An interesting an honest look into the actor's life, Radical Love feels like a therapy session with Zachary Levi. He talks about the ups and downs of self belief in an industry that can be very hard on a person's esteem, and he comes to terms with the long term impact of depression and anxiety on his life. I was interested in the way that this was framed: he wrote a draft, drew his conclusions, and then had to reevaluate everything through the lens of a post Covid world. I don't know that this book is necessarily groundbreaking as an actor memoir or as a mental health memoir, but it covers some valuable ground and will interest fans.

I had the pleasure of meeting Zachary Levi in 2021, and he talked about this book he was writing. My youngest daughter was and is still having some issues of anxiety and finding purpose She heard his talk too, and really perked up. I knew that this was a book I needed to read, and to my delight, it was available to me early!

Zachary Levi details how his childhood was riddled with bullying, verbal abuse, parents not paying attention, etc. I can't imagine what that can do to a person, but he does a great job of explaining how his mental well being was affected. He gives very personal examples from childhood into adult hood of how he suffered, messed up, and sought help.

I love that he stresses, throughout this book, that we don't have to do anything to earn or be worthy of love. Unconditional love is a gift, and I pray that those who struggle with these thoughts and anxieties would be able to hear that and feel that. Learning to love self and others is hard, but when we are intentional, we can be happy.

I highly recommend this to everyone.

Thank you Harper Horizon and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve been a fan of Zachary Levi since watching Chuck, and had the pleasure of seeing him on Broadway in First Date. What I didn’t know was that behind his happy go lucky exterior was a guy who was suffering from depression and anxiety,

In Radical Love, Levi opens up honestly about his struggles with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and his emotional traumas growing up. His journey to accepting himself and learning self love is enlightening, and I admire his courage in recounting his dark times. His plea that mental illness not be a societal stigma needs to be heard. The book itself reads as if he’s speaking directly to you (he could have toned down some of the language though).

My thanks to Harper Horizon, and to Netgalley, for providing me an ARC of this book that is an important addition to the national conversation about mental health.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read an Advanced Copy Of Zachary Levi's Radical Love.

I first saw Zachary Levi in Chuck and absolutely loved that series. I continued to be impressed with his performances in Tangled, First Date, She Loves Me, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Shazam! and American Underdog. This did not prepare me for how much I loved this book. My childhood has many similarities to Zachary's and I have also struggled working through my trauma. I think this book does a beautiful job portraying his challenges and mental health battles. It is a raw, brutally honest memoir that gives hope to working though generational trauma.

Ok, first, yes - I was warned (thank you to my Bookstagram bestie for the heads-up) that this is heavy, and to have something light on-tap for when I was done. Maybe today (my late BFF’s birthday) was not the right day to read it, when I’m already feeling down. But phew… this book is extremely difficult, emotionally!

If you don’t know Zachary Levi - he was Kip Steadman on “Less Than Perfect” starring Eric Robers and Sara Rue, Chuck on “Chuck”, Flynn Ryder’s voice for Tangled (Disney), and Shazam (DC Comics).

Back in his Chuck days… I always though “I want to marry that guy.” (I loved Less Than Perfect, but of course his character was intentionally unlikeable - but I definitely noticed Zac!). Who knew what struggles he was going through! This incredible man, who is my age, has been through hell and back (several times), masked it under comedy and a smile - much like Jim Carey and Robin Williams - they say some of the funniest comedians are the most depressed people. My heart breaks learning that the actor I’ve admired so much (the most?) for 20 years has struggled so terribly, for so long, and was unable to reach out and ask for help for a long time. Hopefully, by telling his story, it will reduce the mental health stigma a little more, and some others will reach out, talk to someone, and think twice before coming to self-harm.

While this was hard to read, it is necessary. Mental health struggles need to be discussed, brought into the light, into everyday conversations - as Zac says from the opening of the book, discussed like other health issues and treated like all other regular daily health care such as brushing your teeth. Take the stigma out of it and help more people get the treatment and medication that can help stabilize their lives - and perhaps tragedies like last week’s Uvalde school won’t keep happening.

For the simple fact that everyone has something going on upstairs (whether they want to admit it or not, and whether it can be controlled with simple tricks & techniques, or needs medical intervention is not the discussion here), I highly recommend that every single person out there takes the time to read this book. If you know and love Zac as I do and also want to know his story, or if it’s just for the mental health discussion - go and pick up a copy!

