Finding Your Harmony: Dream Big, Have Faith, and Achieve More Than You Can Imagine – An Inspirational Memoir from Fifth Harmony to Solo Stardom

by Ally Brooke

In this moving and inspirational memoir, singer Ally Brooke recalls her journey to fame, reveals how she has remained true to her beliefs through her most difficult moments. Featuring sixteen pages of never-before-seen photos, Finding Your Harmony takes readers behind-the-scenes of her proudest musical accomplishments, solo success, and her time on Dancing with the Stars.

Ally Brooke burst onto the music scene as a member of Fifth Harmony, and quickly became a fan favorite with her infectious positivity and approachable attitude – not to mention her incredible voice. Following the band’s meteoric rise to fame, she embarked on a solo career, releasing her own hit singles, joining the twenty-eighth season of Dancing with the Stars, and showing people everywhere the rewards of hard work and faith.

Now in this moving and inspirational memoir, Ally opens up about the experiences that led her to the spotlight, offering lessons from the heart and revealing how her tight-knit, Mexican-American family have helped her to live fearlessly since she was first catapulted into stardom. Tracing her success from its beginnings in San Antonio, Texas, Ally details the passion for music that took hold of her at a young age, and how with the help of her family she pushed herself to achieve her dreams, no matter how impossible they seemed. While her rise to fame was rapid, it wasn’t always smooth, and Ally candidly discusses the challenges she faced along the way, sharing how she navigated tough moments by staying true to herself and her beliefs. Opening up about her journey since Fifth Harmony disbanded, Ally recalls her tireless efforts to make music on her terms, charting back to back singles in the top 40 and amassing over 200 million collective worldwide streams. She also delves into her time on Dancing with the Stars, demonstrating how she conquered her fears and insecurities on her way to a top three finish and further established herself as a role model for young people the world over.

Infused with the positive approach to life and spiritual openness that have fueled Ally’s journey, Finding Your Harmony uses her stories to help others follow their inner voices—even when the outside world makes it hard. Wise, grounded, and filled with sixteen pages of never-before-seen photos, Finding Your Harmony is a fascinating glimpse into the life and heart of one of popular music’s rising stars.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Biography, Christian, Audiobook

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2020

Reviews

[Kiki Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ally is very sweet and very talented, but I'm not sure what the point of this book was. A lot of it is not new information if you are already a fan of hers, and it's not that well-written. I'm not really sure if this was supposed to just be a memoir (which it fails at being by having large parts of it summarized) or an inspirational/self-help book (which it also fails at doing because she's very religious, and that doesn't translate to everyone). Whatever it was supposed to be, it wasn't the interesting of a read, and I found myself skimming through large portions of it, trying to find something. There's a little insight into how badly she felt being made fun of during 5H and her struggles to get a record label and find her voice, but this whole book felt like an extended interview. I wasn't thrilled with it. Some of the phrasings are also awkward. I'm glad Ally's doing well, and I wish I was impressed with anything she's released since 5H but I haven't been. This book is superficial.

[Sofia Zavoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t expect to like this book this much. I was a fan of Fifth Harmony so I already knew quite a few things about Ally and It was really nice to get to know the behind the scenes.

The beginning was boring. Too much describing things that were not that important.

When she started talking about X factor, I started to really like it. I liked how we never know what happens behind the scenes. I felt so sad for Ally and all the things she had to go through during her time in the group.

I would’ve liked to know the bts of when Camila left. Not because I like gossip (which I do) but because they did some petty things and I really wanted to know if it was their idea or the label pushing them.

Ally is super dramatic. Everything is “outstanding, amazing, the best experience” so it was hard for me to actually believe it. I also didn’t like the way she narrates. But it was getting better as the book went on.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I heard that Ally was going to publish a book I was really excited because I have been a huge fan of her and Fifth Harmony since The X Factor days. Unfortunately, this book ended up being a disappointment; and let me tell you why.

- It really bothered me that she didn’t mention the names of her bandmates until she explained that after Camila’s departure the band was going to continue with four members (she never said Camila’s name btw). I mean, she took the time to mention all her favorite stores or her favorite Barbies but she couldn’t mention who were the other four/three girls that were part of the group? They were together for over 6 years, come on! I really think that that was pathetic. And somehow, by doing that, it was like she was saying that they didn’t get along and her bandmates were the ones to blame. Con razón Camila se tomó el palo.

- All those “miracles”? Well, I didn’t believe a lot of them. As we say here in Argentina: todo sarasa.

