In the spirit of this book - an honest review: This book was good but not great in my opinion. It was enjoyable to read but nothing really felt exceptional about it - from the stories to the writing it was just good.

Very interesting although difficult to read at times. I found it quite repetitive.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy.

I went through the full range of human emotions reading this memoir! What an interesting premise….to be honest. I laughed and felt tense and uncomfortable and a couple
Of times read passages out loud to my partner. Such fun.

To Be Honest is an awesome book! It examines the different forms of honesty and one courageous man’s kinship to the truth. And the truth is - it manages to be hilarious and romantic while completely crazy. I loved it! I highly recommend it.

<u>To Be Honest</u> is Michael Leviton's memoir about his unconventional upbringing in a family obsessed with speaking every thought that enters their mind. Unsurprisingly (to most people), such an upbringing had negative effects on Leviton's relationships with other people. While I was disappointed for his seemingly never wavering adoration (and at times almost idolization) of his narcissistic father, I was pleasantly pleased by the growth Leviton worked towards and experienced in his adult years.

To me, the delivery of Leviton's experiences just felt off. It was odd how whole years would be cut out or entire major life events omitted (I didn't realize he had a younger brother until suddenly his younger brother is six. I didn't realize he had a younger sister until suddenly she's 5.) The transitions from one story to the next were sometimes difficult to follow. On occasion, stories seemed to end rather abruptly. These chunks of missing time or omissions make more sense if you read the book through to its conclusion...

Overall the concept was interesting enough, but unfortunately, as many people have experienced, it's difficult to like or be drawn to Leviton. There's a difference between telling someone every little thought you have in your head and knowing when to just sit back and listen instead of talk. Not saying something isn't being dishonest. It's just called keeping things to yourself. I couldn't imagine a life where I told every single person I knew every single thought I'd ever had. I can appreciate that Leviton's upbringing was strange, difficult, and exhausting and ultimately provided him with a lot of hoops to jump through, but his retelling of it all just didn't intrigue me as much as I had initially expected.

I loved the concept behind this book from the very beginning. The idea that someone was brought up to only use total honesty was extremely intriguing. But what I really loved was also how the same character at some point understands that that’s not what other people do.

I had a very conflictual relationship with the main character, Michael. While at the beginning you can’t blame him for his behaviour because he’s just a child and you even find his honesty cute, growing up you just can’t understand how he is not able to comprehend that he is the only one living by those rules and, unless he changes behaviour, he would be destined to live alone. When he finally understands that maybe something was wrong with his upbringing and the way he was taught to behave, he still feels like an imposter in every connection he creates with other individuals.

At the end, you still don’t really know whether he has made peace with him behaving like everyone else or if for the rest of his life he would feel like a 100% honest person trapped in the body of an imposter.

Anyway, I can’t really be mad at the main character, given that he is the author and this is a memoir, and I actually truly applaude his honesty in describing so honestly his life path as a completely honest person. As he also explores in the book, he could have told a different story, turning his father into a more likable person, for example. Instead, the story we read is as raw as he lived it and I loved that.

I want to thank Abrams Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

AHH this was a DNF for me. I got about 20% in but it just wasn't doing it for me. I sometimes like this kind of book when it's audio and read by the narrator. The same happened with the Audio version. I did find the audiobook better because it was nice hearing it read by the author. But the story just didn't interest me at all. I didn't feel invested.

I really enjoyed this memoir!
Leviton puts forward a really interesting idea, what if everyone was honest?
We can see from his experiences that it's not as simple as it might seem.
Leviton's story is genuinely interesting and heart warming at times as we watch him try to discover life as a dishonest person and where to draw the line between honesty and dishonesty.
It really made me consider how many lies we tell a day, an hour even and why? Is it really for the benefit of others? Or the benefit of ourselves?

This memoir is definitely different from the usual style but in the best way! The writing style was engaging throughout and really kept me, as a reader, invested in the story!

A four star read for me that I recommend! I also think this would be a great gift or reading recommendation for someone who is new to non fiction, purely because it is so interesting and thought provoking.

This book is available now!

Thank you to the author, Michael Leviton, the publishers, Abrams and Netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - ironically, about a book that focuses on being honest!)

I don't read many memoirs, but the book's title drew me in. What WOULD it be like to live a life that involved being completely (and, at times, painfully) honest in all situations and relationships?

I appreciated that the first chapter of "To Be Honest" focused heavily on the author's parents and how they came to develop their own ideas around honesty, which were then passed on to Michael. This memoir contained numerous recollections of hilarious conversations Michael had with his parents, peers, and other adults while growing up. This book managed to be thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time.

This memoir is filled with so many gems, and as much as I enjoyed reading this book, it can feel a bit dense at times because the stories are non-stop. I found it necessary to pace myself so I could fully absorb every story Michael had to share.

