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Wildly Optimistic
Life is filled with hard, unexpected, unwanted, and uncharted paths. It's filled with challenges that make us wonder if God is really guiding our lives. Does He still care about us? Is He really good? Is He even there at all? But what if there's another way to look at it?
In her book Wildly Optimistic , Al Carraway offers new methods and perspectives for life's inevitable challenges. With her trademark honesty, optimism, and love for the Lord, she addresses how to stay close to God even when He is silent, how to keep going when too much time passes, and how to be hopeful when it's not what we wanted, when things don't work out, and when we want to give up.
Being an optimist doesn't mean being happy all the time or that bad days won't come. It is the knowledge that when hard days do come they won't last and that better ones are coming. It means being proactive in our moments of crumbling and looking for lessons and opportunities and light. With new perspectives on scripture stories and personal trials, Al Carraway will help you better understand the Lord and allow Him the opportunity to show you how great He really is. Because even with the hard and unexpected, with God, we have every reason to be wildly optimistic!
In her book Wildly Optimistic , Al Carraway offers new methods and perspectives for life's inevitable challenges. With her trademark honesty, optimism, and love for the Lord, she addresses how to stay close to God even when He is silent, how to keep going when too much time passes, and how to be hopeful when it's not what we wanted, when things don't work out, and when we want to give up.
Being an optimist doesn't mean being happy all the time or that bad days won't come. It is the knowledge that when hard days do come they won't last and that better ones are coming. It means being proactive in our moments of crumbling and looking for lessons and opportunities and light. With new perspectives on scripture stories and personal trials, Al Carraway will help you better understand the Lord and allow Him the opportunity to show you how great He really is. Because even with the hard and unexpected, with God, we have every reason to be wildly optimistic!
160 pages, paperback
Published October 8, 2019
178 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 27, 2020
I read this at just the right time, when I was feeling a bit down and this helped immeasurably.
March 22, 2020
Al has a powerful way of making the gospel of Jesus Christ come alive. Her testimony of God and her love for others is so sincere. You can feel it in the way she shares her own experiences of coming to know God; she truly wants everyone to know that His love and His ability to help all of His children is real. She's just as honest in her book as she is on a screen, on a podium and in real life. You'll just want to be her best friend.
August 13, 2020
I like the personal experiences she shares best. The rest is wordy, preachy, and a little repetitive. I like the scripture examples and general authority quotes she shares. This reads like a long testimony.
I decided to read this book because it was available and I recognized the author's name. I've seen her on Instagram. I wonder what motivates her to write and share so much of her life.
I decided to read this book because it was available and I recognized the author's name. I've seen her on Instagram. I wonder what motivates her to write and share so much of her life.
November 17, 2020
I really love a lot of what this author shares. She makes things so down-to-earth and simple. Several parts of this book I really connected with. I admire so much of her story and passion and willingness to believe. Simple book to read, not as simple to implement. I need to become more wildly optimistic in my life.
November 10, 2021
I think I’m going to read this one again soon- helped me to change my perspective on some of my life’s challenges!
August 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️It was cute and great examples of hard times when she was optimistic and turned to the lord, but it also felt repetitive of her other books.
June 10, 2023
Loved this book. I read it when I was going through a hard time and I pretty much cried in each chapter. Helps you get to know God.
December 1, 2021
Al's book has a lot of great ideas that I agree with. I also loved to read her personal stories and quotes she included from church leaders and other authors. But like I've seen in several other reviews, the writing style made this a difficult book for me to get through. There were many obvious typos and grammatical errors. There was also a lot of repetition and I didn't feel like each chapter stuck to its own topic. I didn't like that there were so many paragraphs made up of mostly questions that seemed like almost the same question written in different ways. I also think she should have introduced the quotes she included instead of just throwing them in with quotation marks around them. It made it seem like they were her words and it read more like a talk. It also made it feel like this was rough draft of the book that wasn't edited. I thought the writing style distracted from getting her point across. The book could have been so much better with some editing. Someone should have at least fixed all the typos. But I love Al and what she does and how she's sharing her story. I was still inspired and uplifted by a lot of what she said. Especially when she talked about your mistakes not making you a bad person. But I don't think I'll be reading it again or recommending it without a caveat. I know some people might like this style of writing but it was frustrating and distracting for me.
November 22, 2019
In her book entitled “Wildly Optimistic,” Al Carraway describes some of the hardest trials she has ever and still continues to go through, and gives insights to how she’s always come up on top of those hard times with the help of God. This book will help to strengthen me as I have been able to relate to some of Carraway’s trials, and now I have better methods of triumphantly storming through them, rather than just dragging my feet along the hard path of life like I normally do. One of the biggest strengths of this book is the usage of scripture and modern-day revelation from prophets and apostles, as they help to strengthen Carraway’s argument to remain positive through the storms of life through Christ. One weakness is that some of the same phrases are used over and over again—maybe she did this for emphasis but it became a little bit redundant to read those same lines so much. Overall, this is a great book that truly proves that “with God, we have every reason to be wildly optimistic” (153).
February 7, 2020
What a great inspirational book to read anytime. Especially good to read when life has you down and you wonder where God is. Al Carraway has a unique way of delivering the message that He is always there and will never leave you. Through life experiences and testimony Al gives real insight to how God is always there and always listening. Sometimes we just need to have faith and patience in him in order to get through the trials of life.
January 21, 2022
She knocked it out of the park! I loved these short chapters that I could soak up for a few days before moving forward. Doubt, comparison, impatience, faith, giving up, real change...I needed all of these reminders.
October 20, 2020
I so wanted to like this book but couldn't get past the writing style.
December 1, 2020
This book... wow. I do not believe, even for a second, that it’s a coincidence that I read this book when I did. This has absolutely changed my life, and helped me see the difficult times I’ve been going through right now from a beautiful perspective, and has helped me find renewed hope at a time when I really, *really* needed it. Honestly, reading this has been an answer to prayers I’ve been saying for a while.
Here is quote that made me cry and changed my life:
“Just because things haven’t worked out yet doesn’t mean they won’t. Promised blessings don’t expire. Passing time can’t dim blessings promised to us .... Do not let time and trials dim your faith or diminish the truthfulness of His promises to you .... His promises are so real. There are far, far better things ahead, I promise .... None of our effort and none of our faith is in vain.”
I have a really difficult time going to church. I don’t feel welcome when I go. I don’t feel like I fit in. I read my scriptures for at least a half an hour every day, and have done so every single day for over four years, and pray all the time; I adore the gospel and strive to live it the best I can. But I hate church and don’t go often because people make me miserable. At-home church is where it’s at!
But after reading this, I’m going to start going again. I just tried to find one quote that really drove this decision home, but it isn’t just one thing she wrote and it isn’t just the words, but what I felt as I read them. I felt SO much reading this book. This book, and the Spirit I felt while reading it... has all been an answer to prayer.
I *adore* this book. Its one of my new all-time favorites. It’s one I’ve underlined throughout and will be referencing and reading again and again. I even bought copies to give to a friend and my sister. People need to read this!
Here is quote that made me cry and changed my life:
“Just because things haven’t worked out yet doesn’t mean they won’t. Promised blessings don’t expire. Passing time can’t dim blessings promised to us .... Do not let time and trials dim your faith or diminish the truthfulness of His promises to you .... His promises are so real. There are far, far better things ahead, I promise .... None of our effort and none of our faith is in vain.”
I have a really difficult time going to church. I don’t feel welcome when I go. I don’t feel like I fit in. I read my scriptures for at least a half an hour every day, and have done so every single day for over four years, and pray all the time; I adore the gospel and strive to live it the best I can. But I hate church and don’t go often because people make me miserable. At-home church is where it’s at!
But after reading this, I’m going to start going again. I just tried to find one quote that really drove this decision home, but it isn’t just one thing she wrote and it isn’t just the words, but what I felt as I read them. I felt SO much reading this book. This book, and the Spirit I felt while reading it... has all been an answer to prayer.
I *adore* this book. Its one of my new all-time favorites. It’s one I’ve underlined throughout and will be referencing and reading again and again. I even bought copies to give to a friend and my sister. People need to read this!
January 12, 2024
3 stars for the book overall rounded up to 3.5 stars because of the audiobook.
I read a physical copy of this book for the first half and listened to the audiobook for the second half. Having experienced both, I would recommend the audiobook over the physical book, 100%. It is read by the author. Al’s audiobook reading helped me enjoy this book much more and get a lot more out of it. Listening to her reading her own words with passion and joy and excitement makes the writing much more enjoyable—and understandable.
Listening to the book, I could be inspired by Al’s passion and spirit and hopefulness. Reading it, I was distracted by the mechanics of writing.
I struggled with reading the physical copy. I had to reread so many long sentences two or three times because they just didn’t add up for me. It is easy to lose your way while writing a long sentence and have a tail end that does not correlate to the front end. That seems to have happened often here. There were also a number of places where words were missing or out of order, etc.
I am not saying it is a bad book, so much as an underbaked one. It reads like a first draft. First drafts are supposed to be messy, and I don’t blame the author for that. That’s normal. It just feels like the book needed more time in the oven with a few more drafts and an editor before it was served at the bakery, so to speak.
I read a physical copy of this book for the first half and listened to the audiobook for the second half. Having experienced both, I would recommend the audiobook over the physical book, 100%. It is read by the author. Al’s audiobook reading helped me enjoy this book much more and get a lot more out of it. Listening to her reading her own words with passion and joy and excitement makes the writing much more enjoyable—and understandable.
Listening to the book, I could be inspired by Al’s passion and spirit and hopefulness. Reading it, I was distracted by the mechanics of writing.
I struggled with reading the physical copy. I had to reread so many long sentences two or three times because they just didn’t add up for me. It is easy to lose your way while writing a long sentence and have a tail end that does not correlate to the front end. That seems to have happened often here. There were also a number of places where words were missing or out of order, etc.
I am not saying it is a bad book, so much as an underbaked one. It reads like a first draft. First drafts are supposed to be messy, and I don’t blame the author for that. That’s normal. It just feels like the book needed more time in the oven with a few more drafts and an editor before it was served at the bakery, so to speak.
August 6, 2021
This book has a lot of great thoughts and Christian philosophy, as the author offers new perspectives for how to view and overcome life's inevitable challenges. The author is honest, authentic and faith-filled but I didn't care for her writing style. Al Carraway writes in questions. There were many paragraphs throughout the book comprised mostly of rhetorical questions. I wasn't crazy about that. The grammar in the book also makes me wonder if an editor looked at the book at all before it was published. Also, the author tells stories from her own experience, but she seems never to complete the story, and then refers to the same experience again and again and again. What I did like about the book can best be summed up in this quote from the final chapter:
"We are loved. We are wildly loved by a perfect God. A perfect, infinite God Who is also personal."
"We are loved. We are wildly loved by a perfect God. A perfect, infinite God Who is also personal."
January 14, 2021
I enjoy Al Carraway’s insights in her books and on social media. For the most part, I enjoyed this book and I highlighted several things that I’m sure I’ll look back on.
I liked how she started out each chapter with a personal story and how it related to the topic she was going to write about. However, by the end of the book, there were several repetitive stories that I couldn’t tell if I had read them from one of her other books, or if that same story was earlier in this book. I think the writing style was more like a blog than a book and with the repetitive stories and ideas, her book could have been shorter in length. I think that would have made it more concise and to the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the message of this book and it gave me plenty to think about in a positive way.
I liked how she started out each chapter with a personal story and how it related to the topic she was going to write about. However, by the end of the book, there were several repetitive stories that I couldn’t tell if I had read them from one of her other books, or if that same story was earlier in this book. I think the writing style was more like a blog than a book and with the repetitive stories and ideas, her book could have been shorter in length. I think that would have made it more concise and to the point.
Overall, I enjoyed the message of this book and it gave me plenty to think about in a positive way.
March 31, 2020
Al Carraway's book "Wildly Optimistic" is amazing if you are looking for a feel good book all about how to deal with life's challenges. The book is set up in a way where each chapter is a theme within a trial that you can read and understand how to better get through it, with God on your side. Carraway does a great job of adding in her personality and humor while still letting the spirit through the book, so that we can receive our own personal revelation on what we need to do in our life. Overall, the book is very beneficial for anyone looking to come closer to God, understand why he allows us to go through hard things, and gain a better understanding of the journey we are on in our life.
