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I Thought I Was the Only One: Trading Shame and Anxiety for Connection, Understanding, and Belonging
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27A roadmap to authentic connection and healing for young women experiencing anxiety, loneliness, and shame, from the founder of the immensely popular Me Too, Sister online community.
Do you ever secretly wonder if you’re the only one deep in the mess of life, facing circumstances and struggles that are difficult to talk about? Madison Grace Weeks assures you that you're not!
Through her personal stories and relatable insights, Madison equips you to silence self-doubt, break free from shame, and build meaningful friendships. She reveals how vulnerability can lead to the connection and healing you crave.
Madison serves as your friend, mentor, and cheerleader as she helps
get honest about topics and struggles you've kept hidden in an effort to protect yourself from rejection be vulnerable about the things you think make you unlovable open the door to connection through authenticity and honesty, even when it is uncomfortable feel less alone in the struggles that the enemy uses to isolate you see how God meets you in your pain and heals you from the inside out Being vulnerable is often easier when someone else goes first, and Madison does just that in this book. By sharing experiences throughout her life of feeling misunderstood, she brings encouragement, support, and sisterhood to you and other women. Madison’s journey from grappling with mental health issues and friendship fallouts to finding God's comfort and support in her late twenties is a testament to the power of honesty and community.
I Thought I Was the Only One is filled with empathy, hope, and perspective, encouraging you to embrace your true self and find solace in knowing you are not alone.
Do you ever secretly wonder if you’re the only one deep in the mess of life, facing circumstances and struggles that are difficult to talk about? Madison Grace Weeks assures you that you're not!
Through her personal stories and relatable insights, Madison equips you to silence self-doubt, break free from shame, and build meaningful friendships. She reveals how vulnerability can lead to the connection and healing you crave.
Madison serves as your friend, mentor, and cheerleader as she helps
get honest about topics and struggles you've kept hidden in an effort to protect yourself from rejection be vulnerable about the things you think make you unlovable open the door to connection through authenticity and honesty, even when it is uncomfortable feel less alone in the struggles that the enemy uses to isolate you see how God meets you in your pain and heals you from the inside out Being vulnerable is often easier when someone else goes first, and Madison does just that in this book. By sharing experiences throughout her life of feeling misunderstood, she brings encouragement, support, and sisterhood to you and other women. Madison’s journey from grappling with mental health issues and friendship fallouts to finding God's comfort and support in her late twenties is a testament to the power of honesty and community.
I Thought I Was the Only One is filled with empathy, hope, and perspective, encouraging you to embrace your true self and find solace in knowing you are not alone.
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 19, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Deeply vulnerable, real, and refining, Madison Grace Weeks pours her heart out to remind readers that even when they feel lonely, they are deeply loved. In this broken world, we can't be surprised when confronted with sin because we know all humans fall short and fail. Yes, it hurts- especially when it affects us directly!- but what a great reminder that we all need Jesus more than we need to defend or retaliate. After all, our problem is not with other people or even ourselves, it's that we think too little of God. Our battle is a spiritual one for control of our heart!
Weeks shares countless tales of hurt and loneliness throughout both her childhood and adult life to remind readers that everyone struggles with their own sin issues and we can only control our reaction. Do we sin right back, or turn to God in prayer for them and for God's perspective to understand why we were hurt? Are we thrilled for others when we see friendships without feeling jealous or hurt? That right attitude often needs practice with help from the Holy Spirit! Just because others are so thoroughly loved does not mean we are unlovable, broken, or that there is no place for us. Our loneliness is both satan's lies we believe and our failure to pursue community. I know I am guilty of that!
I loved Week's directive: "focus on your character, not your reputation. Focus on growing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself, the woman God called has called you to be, regardless of what others think or have to say about you." We can act RIGHT NOW to change our heart and reality! Before you think you're ready, reach out to connect with other women- maybe they feel hurt and lost in the same ways we have! There are too many women out there who think they are the only ones! Building community is a sweet reflection of God's triune nature and how He has built us in His image. Scripture is clear that the blessings of community are worth the messiness along the way and can sanctify us in beautiful ways.