I laughed, I cringed, and (metaphorically) my mind was blown when reaching certain realizations of my own. I'm so glad I decided to give this memoir a try!

One of the most heart-warming memoirs I've read in a while; Leviton's "To be honest" is a relatable, witty, painfully sincere record of the author's life, that feels both personal and universal.

Philip Larkin's oft quoted "They fuck you up, your Mum and Dad. They may not mean to, but they do." kept popping into my head as I worked my way through Michael Leviton's bizarre memoir about his upbringing in a family where you were compelled to tell the truth and also speak your mind, regardless of any impact your words may have on their target. Despite being bullied at school and struggling to make any kind of meaningful relationships with people his own age, he continues to follow their strange path, reaching the age of 29 only having told three lies.
This book covers his childhood, his awkward interactions with others (potential friends, girlfriends, employers, etc), and his forays into embracing the noble art of, if not flat out lying, at least being more sparing with the blunt truths. At its heart is a highly dysfunctional relationship with his first proper long term girlfriend, which really overstays its welcome in a narrative as he seems to use the novel as public therapy, airing their repeated break ups and the increasingly bizarre behaviour of his girlfriend, to the point where it becomes almost too intrusive and voyeuristic.
At several points, I found myself asking why Leviton had written the book, beyond exorcising his own personal demons. There's an interesting book at its core, about why people lie, and our relationship with truth, which definitely got me reflecting on my own actions (culminating in me picturing Jack Nicholson screaming "You can't handle the truth" at me), there were just too many other distractions that often felt jarring by their presence. A mixed bag.

A quirky, easy-to-read, fascinating memoir of a family who tells the truth.

From childhood, the author was encouraged to be open and honest in all circumstances, from his thoughts about the modern world right through to deconstructing his wild teenage antics, including the stuff most of us wouldn't dare discuss with our folks. As he grows up, his dedication to realness in all moments is challenged. The author finds out very quickly that the world we live in is one of untruths, manipulations, and white lies -- all in the name of what we consider a functioning society. We lie in job interviews, we lie to partners and friends, we lie to our parents and our kids. As a society, we tell lies and we accept them. The author discusses a range of instances throughout his life -- childhood, first love, family camps, employment -- where his drive to be honest trips him up. His attempts at acquiescence by trying out a bit of societally-approved dishonesty, however, proves just as challenging.

The book starts out as a curious look at a life lived differently, and becomes an examination of authenticity and worlds forged on false premises. The author does not pull punches and accepts how his honesty makes him a difficult person to be around. But while revealing his self-awareness, he challenges wider society on just what our lies, big and small, have wrought. Are we a more anxious society because we fear certain things, or because we fear speaking our truths about those things? Are we drowning in fake news and dishonesty because we've honed skills of manipulation over generations, all for the sake of getting along? Which lies are OK and which are destructive, and how do we know the difference until the lie (or truth) is told?

I found these questions enthralling, and I found the author's take on how his upbringing impacted his world and the worlds of those around him pretty gripping. HIs family members and his friends are well-drawn and I found myself connected to these people in unexpected ways. The author describes his relationship over the course of several chapters and I was devastated at the twists and turns throughout. The final chapter is especially affecting, and it only as the author's story and the stories of his family and friends wrap up that I realised just how much I wanted to see these unabashed truth-tellers succeed and thrive.

A lot of lessons, a lot of fun, some big challenges, and just an overall great story..

Imagine living a truly honest life. As in, never telling a lie. Ever. To anyone, for any reason.

Michael Leviton’s To Be Honest is a memoir about his life, raised in a family where honesty was expected and lies of any kind were shamed as immoral.

A lifetime of introspection and constant self-analysis (complete with annual family excursions to therapy camp) didn’t adequately prepare Michael for the self-discoveries that awaited him as he matured.

This memoir was equal parts fascinating and entertaining, and I loved every word of it.

Thank you NetGalley, Michael Leviton, and the publisher for early access to this amazing piece. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

"To Be Honest" by Michael Leviton is the author's story about living a life full of (too much) honesty. This book made me laugh, made me sad, and definitely made me cringe! It is hard to write a review for this book that is separate from the feeling you get starting on page one of all the reasons that Leviton should have been in therapy many, many years ago. Aside from this, I always appreciate a well-written, engaging book that tells a story different than any I have read before, and this book definitely checks this box. At times, I also felt like I was reading an adult version of Amelia Bedelia. This was a fun read.

I received an ARC of both the audio and ePub for this one. (I requested the audiobook when I realized the book was not available on kindle format and read it this way). I read a good deal of memoir and have found that recently, the books being published are more and more extreme. I requested this one thinking I might be getting a feel good and somewhat lighter book. That did not happen. The author’s parents raised him in a very troubling fashion. He failed to be socialized properly and encouraged to feel superior to everyone except his parents. His narration, in which he, quite literally laughs out loud as he reads his “antics” as a truth telling child was just disturbing and off putting. After many vignettes of his hostile truth telling, I put this one aside.

