Mandy Harvey

I saw Mandy on "America's Got Talent" and was very impressed with her so I bought her book and wanted so much to like it.

First of all, although she said she tried not to put too much religion in it, there was too much for my taste but then I am an atheist and so I am a bit sensitive to it. I also hit a bit of illogic that floored me and I found myself not really trusting anything she wrote after that.

This book is basically advice to people on getting by in life based on her experience of losing her hearing and a bad marriage. It's just not what I was looking for so I ended up skipping ahead to the end of the book.… (more)

Mandy Harvey has an impressive list of achievements for someone under thirty. She's a talented jazz vocalist with three albums to her credit, she writes original music, she has performed at venues like the Kennedy Center, and she's about to add published author to her accomplishments. She also happens to be deaf. This book tells her story, but it's also full of encouragement for readers to overcome their own obstacles and pursue their dreams. The book is primarily self-help/motivational, but it also includes advice for interacting with people with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on invisible disabilities. While Harvey is open about her Christian faith in the book, she isn't “preachy.” She offers wisdom and sound advice for people of any faith or of no faith. Harvey's audition for America's Got Talent went viral earlier this summer. This book should find an audience among the many viewers who are eager to learn more about this talented young woman who turned the world on with her smile.

This review is based on an electronic advance readers copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.… (more)