For further growth, I recommend reading:
- The Six Conversations by Heather Holleman
- I'll Be There (But I'll Be Wearing Sweatpants) by Amy Weatherly
- Relationships, A Mess Worth Making by Lane and Tripp
Thank you to Penguin Random House Christian Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Weeks shares countless tales of hurt and loneliness throughout both her childhood and adult life to remind readers that everyone struggles with their own sin issues and we can only control our reaction. Do we sin right back, or turn to God in prayer for them and for God's perspective to understand why we were hurt? Are we thrilled for others when we see friendships without feeling jealous or hurt? That right attitude often needs practice with help from the Holy Spirit! Just because others are so thoroughly loved does not mean we are unlovable, broken, or that there is no place for us. Our loneliness is both satan's lies we believe and our failure to pursue community. I know I am guilty of that!
I loved Week's directive: "focus on your character, not your reputation. Focus on growing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself, the woman God called has called you to be, regardless of what others think or have to say about you." We can act RIGHT NOW to change our heart and reality! Before you think you're ready, reach out to connect with other women- maybe they feel hurt and lost in the same ways we have! There are too many women out there who think they are the only ones! Building community is a sweet reflection of God's triune nature and how He has built us in His image. Scripture is clear that the blessings of community are worth the messiness along the way and can sanctify us in beautiful ways.
For further growth, I recommend reading:
- The Six Conversations by Heather Holleman
- I'll Be There (But I'll Be Wearing Sweatpants) by Amy Weatherly
- Relationships, A Mess Worth Making by Lane and Tripp
Thank you to Penguin Random House Christian Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed “I Thought I was the Only one by Madison Grace Weeks. It was an encouraging and hope filled read that reminded me that God is our ultimate healer. The author addresses emotional wounds and the struggles many people feel they face alone, while continually pointing readers back to Christ as the source of true healing and restoration.
I appreciated the practical advice and found the real-life testimonials to be a meaningful addition as it draws a picture of the different struggles others have faced and shows that no one is truly alone in their journey. The personal stories made the message more authentic and can encourage a young reader.
Although I felt the book was geared towards teenage girls or young women navigating adulthood, relationships and faith, as an older lady I was still able to resonate with its central message. The reminder that God is the one who can heal us.
Overall, I found this to be a biblically grounded, compassionate and encouraging book. I would recommend it especially to young women and to those that need reassurance that they are not alone in their struggles. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an advance review copy.
I appreciated the practical advice and found the real-life testimonials to be a meaningful addition as it draws a picture of the different struggles others have faced and shows that no one is truly alone in their journey. The personal stories made the message more authentic and can encourage a young reader.
Although I felt the book was geared towards teenage girls or young women navigating adulthood, relationships and faith, as an older lady I was still able to resonate with its central message. The reminder that God is the one who can heal us.
Overall, I found this to be a biblically grounded, compassionate and encouraging book. I would recommend it especially to young women and to those that need reassurance that they are not alone in their struggles. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with an advance review copy.
June 8, 2026
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley.
When I first started this book, I felt so connected with the author. The experience of loneliness was almost identical to my experience. I loved the Biblical perspective throughout the book.
However there were times it seemed more memoir-y and repetitive rather than helping. I do find her stories inspirational and they probably hit home for some people just not me, personally.
I give this a 3.5 but rounded up.
When I first started this book, I felt so connected with the author. The experience of loneliness was almost identical to my experience. I loved the Biblical perspective throughout the book.
However there were times it seemed more memoir-y and repetitive rather than helping. I do find her stories inspirational and they probably hit home for some people just not me, personally.
I give this a 3.5 but rounded up.
June 24, 2026
This book is a good read. It explains more about connection and healing. There are personal stories and insights from the author’s point of view. Building something that’s meaningful and revealing so much. This book is more than just the use of faith and God by your side. It’s about empathy, hope, healing, and other things. Also, embrace your true self.
May 28, 2026
I really enjoyed this book overall! I have been following Sister: I am with you since earlier this year. It was written in the same style which I really liked. Madison gave honest but kind advice/wisdom throughout the book. If she writes more books in the future, I’d love to read them!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews