the female population deals with this, but we also have jobs, family, and real world money struggles. While her mental health issues were relatable and I was sorry for her, she did have the advantage of being able to afford treatment, afford freezing her eggs and replacing expensive meds - things that most of us could never do.
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