- One of the reasons why I always admired Ally was for her positive image; but after reading this book, that changed. This made me think that maybe she’s not that good as I originally thought. There were times when I didn’t like her attitude at all; plus, she was always acting like a victim and was dramatic as fuck.

- Girl, tenes el ego por las nubes!!! “Everybody loved me” “Everyone loved my voice” “If someone sings a little bit out of key I notice it because my ears are powerful” “I’m a natural at this and at that” and blah blah blah. I couldn’t believe what I was reading!

There’s a song by Ally that says: “Low key, low key, you should really get to know me.” Well, Imma answer that with one line from “One Wish” by Fifth Harmony that says: “I wish I'd never met you at all” because this book erased the good image of Ally that I had all these years. And if this is the real Ally, I don’t like her.

There were other things that I didn’t like but I don’t feel like writing them down.

What I did like was the positive messages that she gives, such as work hard, never give up and be true to yourself. Apart from that, I can’t find other things that I liked about this book.

Taking everything into account, desearía no haber leído nunca este libro.

Rating: 1,5

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - Dey Street Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am familiar with Ally in her work for the group Fifth Harmony. I also saw all of the ladies personalities shine when they were featured on an episode of Lip Sync Battle and I remembered Ally opening up to a Selena song and then transitioned into Jennifer Lopez's 'On The Floor" and she won the competition because of her passion and pride for the Latina community. Now, learning how she remained positive and strong throughout her entire career and how much Selena influenced not only her music career but her life in general. Ally is a great inspiration to everyone and this book was a joy to read.

We will consider adding this title to our Biography collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Hailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really feel like I could’ve just read Ally’s Wikipedia and it wouldn’t have been any different from this book, which is a shame because I know there’s a lot that she could’ve delved into. It feels like every time she started to dig a little deeper, she would quickly gloss it over with her belief in God, which started feeling like a cop out because it was so repetitive and unresolved. I also thought it was strange that she didn’t refer to anyone in Fifth Harmony by name until she had to list who remained when Camila left.... they were central to her life for 6 years and felt like ghosts lingering in the background that she was desperate to ignore !! I just don’t understand why celebrities write these books and then share nothing but facts we already know and shallow encouragements that are supposed to make us think we can be famous too (??)

[Katey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Your Harmony was such a beautiful piece of work. I couldn't put it down. The rawness, realness and pure emotions Ally put into this book were unreal. We got to learn so much about Ally, her faith, her family, where she came from, and what she went through to get to where she is today. I was so inspired while reading. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!

[Felix Gomez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea why I read this.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was the first memoir that had me hooked and I didn’t really struggle to get through. Ally is inspiring and the fact that she was only given 1 line in Miss Movin On! I wish she did talk more about the girls in Fifth Harmony but overall I recommend it :)

[LeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this to fans of the girl group Fifth Harmony or for folks who are interested in an uplifting, relatively fluffy memoir about the struggles of a pop artist "on the bubble" (or rather, with some success but not overwhelming success).

Ally framed her memoir with a pinch of self-help -- inspirational passages end almost every chapter, she often references and remarks on her Christian faith, and the majority of her life lows are less about her career and more about the passing of members of her family she was close to. She publicly struggled with online harassment and bullying during her time in Fifth Harmony, which she touches on here but I was more struck by (listening to the audiobook) how emotional she sounded talking about the passing of her childhood pet and how comparatively calm she was regarding the infamously public exit of one of her group members or even her group coming to an end. Those looking for "tea" won't find it here and it's clear Ally is honest in how geniune and kind she is. She comes across as exceedingly sweet and modest and I commend her for not taking the low path (although - she only mentions the other members names once in the entire book, and she never mentions Camila at all).

Some of the book did feel quite stilted in phrasing or purposefully squeaky clean, but I get the feeling that is just who Ally is -- kind to a fault and endlessly positive. It's not a bad thing, although it is a relative rare thing in the pop music industry.

[Sarah Pryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you so much, Ally. Thank you so much for staying true to yourself and for standing up for God in the entertainment industry. 💜

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really great. I loved how close she was to God and her family. I liked the behind the scenes stuff that people don’t know about. I also liked how honest she was. I felt like the parts of the story I most wanted to read were missing.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautifully raw emotional book. I love how Ally opened up about her struggles, i definitely could relate a lot. I love that we get to hear about her family and where she came from. This book great for anyone who has a dream and feeling like it will never happen. Just need to believe in yourself and have faith. I feel inspired after finishing her book.

[Sam K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have conflicting feelings on this one.

I fully picked up this book because of my longstanding obsession with Fifth Harmony and I wanted to learn more about what was going on behind the scenes with them.

