Everyone But Myself
By: Julie Chavez

I enjoyed this realistic memoir about a woman who is a mom and wife and is overwhelmed.

Julie realizes that she needs help and strives for perfection. When she goes back to work and her husband travels for his job things become overwhelming.

Even with a strong family and supportive friends it’s always okay to ask for help. Mental health, wellness and finding your way back are important for your well-being. Being present and not expecting perfection is also essential!

Thank you Zibby Books for introducing this memoir.

Julie Chavez has figured out what it means to be a mother:

“Mothers are many things to many people, often at the center of the wheels of their families lives. And it’s a gift to be needed, to be seen, to know our lives are interconnected to the lives of our people. But if we love our lives and people and we listen to even a handful of messages about what it means to be a good person or a good partner or a good parent, then we may begin to believe we can't stop turning, cannot possibly stop perpetuating the revolution of the lives at the periphery of our wheels. Slowing down ceases to register as an option. After all, I’m bound to these people by love and proximity and the thousands of tiny tasks that fill our days together. I love, therefore I do quickly warps into I do, therefore I am.”

These are the words of a mother of two boys, who works a full time job as well. A woman who’s husband has a job that requires him to travel frequently. A woman who balances motherhood, marriage, a career and a home. This woman reached her breaking point and fought hard to put herself back together. Rather than shy away from her story, she chose to share it with the world. It is not a unique story. At times I recognized myself in this story. At times I was horrified by the advice and recommendations given to her by professionals. There is a lot to learn here, it’s ok to ask for help, it’s ok to say this isn’t working for me right now. My thanks to the author for being willing to say the things we all know about but are not willing to put it out there.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Wow! Loved this one! Julie shared her journey in navigating her mental health and getting to a place of recognizing she needs help and that help isn't always easy to get. We watch as she tries to book healthcare appointments and how some just try to give her the easy way out without addressing the major concerns. But also shows that finding the right person can really make a difference and instead of just medicating also addressing what got you to this point. Loved reading about her journey, the ups/downs and how outside factors can play a part in how you cope and navigate life.

I have a special place in my reading heart for memoirs and the brave authors who are willing to tell their story. Why? Because by writing their story, they are helping to rewrite mine. Julie Chavez so beautifully tells her story of losing herself to debilitating anxiety and depression and finding her way back. From the incident that seemingly started it all to the ups and downs of recovery, Julie weaves in personal stories from ‘the good old days’ as well as the challenging present to honestly capture what reality was like for her….and for many of us. This book is for anyone feeling overwhelmed with life, for caregivers struggling to make time for themselves and for anyone who wants to feel better and is willing to make the changes needed to do so. I couldn’t help but feel an instant connection to Julie and read with a desperation to find her happy ending so that she could help me with mine. I think many mothers will see themselves inside these pages, feel an instant kinship to the author and then feel brave enough to find their way back to themselves, too.

This book – aptly titled Everyone But Myself – arrived in my hands when I needed it the most. I “met” Julie on a Zibby Book Club gathering and was so excited to hear all about her memoir, so when it landed in my Kindle, I carved out the time to read this gem and it could not have come at a better time. It felt like a gentle nudge to remember to take care of myself, too, in the never-ending to-do lists, holiday preparations and general chaos organization a mother finds herself in on the daily.

Julie has such a beautiful way with words, and her grace and humor throughout this difficult time in her life was a balm to my weary soul. Anxiety and depressions is a scary thing, and when it happens to you for the first time, it can feel like your whole world is coming down around you. Julie not only descries how she lost herself, but how she came back stronger and well-equipped to handle any future struggles. This book is for anyone who has ever felt unseen or overwhelmed as a mother and woman in this crazy world.

Thank you to Julie Chavez, Zibby Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book for an honest review.

When I started my bookstagram I was really searching for the ability to connect with others over books that make me feel deeply.

I have always loved reading and wanted to share that as well as be exposed and expose others to books that fit right into my heart, books that make me think thoughtfully, and books that make me feel seen.

Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez did just that. Everyone should read this book. It beautifully and rawly depicts the struggles with mental health, raising children, and continuing to have to stay true to yourself when you have lost your way.

This book will make you feel seen. It will make you feel not alone. It will nurture the parts of you that feel misunderstood or crazy.

Some of my favorite quotes are below but I will say I tabbed a large amount of this book

“Living in a world where so much can (and does) go wrong is a minefield for a perfectionist who prioritizes meeting expectations, who loves an equation that yields consistent results.
I like to entertain the belief that if I make all the right moves, I'll win the game. But that's always been impossible. I know there are no moves to ensure, with total certainty, that I can have a life of happiness and protection, that I'll have a healthy, satisfying marriage, that my children will stay on the straight and narrow.
I know there's no way to sidestep pain and loss, but it hasn't stopped me from trying,”

“The trick about mental health is that when you discover—or admit-you need support, all the tools you would use to find that support have vanished. You're hopelessly tired, easily confused, fatigued by even the slightest roadblock. What a perfect time to navigate our breezy, welcoming medical system.”



Thank you @zibbybooks for finding another read that fit right into my heart. Thank you @juliewriteswords for your realness. You are so brave.

While I am not a mother I am someone who struggled with anxiety/depression so this book was very relatable. I loved her descriptions of her struggles and realistic look at her marriage.

It’s not very often that I see glimpses of myself in a memoir. I can’t even tell you how many times I nodded my head, smiled, giggled, sighed, and frowned (all in solidarity and understanding) while reading Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez. As a mother and primary caregiver living with anxiety, Julie’s words definitely spoke to me. I think most mothers will be able to relate to Julie in one way or another, and even see themselves in these pages. Everyone But Myself begins with a panic attack, and develops into a mental health crisis as Julie tries to understand, cope, and alleviate her debilitating anxiety. It was a wake-up call to make herself a priority. Like a lot of moms, her own well-being took a backseat to everyone else’s. Julie goes on a personal journey to remedy that, and find tools and resources to help her feel like herself again. I appreciated Julie’s reflections on motherhood, marriage, and modern family life. It made me feel seen, understood, and most importantly, not alone. The similarities to my own life were seriously astonishing. Thank you, Julie for your courage and strength in sharing your story with us. It’s opened my eyes to changes that I can make in my own life. Yours is a story that I will think of often. For real. Everyone But Myself releases on 1/9/24! I highly recommend it!

I've been lucky enough to meet and spend time with Julie, so reading her words and story felt like I was getting to know a friend on a much deeper level. Julie brings to light what many mothers, myself included, feel like when we simply start taking on all the things. We barely notice that we are juggling so many balls and don't blink when more get added...until they start to drop because there are just too many and we haven't taken a break for ourselves. I loved Julie's honesty throughout and how she candidly shares the steps she took to help herself, steps that we can all use.

With grace, humor, and compassion for herself, Julie Chavez describes both how she lost herself and how she came back. For anyone who ever felt overwhelmed or unseen as a mother, probably most of us.

A very real account of a mom who struggles to take care of everyone except for herself. I think any mom has felt this anxiety and despair but Julie Chavez bares her soul to talk about her crushing anxiety that threatened to take over her life.

A real, honest and at times heartbreaking account of her life. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend for anyone struggling with day-to-day life and decisions.

Thank you Zibby books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

As a working mom who has learned balance over the years, I saw this memoir and wanted to read it. Julie Chavez shares her journey of realizing that sometimes anxiety is more than we can handle and sometimes we need to seek help. Julie is a working mom who has taken on the majority of both the emotional and physical work of the household and realizes that she just can no longer do it all. The breaking point seemed to be an allergic reaction to a shot - but it seemed to have been building for a while.

This book shows how she reworks her life and her marriage to work for her and her family. During the time she is becoming herself again, there are two major family crisis which she manages and which actually helps her husband appreciate what she has been enduring.

I appreciated her self awareness throughout the book, enjoyed her writing and wish I didn’t have to rate it.

Thank you NetGalley and Zibby books for the ARC to review

Engaging and utterly relatable. A recommended purchase for collections where memoirs and parenting titles are popular.

I loved how honest the author was about her real-life experiences. It was the kind of book that makes you feel less lonely because you realize you're not alone in your struggles. These types of books remind us that we all face challenges and that there's strength in sharing our stories. It's like finding a friend in the pages of a book.

Thank you for the ARC.

A very thoughtful and compassionate memoir about anxiety and depression. The author has a dream job, great family, wonderful husband, but is consumed by depression. We follow her as she goes step by step through a recovery process.

From the opening pages of Julie Chavez’s open raw memoir I was drawn in absolutely related to the anxiety of motherhood of daily life of panic attacks.I felt like I was having a discussion with my best friend.sharing all.Devoured in a day.#netgalley #zibbybooks

It’s a serendipitous feeling when the most perfect book falls into your hands at precisely the right time, and EVERYONE BUT MYSELF did just that. In this memoir, Julie Chavez recounts a year in her life when crippling anxiety became an unwanted tenant in her mind and body. With humor and vulnerability, Julie shares how the weight of her roles as a school librarian, mother, and wife became too heavy and the steps she took to feel more like herself.

Julie’s words resonated so deeply with me. As I was reading, I was struck by the uncanny parallels to my own life. After the birth of my 3rd son, anxiety gripped me in a new and unsettling way. Through counseling, medication, and intentionally carving out time for myself I was able to reclaim parts of me I worried were lost.

I found myself nodding along and murmuring an audible “mmm hmmm” as I read Julie’s story. If you’ve ever found yourself in a place of surviving and not thriving, I think you will too.

READ THIS IF:
-You appreciate levity in the midst of the heavy
-Advocating for your mental health is of high importance
-You find solidarity in the stories of other women

RATING: 5/5
PUB DATE: January 9, 2024

Many thanks to Zibby Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous read that I know most mothers will be able to relate to. While you hate to "laugh" at someone's pain and struggles, if you have been through some of these things Julie Chavez writes about you do laugh...its good to feel like you are not alone. Moms and caregivers will appreciate this and hopefully learn from the lessons that the author had to experience first hand. Great read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a naturally anxious person and a mother, this memoir really spoke to me.

It was achingly vulnerable, while still being hopeful and joyful. Julie is a wonderful writer, and I so appreciate her sharing her story, and helping so many of us feel seen. It's a heartbreakingly beautiful reminder to care for ourselves, to take it little by little, and to cling to the good.

Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my review. I will be working with Zibby Books on pencils for this title, and am excited to share them.

Julie has a way with words that makes you feel as if you’re immediately in her inner circle of friends. Everyone But Myself is an honest and humbling memoir about a real life mom and wife doing real life things and having real life struggles. As a new-ish wife and an even newer mama, I appreciate her storytelling and insight, and connected with so much in the realms of multi-tasking, working, wife-ing, and parenting.

Thank you Julie for your vulnerability and strength in writing this beautiful story. Thank you to Zibby Books and NetGalley for this ARC.