Reading/listening to ‘To Be Honest’ by Michael Leviton reminded me of having a deeply satisfying and connecting conversation that is only achieved when both people are sincerely interested and completely honest with each other. Unfortunately in my experience, this kind of connection is often rare, which is what made this memoir so special to me. In ‘To Be Honest,’ Leviton recounts his strange childhood in which his parents were unapologetically honest and raised him and his siblings to be so. This doesn’t sound too strange in concept, but quickly takes a wild turn when you discover some of the things expressed under the guise of full transparency. His father’s brutal honesty in particular, can be simultaneously offputting and quite hilarious. It’s interesting to observe the influence his father’s callous honesty and unyielding emphasis on logic has on Michael, a highly intelligent and emotional child. Due to his upbringing and maybe his inherent personality, Leviton is an unflinchingly honest child, sometimes to the detriment of himself and others. He holds strong to these values and any dishonesty feels wrong to him. As it can be difficult for Leviton to sustain relationships with others, he becomes more introspective about he and others communicate. I found this fascinating to think about, how we so often hide our true feelings from others in order to make them feel comfortable. Reading about his life also made me think about my role as mother to two young children and how I communicate with them. I both listened to and read this book. Leviton narrates his memoir masterfully and completely charmed me. He lets the full range of emotions and laughter come through at different points. I look forward to seeing what he writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this digital ARC.

A really different type of memoir, but one anyone will relate to. Leviton explores the meaning of honesty in theory and practice in a personal yet universal way.

As I had the pleasure to receive an audiobook of To Be Honest, I simultaneously read and listened to this book, which has lately been my favorite way of reading in general. But since this is a memoir, it was amazing to listen to the author as a narrator as well, which made it a really special experience for me as a reader.

To Be Honest was certainly a surprise for me. I enjoy reading memoirs, but they are usually so intimately personal that besides a few life lessons and general knowledge, it is difficult to apply them to your life. This one is different; Michael Leviton tells his story of an upbringing in a family who basically worships honesty without considering the practical implications of this philosophy outside of the home. It's a topic I, as much as anyone, often struggle with - is it worth telling the truth in a given situation, and what lies exactly can I get away with?

Since he was little, Michael would never, ever lie - not to his parents, teachers, friends or strangers, even when they would never know the truth. Although this worked some of the time, Michael tells stories of when it didn't, all in a quirky, captivating way. While the reader will come to their own conclusions, I think an important observation is that the aithor's parents, who taught him to live this way, came from a very different reality.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"To Be Honest" is a very different type of memoir. Not only does it tell the story of Leviton's brutally honest upbringing; but it raises very interesting questions about lies; truth; and society's comfort level with both.

While these questions and issues are intriguing to consider, they don't quite make for an uplifting memoir or for a happy ending.

By the end of the book, while Leviton seems to be at peace with his own conclusions, the actual ending is really just sad. The reader realizes just how much the family's obsessive commitment to honesty has cost everyone involved - and it's far from pretty.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to enjoy this book - While the plot felt very sad, the great writing does make the reader consider some very interesting questions.

To Be Honest // by Michael Leviton

"Little Honesty Cult."

Michael Leviton was raised by parents that valued honesty more than anything else. While that sounds rather normal, the way this manifested itself in his daily life and how people reacted to it quickly showed that it was anything but normal after all. Their honesty was accompanied with the assumption that they were not at all responsible with the consequences of their words because each person is only responsible for their own feelings, not others', and that this honesty was more important than anything else in their lives, even if it meant living with no friends and being unable to find a stable job. In this memoir, Leviton writes about how he grew up, lessons he learned while in school and beyond, and what effect it had in his life when he started to lie on purpose.

To Be Honest by Michael Leviton was such an interesting read! It did take me a little while to become invested in this memoir (though I do think my reading device had something to do with that), but once I really sat down and focused on it, I was hooked! I am a big fan of memoirs and I can honestly say that this one is unlike many others I have read. It is so candid and... well... honest. It was mind blowing to read about the things he experienced and it was also very educational for me to see his thought processes behind the things he did. Often times, it was hard to disagree with him even though I can see why other people were uncomfortable in those situations. Many times you can see how this honesty hurt him or squelched the feelings needed in healthy relationships (such as with his father) but it was also difficult to argue with his logic. While I can't say that my honesty or life in general is anything like his, this book did help me realize why I struggle so often in social situations myself - the big difference is probably that I don't have the confidence to be as honest as he is in those situations because I do worry about what others think and feel. But it is oddly satisfying and validating to read this memoir and be able to put more thoughts and feelings to my own experiences. I definitely recommend this read for any fan of memoirs!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An honestly good book! Honestly! The author grows up learning to be honest. Later, he practices some dishonesty, in order to fit in with others.