The writing isn’t the most prolific memoir writing ever, but Ally is a great storyteller and I think that she conveyed what she wanted to convey pretty effectively.

Highlights for me were the discussions surrounding her family and work ethic. It was so refreshing to hear about someone who holds this unconditional love for her family and I could feel through her words how much they mean to her. I also really liked how Ally explored the hardships she faced before, during, and after her initial rise to fame. She was able to look back on those situations with grace and I think that her message about being hardworking and finding yourself rings true to me, at least when measuring her own trajectory.

Ally is a very religious person so there is a bit of discussion and credit given to God. Although I’m not as devoutly faithful to any religion as Ally is, I respect how devoted she is to her faith and I think that it’s admirable that she stuck to her devotion through all of her ups and downs.

I think her biggest weakness was, ironically, the Fifth Harmony section. The pre-5H and post-5H parts of her life were so richly explored and I feel like she glossed over a lot of key Fifth Harmony moments. For instance, the Camila split wasn’t given much more than a sentence and she also didn’t mention the VMA disaster (which I thought would be a good opportunity to explain). Not that Ally was solely to blame or had sole involvement in either of these example circumstances, but it would’ve been nice to see a more detailed exploration of some very concrete, very public parts of Fifth Harmony.

There are also some paragraphs here or there were Ally gives advice??? Not that I think the advice is inherently bad but sometimes it feels like it comes out of left field. I also think she got lucky many times, so parts of her advice ring hollow to me.

However, overall as a 5H fan and as someone who didn’t know much about Ally going in, I enjoyed this memoir.

(UPDATE 2/28: dropped it down to 3 stars because it didn’t touch as fully or in a nuanced way about many of her experiences in my opinion.)

[Rachel Constable · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a weird book, not least because it's distinctly lacking in behind-the-scenes-of-Fifth-Harmony drama, which is of course what I was reading it for. Ally, sis, we KNOW there was all sorts of shit going down. Spill the beans.

However, she spent six years in Fifth Harmony and she only directly mentions her bandmates by name ONCE, and even then only three of them, when she refers to them "becoming four". The rest of the time it's "the other girls". I think that in itself is quite telling.

There was a lot about God. I mean, a LOT. And, not to shit on her beliefs, she's kind of inconsistent with it- with how much she talks about her faith and trusting God and so on, I'd expected her reaction to only having one line and an adlib on their first single to be more along the lines of "eh, I guess He has plans for me to take bigger parts on other singles and He decided the 'other girls' should get this one" but she's VERY UPSET. She was not, however, VERY UPSET that Lauren had no lines at all on Worth It or that Dinah had none on Sledgehammer, even though that's equally unfair by her own standard. Presumably because she had good parts on those songs and that's how it should be, because God said so. Or something.

I did feel bad for her about the trolling - she really did get some nasty comments about her dancing and her body and I had hoped she wasn't aware of them, especially given how much of it came from the fans. It was sad to read how much it affected her perception of herself and I'm glad she's overcome those feelings.

Overall it was pretty interesting, albeit a bit light on the gossip in places, and she does seem like a nice girl. I don't think I'm going to be converted any time soon though.

[Tiffany Hernandez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, as big as a fan I am to Fifth Harmony - I was hoping since Ally came out with this book, it would be "hook worthy" for me to continue reading. I can't believe how far I've read; but I wanted to give her a chance, but the narration was overall flat.

ALOT of things bothered me sadly,
Page 17-18, where she describes being a NICU baby; but on page 18, this bothered me the MOST that it made me so shook about her character, it reads:
"As the months passed, it became clear that by the grace of God, I didn't have any disabilities or residual issues",
This passage from her feels so self-centered and insensitive. Having a NICU child myself, everything Ally went through, my daughter had gone through - but in the outcome, she HAD disabilities and residual issues.. I think by the grace of God, kids who go through the NICU and come out with disabilities or residual issues are still blessed with Gods grace and love.

ALOT of her content is very awkward and forced. I feel really sad that during her tours, concerts, she doesn't describe more on her in-person connection with her fans; alot of here and there, so-so rushed descriptions.
Just descriptions like reinstating, "I love your voice!" "You're my biggest fan!"
Wishing also what kind of connections she has had with the fifth harmony members; I would have wanted more on what they did together.

And more importantly, Ally stressed it in her book that her mom has scoliosis... It's like we KNOW now and we can read it over and over and over about her scoliosis and pain but it's like a drunk person in a bar repeating the same story to you and you wanting to dip out.

[Edgar :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this as a small Fifth Harmony fan, mainly interested in them for Lauren. I was really looking forward to seeing what exactly Ally had to say about her experience within the group and who she really was as an artist. This book doesn't mention much of that.