Out June 28 in ebook and Audio read by Zac himself! I will be getting the Audible so I can hear his words in his voice, you betcha!!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harper Horizon, and this is my honest review and feedback.

I am a big fan of Zachary Levi as an actor (even though I've probably only seen him in 2-3 things, lol). So when I discovered he was releasing a book, I got very excited.

I was pleasantly surprised in a few areas with the read, and disappointed in others.

Levi has been through A. Ton. in his life. _A ton._ And he doesn't shy away from that. The downside for me was the language included--especially given the faith component woven throughout the read at the same time, so one hand _language_, the other hand _faith_. That read as a bit of a jerky back-and-forth to me. (And a majority of the language was f-bombs, which got really old really fast.)

I did really appreciate how much Levi shared about the hard work he has put in to better his own mental health and encourage the reader. A few paragraphs on objective truth, in particular, were refreshing counterpoints to the subjective "your truth" so prevalent in Hollywood (and, frankly, everywhere else) today. Some elements did still read a bit New Agey, and I may not hold the same theological convictions on all fronts, but I did particularly appreciate those paragraphs, and other sections certainly gave food for thought.

My main takeaway was Levi's emphasis on mental health and that there is no shame in seeking counseling--in fact, quite the opposite. No one is less-than for seeking help through therapy, medication, etc.; that pursuit is, truly, one of the bravest things we can do.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others by Zachary Levi
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Before reading this memoir I was a big fan of Zachary Levi, he seemed like a cool, down to earth guy who was also an entertaining actor in Hollywood.
After reading this memoir, I am an even bigger fan.
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Zachary takes us on his journey to better mental health. All the way from his parents upbringing to his present life, he gives us a look at how the way he was raised and his time in Hollywood has had a huge inpact on his life and who he is.
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What I liked:
-I enjoyed learning so much about Zac’s life. I love learning more about people and understanding what they’ve had to overcome and what has shaped them.
-There were SO MANY things that I screenshot or highlighted in this book. Lots of great sentences or thoughts that just made me think or made so much sense to me and I wanted to remember for later. One part that I really want to take away from the book is where he says refusing to forgive someone is like drinking poison and hoping that the other person will die. This is so true and I actually hadn’t heard it put that way before so I want to remember that.
-Zac actually says something about how talking about our mental health can help people relate to what you went through or are still going through and this may help them to feel a little more ok. I kept doing this through the whole book actually! 😂😂😂
-The stories about Zac’s mom were so compelling for me, and what he was able to say about her in the last chapter was so touching and I teared up. I especially connected to this part of the story, as I kept comparing this to my not great relationship with my mom and her mental health struggles.
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I don’t feel right giving a star rating to a non-fiction memoir but I will say I very much enjoyed this book. I think mental wellness is hugely important, and I appreciate all the honesty that Zac put into his story.
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Thank you Netgalley for this digital copy to read. Pub Date 6/28/22.

Radical Love is a moving story of a man learning to accept himself after years of trauma. It is his personal story of struggle and success. Mental health is an uphill continuous battle and Zac does a fantastic job of explaining that there is no cure but there is help along the way. This book is outstandingly emotional and raw. Zac wrote this from the heart and really put his all into it. I highly recommend this book.

This book was fantastic. Zac gives such a genuine and motivational outlook to everything. I love Levi and his acting career, so hearing so many stories of his life and struggles was fantastic, I loved how stories were mixed into advice and thoughts on life. A well written memoir that should be enjoyed by all.

As a huge fan of Zachary Levi’s work (his acting and his other endeavors - Nerd HQ especially) I was heartbroken to hear of the struggles he endured as a child and the mental health issues he’s faced as a result of that trauma. Please don’t go into this thinking “poor rich white man” because money cannot buy you out of depression and self-doubt. I read this at a time when I have been dealing with my own depression, and I think it actually helped me to see that someone I viewed as so successful and inspiring can have self esteem issues too. I appreciated Zac’s candor about mental health being a constant work in progress - he acknowledges that he has relapses and will maybe never be completely healed - but wish he had a better attitude toward meds. He acknowledges that sometimes they are necessary but expresses a hope that he will not need them forever. Some people need meds forever and that’s okay. Zac also discusses his faith and the relationship between his faith and his mental health, but it doesn’t come across as preachy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Horizon for the advance copy!

One of the best autobiographies I have ever read!

"In hindsight, I know God was telling me that I needed to prepare myself for His blessings before He could give them to me. But bot, it didn’t feel that way at the time. At the time, it felt like nearly all the grown-ups and parents in the industry were united in a chorus of disapproval, telling me I was pathetic and worthless."

“Nearly all of our collective woes on earth can be traced back to the broken hearts and minds of people.”

Moving, poignant, painfully raw and honest, not only is it inspiring but it is also incredibly insightful and educational on all things generational trauma, mental health and success.

“The problem was that I saw it as a problem. The problem was that I felt shame, again.”

“The only way forward is to get back up, dust yourself off, and move forward again. The only way to do that is to accept yourself as less than perfect. And the only way to do that is to have grace.

*** I received an early complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Through his honesty and vulnerability, Zachary Levi shows how human we all are in darkness. Through his novel, he shares his journey of self discovery, anxiety, and depression. Astonishing truth and reality is brought to the surface for many readers to relate to. If you are suffering, please seek help and know you matter.

This is phenomenal!!! I loved the honesty and vunerablity Zachary laid out for us about mental health. This is such an important book for others to know they are not alone and to help someone possible walking this road on their journey.

Zachary's quick wit and sense of humor offer levity to heavy topics. It is quick paced yet deep and poignant. It is wonderfully written and the journey is so important to where we are in our culture right now. We need to throw open the doors on the discussion of mental health and this book is a great way to start that conversation.

I plan on buying this book for everyone I love in my life. Thank you Zachary for this raw, honest and vunerable look into your life. Thank you for sharing it with us so that others may be able to heal and recognize themselves in your story and take steps to loving themselves and others.

I have known and admired Zachary Levi since I discovered him fourteen years ago in the the TV Series, Chuck, which is still one of my favorite series to this day. I have been following his career, from the end of Chuck to the wonderful movie Remember Sunday, from his hit on the Broadway Show First Date, which I would have loved to see but I was not in NYC back then, to the time he acted in the Marvel Movie, Thor. From Disney when he voiced the character of Flynn in Tangled, when he was in the Heroes Reborn series and more recently in Shazam. Yes I can say without being mistaken that Zachary Levi is an extremely talented actor who deserves more recognition. But we all know Hollywood and how difficult it is. I've also watched many interviews of him, panels too with The Nerd Marchine and I always thought he was funny, very endearing and above all always smiling. So when he posted on his social networks about his upcoming book, his biography in which he was going to tackle some difficult subjets about his life - childhood trauma, abuse, depression and more, I was extremely surprised. And then I remembered something my mom always told me, that often, the people are the most touching, kind and smiling are most of the time adding a deepest pain.

I immediately pre-ordered my copy - even a signed copy, of Radical Love. I didn't even hesitate. Not even for a minute. Finally, even before receiving it, I was lucky to be able to discover an advanced copy of the book and read it a few months before the official release. I will share with you today my review of the book and what I thought about it. When I started reading it, I had to idea I was going to enter this emotional roller coaster. I was not ready to read such an honest, authentic and touching story. Because those three words do indeed perfectly sum up Zachary Levi's writing here. He is not there to paint a fancy story. No, he is here to tell you about his life journey and his recovery. His fight against depression, and his traumas. While giving advices and seriously raising awareness tothe readers on the issues we all can meet as a person but also, that our loved ones can live without us someting even noticing it.


Reading Radical Love was difficult. I was not expecting so much honesty from a person who is very famous all over the world. It's brutally honest. And this reinforces the vivacity of his writings. It's really something I loved. He is not afraid to admit his mistakes, to talk about his past and the painful moments that led him to consider taking his own life. My stomach was going into knots reading his words, I had tears in my eyes. To be honest, I had to stop my reading to be able to process what I had just read. I thought back to all the times when I had seen him on TV with a big smile on his lips whereas I was watching him on my computer or TV sceen without imagining what he was going through behind the scenes. I also started thinking about all those people in our life who can go through the same thing without us even being aware of it. That's why it's not only brave for the actor-writer to tell his story, but also necessary.


I often say that I have trouble with autobiographies and maybe that's why I really enjoyed reading Radical Love. This is not an autobiography strictly speaking, Zachary Levi tells here his journey towards healing by giving advice to each chapter in colorful inserts. He highlights his fight by illustrating his traumas and pain with stories from the past. He is not there to tell you about the actor he is, the roles he has had or his successes. He uses his professional experiences as an example but that's all. Don't expect any anecdotes from the filming of Chuck or Shazam because there won't be any.

Radical Love was for me a huge hit. You don't need to be a fan of the actor to enjoy the writer and the human being behind this book. I really hope it will be translated into many languages to allow as much people as possible to have access to his testimony. I think it will help more than one and that this only fact is a great accomplishment from Zachary Levi. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is so altruistic writing this book and sharing it while accepting to be vulnerable. This is a great proof of the incredible person he is. Thank you. Thank you for writing this book and for agreeing to let it come to life.


A huge thanks to Harper Horizon and NetGalley for this wonderful reading !



FRENCH REVIEW : Ce que j'en ai pensé


Je connais et admire Zachary Levi depuis que je l'ai découvert il y a maintenant quatorze ans dans la série Chuck qui est d'ailleurs encore à ce jour, l'une de mes séries préférées. J'ai suivi sa carrière, de la fin de Chuck à Remember Sunday, de son passage à Broadway avec First Date que j'aurais d'ailleurs adoré voir à son apparition dans Thor. De Disney lorsqu'il a prêté sa voix au personnage de Flynn dans Raiponce, à la série Heroes Reborn et plus récemment dans Shazam. Oui je peux dire sans me tromper que Zachary Levi est un acteur extrêmement talentueux qui mérite d'ailleurs plus de reconnaissance. Mais on connait tous Hollywood et la difficulté que c'est. J'ai également vu pas mal d'interviews de ce dernier, des panels aussi avec The Nerd Machine et je l'ai trouvé très drôle, très attachant et surtout toujours souriant. Autant vous dire que lorsqu'il a posté son annonce sur ses réseaux sociaux concernant la publication de son autobiographie dans laquelle il allait aborder certains sujets difficiles sur sa vie - traumatises de l'enfance, dépression en autres, j'étais extrêmement surprise sur le coup. Et puis je me suis souvenue que souvent, les personnes qui sont les plus touchantes et souriantes, cachent souvent une grande blessure.

J'ai tout de suite pré-commandé mon exemplaire de Radical Love. Je n'ai pas hésité un seul instant. Finalement, avant même de le recevoir, j'ai eu le privilège de découvrir les épreuves de ce dernier et de le lire quelques mois avant sa publication. Je vous partage donc aujourd'hui ce que j'en ai pensé. En débutant ma lecture, je n'imaginais pas embarquer dans cette montagne russe émotive. Je n'étais pas prête à lire un récit aussi honnête, authentique et touchant. Car ces trois mots résument en effet, parfaitement l'écriture de Zachary Levi ici. Il n'est pas là pour dépeindre une histoire enjolivée. Non, il est ici pour raconter son parcours de vie et sa guérison. Son combat contre la dépression, et ses traumatismes. Tout en donnant des conseils et en sensibilisant sérieusement le lecteur sur les problèmes que nous pouvons rencontrer en tant que personne mais que nos proches peuvent vivre sans que l'on en prenne parfois conscience.

Lire Radical Love fut difficile. Je ne m'attendais pas à autant d'honnêteté de la part d'une personne qui est quand même célèbre dans le monde entier. C'est brutalement honnête. Et cela renforce la vivacité de ses écrits. C'est un élément que j'ai vraiment aimé. Il n'a pas peur d'admettre ses erreurs, de parler de son passé et des douloureux moments l'ayant conduit à envisager d'ôter sa propre vie. J'ai eu la boule au ventre en lisant ses mots, j'avais les larmes aux yeux. Pour être honnête, j'ai même dû arrêter ma lecture parfois pour encaisser ce que je venais de lire. Je repensais aux moments où j'avais vu ce dernier affichant un grand sourire aux lèvres sur l'écran de mon ordinateur ou de ma télévision sans imaginer ce qu'il vivait en coulisses. Je me suis également mise à penser à toutes ces personnes de notre vie qui peuvent vivre la même chose sans que nous en ayons même conscience. C'est pourquoi c'est non seulement courageux de la part de l'acteur écrivain de se dévoiler mais aussi nécessaire.

Je dis souvent que j'ai du mal avec les autobiographies et c'est peut être pour cela que j'ai beaucoup aimé lire Radical Love. Ce n'est pas une autobiographie à proprement parlé, Zachary Levi raconte ici son parcours vers la guérison en donnant des conseils à chaque chapitre dans des encarts colorés. Il met en avant son combat en illustrant ses maux par des histoires du passé. Il n'est pas là pour raconter l'acteur qu'il est, les rôles qu'il a eu ou ses succès. Il utilise ses expériences professionnelles en exemple mais c'est tout. Ne vous attendez pas à des anecdotes sur les tournages de Chuck ou Shazam car il n'y en aura pas.

Radical Love est pour moi un coup de cœur. Vous n'avez pas besoin d'être un fan de l'acteur pour apprécier l'écrivain et l'humain derrière ce livre. J'espère qu'il sera traduit en plusieurs langues pour permettre à un plus grand nombre d'avoir accès à ce témoignage. Je pense qu'il en aidera plus d'un et c'est rien que par ce biais, une grande réussite de la part de Zachary Levi. Il a le cœur sur la main et est si altruiste écrire ce livre et le partager en acceptant de se montrer vulnérable est une belle preuve de l'incroyable personne qu'il est. Merci. Merci d'avoir écrit ce livre et d'avoir accepté de le laisser prendre vie.

This memoir was very honest, vulnerable, and heartfelt. The focus on improving mental health and how that honestly looks in our society today is one that I think many people including my students could relate to. While we may not read this as a class, I feel that some of my students either because of their interest in movies or mental health would find this book very insightful.

I had the pleasure of meeting Zachary Levi during a festival in Milan a few years ago when he was known as Chuck. ln that occasion I saw the man whose desire is to give people joy. Now, with this book, I got the chance to see what's behind this desire of his, I got the chance to know his personal story.
In Radical Love, Zachary Levi shares his mental health journey in a very poignant and honest way. At the beginning of the book he says his intent has always been to write an informative, illuminating and entertaining story about hope, perseverance, acceptance and, above all, radical love. Well, in my opinion he totally did it.
I'll leave you with a quote that will make you perfectly understand how helpful Zac's story can be for anyone:
"I am not fixed. I may never be "fixed". But it's ok that I am not. I may never be able to repair all of my brokenness, but I can love myself inspite of my brokeness. "

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a wonderful book. Part self help, part memoir, it delves into the darkness that can be mental health. To have someone as famous as Zachary Levi, admit that he’s struggled and to have him be open and honest about something that plagues a lot of people and still gets pushed under the rug, is refreshing and inspirational.

I love Zachary Levi and I’ve been a fan for years. I’m so glad he’s finally put out a memoir. I appreciate his honesty and vulnerability in writing this book, and I think people will get so much out of his story. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!

Thank you to Harper Horizon and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

I've been a fan of Zachary Levi since Chuck, have gone to his Nerd HQ off-sites at Comic Con and have seen his plays on Broadway. So I was excited when I saw he was coming out with a memoir, Radical Love. He's always appeared to be bubbly and positive, but as he explains, there can be anxiety, depression and self-doubt that can be beneath the surface of any seemingly happy person.

Radical Love is a candid and unflinching account of his mental health struggles and his attempt to reconcile his past with his outlook on the future. I think the main purpose of the book is to share his journey in the hopes of other people seeing that they are not alone in having issues and in that he succeeds. Even though on the surface, it would appear that he is living a charmed life - successful actor, well-liked in the industry - it is touching and refreshing that he wanted to share with us that things aren't always as they seem.

I thought it was well written. He does talk about God a lot, so if that's not your cup of tea, this book may not be for you.

Radical love is part self-help, part memoir from Zachary Levi, the actor most well-known for portraying DC's Shazam. I discovered Zac on a TV series called Chuck in 2007 and have been a fan ever since. I knew he'd dealt with mental health issues over the years, but I didn't know the extent and was curious to see what he had to say about what he'd been through. I had the opportunity to meet him a handful of times and he always had this big, friendly, happy-go-lucky personality. It really is true that you can't truly know a person. I never would have known his struggle.

He's very open and honest about his childhood trauma and how it continued to follow him into adulthood. There are anecdotes that are just heartbreaking. At times, I wished I could have reached through the pages and hugged him. He wants people to know they aren't alone, and that getting help is important. There's a lot of focus on spirituality, but he also goes into what he learned when he admitted himself in a Mental Health facility, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and enneagram types.

I'm very happy to know he got help, knows that mental health is something that can't be "cured", and continues to get help when needed. I love that he advocates for Mental Health on his social media and as an ambassador for the Active Minds, a non-profit, young adult mental health advocacy program.

I think this book is a benefit to anyone who is either a fan of Zac's or thinks they are alone in their Mental Health struggle.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.