This is a book for fans of works like Bittersweet and Quiet. It's a book about appreciating the Sensitive in the world and if you are a highly sensitive person, it'll help you make more sense of how you navigate the world.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

After reading Elaine Aron’s book The Highly Sensitive Person, I’ve been on the look out for similar books on the topic of sensitivity. This was a phenomenal read. I felt like it balanced intellect and story wonderfully, and I appreciate the practicality of it as well. Highly recommend for those exploring their sensitivity and emotions in a world that often attempts to harden people.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Harmony, and Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo for an ARC of this book!**

"Oh, please be careful with me
I'm sensitive and I'd like to stay that way"-Jewel

Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo unite to discuss the mental, physical, and emotional ramifications of being sensitive in an endlessly loud (and unrelenting) fast-paced world. While most people associate sensitivity strictly in terms of feeling too much, these authors take the time to explore the overall effect of being prone to sensitivity. One in three people actually fall into this category, so much like Cain's book on Introverts, these two hope to bring some 'normalcy' to being sensitive and the positive potential that sometimes lies dormant in discussions of this characteristic.

Sensitive people have 5 specific gifts including empathy, sensory intelligence, depth of processing, and depth of emotion. If those around the sensitive person are able to identify this trait and feed into it, the sensitive person's ability to think and feel so deeply can be a asset rather than a liability. Sensitive people also can become overstimulated easily, so it's essential that the sensitive person knows their own limits and holds to their own boundaries for optimal mental and physical health. Sensitive people are also susceptible to a boost effect, where any extra effort in terms of recognition, praise, etc. can help them to skyrocket past others in terms of success, whether in building relationships or a career.

These two authors just so happen to run an online community called "Sensitive Refuge" where many like minded sensitive folk can come to commiserate over shared experience...and I have to be honest, in some ways this book felt like a ploy just to get people to go check out their online presence. There are plenty of quotes and lived experience from their members throughout, which could be interesting but at times also felt a bit redundant and like filler. Many non fiction self help books utilize examples of famous people or famous stories to sell a point or make the topic relatable...but the amount of time these two spent talking about the sensitive side of Bruce Springsteen was a bit much for me personally. (I mean, at least they shared a quote where Bruce himself acknowledges he doesn't have much of a singing voice...but I took more from this admission than the sensitive backstory the authors shared!)

While I found this book to be informative overall, I think it also struggled in differentiating between sensitive people and empaths (at times) and since EVERYONE seems to classify themselves as an empath these days, I think this was a missed opportunity to draw a clear distinction between the two. I wanted to leave this read feeling empowered and knowing whether I could identify aspects of my sensitive nature to harness or reel in, but I think this book just tends to point to sensitives as feeling and thinking too much ALWAYS, and if that's the case, I'm not sure where I land.

I appreciate what these two sensitive authors were trying to do and there is plenty of interesting information here if you're willing to sift through it...however, I think at the end of the day I found I prefer the Quiet: or at least, Susan Cain's kind of Quiet.

3.5 stars

I had a very specific directive when reading this book - learning more about my highly sensitive child. I've already read Elaine Aron's seminal work in this area, and, for me, this title didn't offer any new or compelling insight. I also found the writing style very, very dry and hard to get through. Dr. Becky also has a chapter on "Deeply Feeling Children" that felt more accessible.

So... I guess that's the core of my complaint... not enough research and data to keep up with Dr. Aron... and not enough heart and humanity to keep up with Dr. Becky.

Great book that's so validating to read as a sensitive person myself. It's so nice to hear about sensitivity as a strength rather than a weakness. It builds on much of the concepts and information shared by Susan Cain in her works "Quiet" and "Bittersweet."

I consider this a must-read and will be recommending it to my workplace's DEIB committee.

I've followed the _Introvert, Dear_ and _Highly Sensitive Refuge_ websites (or, more specifically, their socials) for quite some time--so was really excited for this book. It's fine, but I frankly prefer the ID/HSR websites. They've been fleshed out so well, a book recapping much of what was already presented on the websites felt a bit superfluous.

I suppose it boils down to how best you'd like to digest the information, and how much of it you've already done.

I'll keep up with the websites--the bite-size chunks and ongoing updates based on the latest/greatest research are more my jam right now. Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking is a resource I'd recommend first.

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

"Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World"(Harmony Books, 2023) combines Jenn Granneman’s and Andre Solo’s journalistic expertise and personal experiences with introversion and high sensitivity. Psychologist Elaine Aron first introduced the term “highly sensitive person” (HSP) in the 1990s. Susan Cain’s research into introversion and people who identified as "Quiet" (2012) nearly shocked readers out of ideas of who they knew as a Silent Sam or a Chatty Cathy. Granneman and Solo are also offering further comprehension of this expanding genre, including what it is to live with high sensitivity, and how to understand a loved one who lives in a world often in sensory overdrive.

Also explored in "Sensitive" are thoughtful considerations of sensitivity as a strength (“the sensitive boost effect”), the negativity bias facing the attribute, overstimulation, the impact of too much empathy, and the gifts of sensitivity.

Thoroughly researched with generous endnotes to explore (or ignore) other resources, the authors maintain a layperson’s tone that is similarly utilized on Granneman’s site "Introvert, Dear" and their site "Sensitive Refuge."

