3.7
Deeply relatable despite (or due to?) the desperate self-indulgence, self-importance, and overwhelming malaise.

DNF. This book was not only based on heavy topics but it read like a therapy session. I was hoping for something that flowed better.

This book took my breath away. Sam Lansky's prose is so beautiful and so relatable - even though this story felt fantastical at times in some ways, it's easy to see yourself in his characters who are often, indeed, broken people -- but also beautiful people.

I only answered "YES" to all the Library Opinions questions because this book got great reviews from Oprah's Magazine, Library Journal, etc. - but the more I read I felt like I was experiencing a Timothy Leary 1960's drug-induced nightmare. I really enjoyed the beginning but the more I ventured into the "rabbit hole" I just couldn't read any more.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers. As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que. As I complete those I will work on my backlogged request and will provide a review at that time. I again send my sincere thanks and apologies.

I thought this was a really interesting concept and was drawn in by the description. I thought it moved along somewhat slowly but think that may have been partly on purpose. Seems like the character was able to stop and really think about all of the past moments of his life in order to reconcile them and truly move on.

BROKEN PEOPLE by Sam Lansky is a novel about self discovery. The main characters’ name is Sam as well. Sam moves from New York to the West Coast. He reluctantly attends a party where he overhears a conversation about a shaman who claims to cure what ails you in three days. Not only is Sam trying to adjust to his life in Los Angeles he is suffering from depression. With the help of the friend who hosted the party a three day retreat with the shaman is arranged.
Sam is a bit skeptical about the shaman’s methods and claims but at the same time Sam is willing to try anything that might help him deal with his emotional issues. During the treatment Sam’s past is revealed and explains how he came to be living in Los Angeles.
I read this book a few months ago. I have mixed feelings about the story. Overall I liked the book. I didn’t quite buy into the method of the cure but at the same time this is fiction so the possibilities are endless. I liked the style of writing and would probably read another novel by Sam Lanksy.
Thank you to Harlequin for the opportunity to read an advanced digital edition of BROKEN PEOPLE.

This well-written book feels more like a memoir than fiction. The author draws on his own experiences and the reader often feels like a listener to his therapy sessions. .

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a memoir or a fictionalized memoir. Ironically in the book the main character is writing a memoir, but his editor says that he's not removed enough from the experience in order to successfully write a memoir.

This is kind of the case here. A memoir is being written that centers around a retreat where a shaman can "heal" you over a weekend. There are three nights where a hallucinogen is administered and the shaman summons the spirit to help rid you of your demons. There's a bit of hippy talk ("clearing the spiritual debris") but overall it's a trip down memory lane. The narrator goes through a series of failed relationships and health scares. He doesn't take responsibility for his actions and this is somehow all cleared up with self-acualization.

The whole book was a bit weird and not quite what I was expecting.

I could not connect with this book but glad I had the opportunity to read it Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity

This is a very funny book about being in crisis and seeking spirituality and not sure if you actually want it. It's a send up of the L.A. life, the "guru", and new age movements and it if you liked Less by Andrew Sean Greer, you will love this book because I felt it has a similar voice and was about a troubled LGBTQ male writer

28-year-old, gay writer, Sam lives in Los Angeles. he's insecure, depressed, and a former addict. He is ready to heal. When his proposal for his 2nd memoir is rejected, his best friends, urge him to try a three-day ceremony with a Shaman. To set him on his journey, the Shaman gives him ayuhuasta. Will his journey help him heal? Can he learn to forgive and love himself? A story of introspection, examining his past, and taking steps forward, it is a well-written and realistic portrayal. It can be dark at times, because it deals with depression, drugs, and self-loathing. However, readers who enjoy realistic fiction, LGBTQ+ stories, and books about dealing with real issues will enjoy reading this book.

I was unsure of the book at the beginning, it felt a little too referential, but the latter two-thirds were so worthwhile and evocative.

I am not saying this is a bad book. I just could not get into it. I didn't really feel anything for the characters, couldn't connect. Maybe I was just not in the right place when I was reading it, but it just didn't work for me. I do appreciate the opportunity to have had the chance to read it, and I would not deter anyone from picking it up. (I know we ordered it)

What if there was someone who could heal you of all your problems in 3 days?
Although skeptical, that sounds like exactly what Sam needs. Suffering through depression & addiction, Sam’s life doesn’t feel like it has much purpose.
He journeys with a friend to meet a shaman, who takes them on a 3 day journey of self-reflection and healing.
This book was ok. It was hard to connect to and fairly dry and unfortunately a bit boring at times. It was well written, but just didn’t hold my attention.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. A mesmerizing account of a young man struggling toward self-awareness and eventually, self-acceptance. Often a difficult read, the author/narrator is intense and simultaneously self-absorbed and obtuse. He can be very difficult to like, perhaps due to the fact that he dislikes himself so thoroughly. His journey to learning to accept his flaws makes for a good story. While this genre isn't my preference, I concur with the critics who recommend it.

DNF. Too much angst and self-loathing. The whole California scene seemed cliched and shallow, and I just didn’t care enough about Sam to keep reading. This one was just not for me.

“H e fixes everything that’s wrong with you in three days.” What a perfect opening line for a book! Who wouldn’t want to fix everything you hated about yourself in practically no time? And so we are hooked as we are plunged into the life of Sam, a gay writer living in LA, having left behind his life in New York, his former lover and his friends but still carrying enormous self loathing.
Through a series of chance encounters Sam is given an opportunity to meet a shaman who, we are told, has .the ability to free an individual and show him a better path. Buck, a wealthy architect invites Sam to accompany him to meet Jacob, and following the initial meeting, the two decide to embark on the journey. toward a better life.
Sam is the author of a memoir about his personal struggles with addiction and recovery. Knowing this about him, the reader understands therefore that he has demons in his past. As Sam begins the 3 day process of facing those demons under the guidance of the shaman, he goes deeper and deeper into his memories and the readers go with him.
This is not an easy book to read. Sam is deeply troubled, totally self-absorbed, craving love but unable to reciprocate. His narrative is raw and unflinching and the reader soon is as disgusted with Sam as Sam himself is. I pushed on through his broken relationships but it was not a pleasant trip. The question at the end is whether the trip was worth it, both for Sam and the reader. You will have to decide for yourself if that initial promise was fulfilled and whether the journey was worth it.

The relatable young adult struggle of wanting to “fix” yourself, can you really be fixed in three days? Dry and youthful, a wonderful book for anyone who is in or has been through their 20s

First this book is mainly about the characters and recalling memories. There is no plot. I found Sam, tiring. I could not sympathize with him. He has been searching with help from drugs and finds a shaman at a wellness retreat who promises to help him. Its not the gay aspect of his lifestyle that bothers me, its just the personality of Sam and so many beautiful, white people.