Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My husband has often told me that I have hard-earned wisdom. I feel the same can easily be said for Jewel. Although our life experiences have been dramatically different, I could relate to the general traumatic nature of her experiences and the emotional response she had to them. Reading this book was a comfort in many ways, as if I were talking to a friend who understood my own heart as well as she understood her own. I liked that the book alternated between Lisa and Dorothy as the narrators, and we got to know Dorothy more in this book. She is such a beautiful character. Her past is tragic, but her heart is pure, and she is amazing. Jewel is clear: she chose not to drink alcohol or use street drugs. I get the image of tentacles: of other people hooking into the singer to grab her and use her for their own purposes.

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Jewel’s evocative and captivating how-to for living a full and creative life…Jewel’s writing is conversational poetry, filled with rich details, as she explores her heritage or explains what she taught herself about music, art, and the music business….Her book will delight her fans, [and] reach beyond that base to those intrigued by what it takes to be successful after years of plugging away. Jewel’s lyrics, generously included throughout, reflect her authenticity and generosity.” Jewel tells her story. Parts are painful to read. Fortunately, when you are a child, you are too short on experience to know how bad it is or its implications. The problems come later. Many either perpetuate the cycle or live with demons. Jewel shows how she has dealt with emotional and physical abuse in this memoir that can be very helpful for others. The main thing that I liked about Never Broken was that the author was able to take me into how investigative journalist does their job. I had a rough idea of how they did their job. But, I never knew how much work went into it. A good majority of the book was Lisa chasing down leads, casing the neighborhood where she thinks Saul came from and talking to the people in the community. I also didn’t realize how dangerous it could be. At one point, Lisa got run down by a car because she was coming close to where the sweatshop was. That sent chills up my spine and made me thankful that I didn’t pursue my high school dream of being a reporter.

I love that this series focuses on rare cases. The plot for this book was disgusting, terrifying, and well-executed. It’s scary to think things like this happen today, and I found the presentation was authentic. The mystery angle was terrific. I was genuinely kept on edge about who was the sweatshop owner and who was behind Lisa’s assaults. The author did throw out some red herrings throughout the book. I thought I figured it out when an arrest was made. Then the twist came, and I was like, “Wait, what?”People hear the word ghosting and assume you walked away without speaking a word, that an explanation is always deserved. What about the situation where you’re constantly shut out and desperately looking to be heard, but they’re not there to listen?" Despite the abuse and the cold, Jewel had her talent. She also had performance experience, an extended family and the support of the town of Homer. Later encouragement came from faculty at Interlochen and then from big named stars who supported her work and/or gave her encouragement when she needed it. Poems for accepting all that you are—including those parts of yourself that you wish you could disown