You Are Enough

This post was #sponsoredbyfaithwords. I was not required to give a positive review, so my review is my honest take on the book You Are Enough by Mandy Hale.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity from Faithwords to read this book for free! I’ve enjoyed the other books that they’ve recommended to me as well, such as Pull it Off by Julianna Zobrist and Get Weird by CJ Casciotta.

When I saw the title of this book, You Are Enough, I instantly felt like it was written for me. I constantly struggle with not feeling good enough, and I needed a little pep talk to remind me that God sees me as worthy. Although this book is written by a Christian, she obviously struggles with her faith, which is refreshing for me. She’s not writing from a place where she has it all together and she’s telling you how she’s overcome. Rather, she’s writing deep in the trenches of depression, anxiety, and heartbreak.

Sometimes, when we’ve already overcome, we forget what it’s like in the battle. We try to help people overcome anxiety by saying how we claimed victory in Christ, but we neglect the fact that it’s not as easy as we make it out to be. Depression and anxiety hurt, and for some people, the hurt is more comfortable than the healing. I appreciate that Hale speaks to her audience through her own brokenness, because as she’s dealing with it, she’s helping others deal with it as well.

I’m very vocal about my anxiety, but I’ve slowly started to imply that depression is prevalent in my life as well. Hale holds nothing back when she talks about her depression, from the thoughts she has each day to the fact that she was in a mental hospital. Her honesty forced me to take a hard look at my emotions and consider how I can cope with them. Would I endure therapy? Would I go to a facility like she did and get group support? Only time will tell, but Hale’s book definitely helped me start the conversation about my mental and emotional health.

Although I really enjoyed the first half of the book, to be honest, Hale lost me right around chapter 11. For those who don’t know her story, she had a pretty serious relationship for about a decade until the guy told her that he didn’t (well, couldn’t) love her. As sad as I am for her, and as much as I could relate to a feeling of heartbreak, I was kind of turned back by how much she brought it up. She also mentions that this story is in her other books as well. I’m warning you because it may be helpful for you if your depression is because of a seriously bad breakup, but the fact that she repeats it so many times makes me feel like she thinks I’m stupid and that I don’t understand her pain. I’m already on her side, but I feel for the rest of the book that she’s trying to prove herself. She has nothing to prove! I already appreciate her, and I’m already on her side. She’s already enough.

Overall, 3/5 stars. I loved the beginning, but pretty much once it got to the part about Mr. E, I lost interest. It might speak to someone who is waiting for a boyfriend or who has been hurt pretty badly by one. I recommend this book to women battling depression and anxiety, especially in light of a bad relationship or a dark season of singleness. After all, who doesn’t need a reminder that you are enough?

You can purchase this book here. To find out more information about the author, you can follow her and her ministry on Twitter or Instagram.