There will undoubtedly be people who pick this up looking for "tea" or juicy tidbits but what you'll find is a thoughtful, worthwhile memoir about Tendler's experiences with mental health and the moments in her life that shaped her. Chapters flash between her time in a mental health facility in early 2021 and experiences growing up, reflecting on relationships with her parents, her friends, and men in her life as they help paint a full picture of her experiences. There were moments where it felt like I was missing information as it seems we touch on every important romantic relationship in her life with the exception of her marriage, so sometimes I felt like I was missing some context in the larger picture, but I completely understand the choice and it doesn't take away from the overall strengths of the book. She's a wonderful writer and it was a privilege to read her story. I look forward to reading what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I became absolutely engrossed in “Men Have Called Her Crazy” immediately. The mental health aspects of the book were especially fascinating to me as someone who has also struggled with depression and anxiety. Would absolutely read more from this author in the future.

A story of a woman unraveling and attempting to save herself. A cutting perspective on men, most cutting to the one not mentioned. A portrait of an artist. A book to be devoured.

not what I initially expected - with tendler’s ex husband not being mentioned by name at all - but upon some reflection on my part it makes completely sense. a moving memoir about mental illness and the effect men have had on her life throughout the years. i found myself weeping at the chapters about tendler’s dog petunia. i will definitely be recommending this going forward.

I could not stop reading this memoir. Anna Marie Tendler’s honesty is refreshing and I am so glad she shared her story. This book will resonate with many thirty-something women. I especially enjoyed hearing her opinions on gender and motherhood.

I LOVED this book!
Once I started, I could not put it down.
AMT is a terrific writer, and her experiences as a woman in this world will surely resonate with many.
If I'd read this book in my late teens/early twenties, I think it could've saved me a whole lot of heartache...
It was beautiful (and heartbreaking) to see Tendler's healing journey unfold on the page.
This book does deal with some very heavy material, self-harm, eating disorders, addiction, abuse, etc.
So tread lightly if these topics are difficult for you to read about!
I'll be recommending this one to just about every woman in my life.

First things first: if you're picking up this memoir hoping for some celebrity gossip, you won't find it. Anna Marie Tendler's memoir is *her* story, starting in January 2021 when Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital, with chapters flashing back and forward to key moments in her life. What's really special about this story is how Tendler reflects on mental health care and the ways it can be both devastating and life saving. Sections about fertility and the deep connection with one's pets also really resonated. Highly, highly recommend. Like many other reviewers, I read it in about a day, which is a reflection of the propulsive storytelling, given the heavy subject matter.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released August 13th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Anna Marie Tendler’s "Men Have Called Her Crazy" is an absolute mic drop of a debut, showcasing a voice that is as pointed as it is compassionate. It’s the rare memoir that seems like a gift to its author as much as its audience.

The book essentially contains two interwoven memoirs—Tendler’s childhood & young adulthood and her time in rehab in the early 2020s. Through both sections, the author articulates the complexities of heavy subjects like self-harm and gendered violence, but she avoids memoirish tropes by always giving generously to readers. For example, Tendler never waxes poetic about her motivations for self-destructive tendencies, but she looks beneath them to pinpoint the allure of self-erasure, which will be helpful for readers who share her struggles. Similarly, she has a remarkable gift—and a cultivated skill—in her ability to parse out misogynistic subtext in “innocuous” conversations and cut to the heart of its motivation. This is a book that recognizes the validity of personal experience, so when Tendler approaches misogyny head-on, she doesn’t fall into the common memoir trap of suddenly trying to cite studies or statistics. Instead, she leans into the authority of her own experience, knowing that it’s enough.

Moments in the book remind me of the kind of self-emptying on display in Jennette McCurdy’s "I’m Glad My Mom Died," where readers may wonder if too much is being shared—if it’s at the author’s expense. But like that book, "Men Have Called Her Crazy" ultimately reveals a steady authorial hand and someone who is healthy enough to safely talk about their worst moments. Tendler writes unapologetically about her failures so that she can write honestly about her triumphs, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen such focused self-awareness in a memoir.

As one might expect, distance offers perspective, and I personally feel that Tendler’s storytelling and wisdom—yes, that feels like the right word—are at their best when she writes about the time prior to rehab. She makes genuine efforts to honor people as people, whether that means celebratory descriptions of momentary female friendship, damning criticism of predatory men, or bitter recognition that some therapist-client relationships can be volatile. Seriously, this is one of the first books I’ve read that doesn’t elevate a therapist to a god-like guru, and I really admire Tendler’s ability to explore that nuance. As an example of how she describes relationships, at one point, she writes, “It is disorienting to feel compassion for a person I have decided not to like.” It’s such a gracious mindset, but it still holds that grace in tension with the reality of experience.

This is a profile of rehab as much as it’s a memoir, with Tendler sharing all the different realities of the institution. These parts of the book feel a little arduous, seemingly covering every detail of Tendler’s stay in the hospital. It begins to read like a list of events, which dampens some of the sharp, reflective insight that sustains the book’s best moments. That said, this critique is likely a matter of taste because the approach does lend a sense of claustrophobia to the whole thing—the author’s anxiety and depression feel almost like they don’t have the space they need to diffuse, which is rhetorically and emotionally effective. I think there’s also a lot of value here for someone who might be considering institutional help but feels afraid of the unknown. Tendler offers a walkthrough of sorts, and I have little doubt it will be the more resonant part of the book for some people. Even so, I feel there are a few too many possible endings, and some chapters might be a bit more effective as standalone essays.

Despite this being Tendler’s story and hers alone, it feels almost necessary to address the elephant in the room—or rather, the elephant that has been locked out of the room. To the author’s credit, she alludes to the pathetic sad-sack(lunch bunch) manchild that exacerbated many of her struggles without ever giving him space. He’s irrelevant—a redundancy. I’m sure part of this is for legal reasons, but, frankly, she’s more gracious than she needs to be, and there’s such a contrast between Tendler’s genuine transparency and *cough* certain men’s *cough* performed authenticity.

I also feel really excited to see what Anna Marie Tendler writes next. "Men Have Called Her Crazy" is an exceptional debut, and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, there are many great books ahead of us.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Men Have Called Her Crazy is not the gossipy, tell-all book that I think some people are expecting. Mentions of Anna's ex-husband basically are - she was married, she got divorced, addiction was a factor, it devastated her. Nothing you don't already know if you're familiar with either of them. But I think this makes for a stronger, better work. I found this book compulsively readable - Anna's way with words is really phenomenal, and does a great job of diving into the complexities around mental health, the patriarchy, and mental health treatment under the patriarchy. Highly recommend it for any fans of "I'm Glad My Mom Died," "What My Bones Know," or "Wild."

Unfortunately I think readers will be disappointed to learn that this is not a juicy tell-all. A certain famous ex-husband is not mentioned by name, nor any details of their marriage or divorce is divulged. However, this memoir is profound, riveting, and still an interesting peek into an artist who is dealing with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Tendler's first foray into publishing is commendable. Her prose is inviting and gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the way the book was laid out. The journey the reader goes on with her checking into a mental hospital in early 2021, and looking back at various relationships with men that she is re-evaluating, is nothing shocking or groundbreaking, but it is quietly beautiful.