Yes, it talks about her experiences within Fifth Harmony but she never mentions any of the other girls by name and always seems to put herself in this position where she's made out to be the "bullied" or "unappreciated" girl. Some of the lines in this book were too repetitive, especially how much faith she has in God and how she always needs her parents to make any small decision.

Ally is a great writer, she definitely had some good moments in this book that kept you interested such as when she talked about The X Factor, the making of Miss Movin' On, the talk about her leadership and being the glue of the group, and the making of her biggest hit to date, "Low Key."

Overall, this book gets the 2 stars, it lacks enthusiasm, much of it sounds like Ally complaining about everything, some chunks of it were repetitive, and overall, just so long for what really is within the book's content. The positives are that Ally has a way to keep you turning the page towards the second half of the book, she talks more about things from her perspective and the others around her. The first half is really slow and rather boring but overall, a very interesting read.

[Robert Casas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational read.

[Marley Hamon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt the book lacked in narration and flow. There were many repetitive phrases and words used. I have read comments similar to this as well. Thought I believe the goal of this book was to be genuine in the retelling of her own life events and to even perhaps draw people towards Christ, I am worried this book did the opposite.

The over explaining and reiterating of “gratitude” for others made the book seem even less authentic. The thought that to be drawn to Christ & not lose faith, good things had to continue happening in her career is a warped description of Christianity to me. It’s much more difficult to keep the Faith when things aren’t going your way.

My aim is not be harsh, but completely honest with my review. I have nothing personal against this Ally Brooke and I will say I was never a Fifth Harmony fan when they were a huge hit; therefore, I think my opinion is as unbiased as it can get. The writing was poor and someone could have helped her to better verbalize her stories to make her more relatable to her fans. In all honestly, the book felt highly narcissistic and lacking of an adult mindset.

[Keeley M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth Harmony was a big part of my early twenties so that was my biggest reason for reading this book. Ally is a very sweet girl and that definitely comes across in this memoir. For me personally, I wasn’t a fan of her writing style. Things were too detailed and those details became redundant. I also couldn’t relate to how religious she is, which is a big part of the book. The acknowledgment page was excessive. Overall, it was just an okay read. I enjoyed reading about some behind the scenes of X Factor and 5H days.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.9 stars!! I didn’t know who Ally Brooke was before reading this book but listening to her book has me interested in following her journey. I want to look up a few moments she referenced in her book. Ally is a sweet, kind, down-to-earth, Christian women. I loved hearing about her faith and her path to achieving her dreams.

[Kaycee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start off by saying I have met Ally multiple times throughout her Fifth Harmony career and she has always been the sweetest person. With that said, I was taken aback multiple times throughout this book the way she perceived things and the way she talks about how amazing she is and how people constantly told her she was amazing and perfect, etc. The first half of the book was really hard to get through due to the repetitive stories (which happened later in the book too) and the over dramatization of feelings/experiences. I truly want to believe that Ally is just an extremely super positive person with a lot of faith and that's what guides her and her story telling but it got to be a bit much at times. Also being a fan from X Factor auditions of all the girls in 5H, I was confused hearing her say she was the glue and the leader basically of the group which was NEVER presented that way lol. I found it insane that she didn't mention the girls by name until she mentioned Camila (not by name) leaving the group and then said their names once throughout the entire book.
If you're a fan of her or Fifth Harmony I would say the book is worth the read based on the second half when she starts with XFactor up until 2020. 3 stars for that aspect alone but otherwise you could probably skip this and just google her.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s get one thing straight - Ally is an inspiration. From how badly of an edit she got on XFactor to how she was mistreated during her Fifth Harmony days (she was one of my favourites in the band and I always thought she didn’t get the time to shine like she should - along with Normani.) The fact that she pushed through and is doing so well for herself (according to this book) makes her an inspiration.

That being said, let’s be honest, we all bought this book for some Fifth Harmony gossip… which it lacked. As much as I really do like Ally, and I am a huge fan of her solo music, I found this book was her playing a character. She was trying to be TOO nice. Every person she collaborated with she was a HUGE fan of (I’m willing to bet some of the artist that were brought in by her team, she hadn’t even heard of).

I also found that some of her stories of how Fifth Harmony defended themselves against certain songs because of their faith was a little - not true. I mean, their highest ranked song was “Work From Home” where Ally sings “turn this bed into an ocean…” VERY sexualized and against all those things she said she stood for.

All of that aside, the book was a nice easy read to get a glimpse into the life of Ally, just with a lot of fluff added.

[Jenna Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a fan of Fifth Harmony, but didn't know a whole lot about the individual girls and their personalities so this book was nice to read to learn more about Ally and her journey. Ally's family and faith are two of the most important things in her life, and that shines through in this book. You can also tell that she is extremely hardworking and kind to everyone she meets.
Something odd was the way she talks about Fifth Harmony. A decent part of the book is dedicated to her journey om the X Factor and being part of a girl group. She talks about the difficult parts of low self-esteem, trolls, and not getting vocal parts she wanted, but she doesn't talk about the girls much. She also only mentions them by name once - when she's saying who is in the group once Camila leaves. The way she talks (or more like doesn't talk) about the group makes it seem as if she isn't on good terms with the girls, but doesn't want to badmouth them. Obviously, that's very respectful of her if that's the case, but I was expecting her to talk a bit more about her relationships with the other girls since she talks about so many other people such as her manager, stylists, hair people, etc.

[tuuli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ally Booke.

I think this book is mainly interesting for Fifth Harmony fans (or fans of Ally, obviously) but probably not really to the general public. Ally tells her story in great detail, sometimes more than necessary.

The book namedrops a lot, and something I wish would've gotten edited out is that seemingly EVERYBODY is Ally's favorite. Every actor is her favorite actor, every song is her favorite song, everyone is one her biggest inspirations even when it makes no sense to her career and aspirations. It's probably just because I'm not American, but I do not believe some male actor/comedian from a movie you found funny as a kid was an inspiration to you in your path to becoming a singer.

Many things are also described as full circle moments, even when they're not. Like going from playing with mom's lipsticks as a kid to releasing a lip gloss line; I don't think that's a full circle moment, that's just you being a woman and having once been a girl. Ally definitely has had some real full circle moments, but I wish the editors had caught the overuse of the term, cause now towards the end of the book it just becomes a meaningless cliche.

[Destynie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Ally since her Fifth Harmony days, and I really enjoyed reading this and learning more about her and her experiences growing up in the spotlight on a more personal level. I've always thought of her as literal sunshine in human form. She radiates joy and positivity and I felt that on every page of this book, even through the struggles she describes, which she never felt she could vocalize previously as everyone always looked to her to be this beacon of light and positivity at all times. It was interesting but frustrating to read about the unequal distribution in the group's music and the lack of input she felt she had over their direction, which makes me grateful the girls are now able to explore their creativity and fully utilize their talents in their solo endeavours. A book wasn't something I expected from Ally, but it's cool to see her branch out into different things. Although I'm not religious myself, Ally's commitment to her faith in an industry that often challenges it is admirable, as is her love and dedication to her family and her Mexican American culture. This was such a sweet book. It brought me back to my fangirl days and I’m excited to see what's next for her.

[Bea311 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of Fifth Harmony so I wasn't completely aware of who Ally Brooke was, other than she was from Texas. This was a Christmas gift that I received and wanted to give it a chance. I loved how into detail Ally got into how she made her dreams come true, she didn't sugar coat her struggles, she exposed shady things happening in the industry, while staying true to her religion, her family and herself. I don't think you need to be a fan of Fifth Harmony to enjoy this book because she doesn't talk about it too much, where it would be all the book focused on.

[M I K A Y L A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing! The best memior I have ever read. You get to see just how hard Ally worked to achieve her dream. And you get to see her faith show through every inch of this book. She helped to strengthen my faith and I could not be more grateful! Even if you were not a fan of Fifth Harmony or Ally Brooke in general, PICK IT UP ANYWAYS!!!! I PROMISE you, you will be awe-inspired and be taken aback by how wonderful it is. PICK THIS UP!!! It will NOT let you down!

[Illi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreakingly Perfect

Oh my god what can I say about this book there’s just so much passion and faith I absolutely love this book. Not only does it show you to never give up but also to believe. To not see just the negatives for to enjoy your positive. No matter how low you get there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

[Juliana Gomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eu acompanho a Ally desde 2013, passei grande parte da minha adolescência ouvindo Fifth Harmony, então ela tem uma certa importância na minha vida. Fico triste em comprovar que o grupo só fez muito mal pras minhas meninas mas fico feliz em saber que Ally está em busca de uma vida melhor seguindo o seu coração... todo sucesso pra ela!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ally’s story is uplifting, heartbreaking at times, and honest. Her reading of the audiobook was fantastic. So much emotion that I might not have felt if I’d read the print book. Her tears were real as she read the passages about losing loved ones.
My daughter and I love you, Ally! Can’t wait to hear more new music! ❤️❤️❤️