Thank you to Jenn Granneman and Andre Solo, NetGalley, and Harmony Books for the advance eARC,

It could just be that I had confirmation bias when I sat down with this ARC from NetGalley, but it sort of felt like they were writing about me and to me. The frustrating part is that I've tried some of the strategies there, but when my boss doesn't listen, it doesn't help. The people who need to read this are not just the people who recognize themselves in this book. Getting those "suck it up" folks to read it will be a challenge.

Have you ever been told you're too sensitive, had your family call you a worry wart, have had a hard time letting go of past hurt, felt so burned out that you would absorb the negativity of your surroundings and the people in it? That's me and it hasn't made life easy at times. However, this book is there to remind me I'm not alone and gives tips on how to handle it when you feel the world is trying to crush you. I have highlighted several sections and plan on keeping this as a future reference guide. I received this book for my honest review.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rodale Inc.- Harmony for an advanced copy of this book on being sensitive, and how to handle these emotions in our modern world.

I remember when National Public Radio used to, or still does I couldn't find it in a cursory search, on a program where a man would speak and I am paraphrasing here " We all thought our fish were lonely, and our bikes didn't like to be out in the rain". That ad always had a lot of resonance with me because that is the way that I always kind of thought. Did my Star Wars characters miss me when I didn't play with them, or those books look don't look happy over there let me put all these books on one shelf. I would let people ramble on about things, feeling bad that they never had anyone to share with, and yet never wanting to share with others. I always assumed I was an introvert, not by choice but by makeup. I would always laugh when I would hear about people wishing others were in touch with their sensitive, because being sensitive enough I knew that they were both lying having no respect for sensitive people. So in many ways Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World by Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo really spoke to me in many ways. The book offers both a look at sensitive people, advice for dealing with an insensitive world, and a look into the lives of sensitive people for those that love them.

The book begins with what sounds like two different people, but both have a problem with dealing with the public and what society seems to have wanted. One liked to be left alone, to be able to play by themselves far away from the other kids as being around others was a little too much. The other seemed to bask in attention, taking on so many things to make others happy, and yet always seemed almost overcome by not only the attention but the emotions that came with it. These are our authors, and though they seem different both would be considered Highly Sensitive People. From there the book describes the challenges and there are many, and the strengths, some which don't seem apparant but are there. They look at problems in work, life, learning and love, and tricks and ways to help a sensitive person grow and strive.

A very different kind of lifestyle and self-improvement book. Both writers are highly sensitive people who have founded two different websites for both introverts and sensitive people. Their sensitivity present them with a different set of problems, and this is interesting to learn, and to learn how they have dealt with it. There are a lot of personal stories and stories about others, but unlike some books I found the way they deal with live and their issues far more interesting, and informative. The writing is good, the advice is helpful, though sometimes it might seem a little strange. Both authors are very good at communicating what they did wrong, and did right, and want to share the lessons they learned, sometimes painfully. The book is written for both sensitive people, and for those who want to know more about the sensitive people in their lives and what their situations and problems might be.

There is a lot of relationship, life, work, and self care ideas, and that can only be helpful, if not life changing. This is a mean old world and seems to be only getting worse. Recommended for sensitive people, sensitive people in a person's life, and for those who would like to know more.

A great book! I’ve read a bit of literature on sensitivity and found this to be a wonderful addition to my collection. The writing is straightforward but compassionate. If you like Susan Cain or any other neurodiversity books, you will love this. Highly recommend!

This is an excellent introductory book to the trait of sensitivity (also referred to as highly sensitive people). It is research based but accessible and it covers a wide array of areas where the trait has impact (relationships, children, etc.). I appreciate the practical action items that can be taken to help manage feelings of overwhelm that come easily to those who are highly sensitive. I felt that the personal stories were unnecessary, but I think that is just my personal preference in non-fiction books. I highly recommend it.

Sensitive is a fantastic addition to the genre of non-fiction books focusing on the highly sensitive person (HSP), first identified by Elain Aron. Sensitive combines the research, insights, and readability of the books of Elaine Aron (HSP series) and Susan Cain ('Quiet'). This would be a great place to start for learning about highly sensitive persons, whether you are one or just want to learn about it. I found it incredibly insightful and enlightening. So many aspects of my temperament and preferences just make sense when I read this book. I often struggle with overstimulation, so I was happy to see an entire chapter devoted on management, both on prevention and short-term recovery from it. I think that's something often lacking in this genre of books. Highly recommend if you're an HSP or looking to understand them better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rodale/Harmony for providing this ARC.

This book was incredible and I felt so blessed to be able to read this early! I am a true introvert THROUGH and THOUGH. I am also a cancer moon. Sensitive could quite possibly be my middle name. This was an incredible guide and often felt like a warm blanket.

This book was really interesting. It gave both a personal and a research based approach. The book wasn’t too technical, making accessible to the lay reader. I learned a good bit about myself and how I approach the world and relationships in it that I had never realized came from being sensitive. I feel stronger after reading this book!

This is the best book for Highly Sensitive People (HSP) since Susan Cain’s book, Quiet. The authors have taken their knowledge from their successful online communities and have given us this wonderful book. If you have ever been told that you are too sensitive or serious, this is the book for you!