August 11, 2021
I honestly wasn't crazy about Al's writing style. It was a bit to wordy and repetitive for me. I feel like it probably works in her speeches but it wasn't as concise as I would prefer for a book. That being said, I love what she said and the points she made enough to still give the book five stars. I love the hope, positivity, and goodness that she teaches. Through her own personal experiences and insight and abundant use of scriptures and talks, I felt the spirit so strongly while reading this book. So, for me, that negated my desire for more succinct prose. This book is wonderful and I really enjoyed reading it. I will definitely be coming back to it and/or my myriad of kindle notes!
April 7, 2020
Inspirational. I loved the content and it was overall a great read. It was full of great examples bringing gospel topics to life and so much great advice.
However, the rambling style (like a blog post) was kind of hard to get through. It would have been SO much better with some additional editing to help with the awkward sentences, disjointed paragraphs, errors, repetition, etc. It was a little disappointing because I love the author and what she was saying was fantastic. I still enjoyed the book, but it could have been even better!
However, the rambling style (like a blog post) was kind of hard to get through. It would have been SO much better with some additional editing to help with the awkward sentences, disjointed paragraphs, errors, repetition, etc. It was a little disappointing because I love the author and what she was saying was fantastic. I still enjoyed the book, but it could have been even better!
December 16, 2022
Recommended by a friend because I am going through some hard times. First the good… her vision of a religion that is fully welcoming to all versus the harm that teaching children to judge and hate was truly hopeful and optimistic. Unfortunately most of the rest of the book was (to me) verging on endless toxic positivity. It felt like she was repeatedly trying to justify hard experiences and severe struggles as all for the good. I wish that she could have acknowledged that sometimes the bad stuff is just plain bad, and not somehow a gift.
June 25, 2024
FYI: I mainly read the chapters that I felt pertained to me, and any questions I had!
This book talks about a lot of realizations, questions, and concerns people have. I love how it gives the perspective of blaming it on how God isn't blah blah blah.... We need to think about what are we doing for God, and how we should change our lives. No matter what you can always feel the spirit, and peace throughout the gospel. I also love how it talks about a lot of modern day concerns, and trials. She answered the questions beautifully, while connecting it to God!
This book talks about a lot of realizations, questions, and concerns people have. I love how it gives the perspective of blaming it on how God isn't blah blah blah.... We need to think about what are we doing for God, and how we should change our lives. No matter what you can always feel the spirit, and peace throughout the gospel. I also love how it talks about a lot of modern day concerns, and trials. She answered the questions beautifully, while connecting it to God!
August 26, 2025
I love Al Carraway. She is amazing. I listened to her read this book. I completely agree with what she says. She has been through a lot. Sometimes listening to her makes me tired because she is always sooo high energy. She is inspiring. Only problem I have is that she is somewhat repetitive. But I can't resist her spirit and enthusiasm and her commitment. Also I love Ben, always have. I envy their relationship. They are so open to whatever the spirit tells them and they always pull and push through. It would probably be fun to travel with her tours. Maybe someday.
May 3, 2020
Al has a testimony of The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no doubt about it. I struggled with her writing style and felt like she rambled on and on. There were several “quotable gems” or “powerful takeaways” in her book but I had to mentally weed through a lot to get to those. I feel like it was a lot of the same every chapter and that the book could have been half its original length (or less?) with better transitions and some concise editing.
July 15, 2020
Al seems to be more of a role model for young women but I became a fan because of her perspective and her inspiring conversion story. She’s a convert of the church who I consider a “modern pioneer.” Her life is full of sacrifice after sacrifice just to follow God. This book was inspiring and to me the message was to trust Him and understand that “his ways are higher than our ways.” 4 stars because it did feel more like a large compilation of blog posts than it did a book.
November 29, 2022
I loved this book! It was so uplifting and inspirational. We read this book for Book Club and had a fabulous discussion even with those that had not finished the book. It really made me think about my relationship with God and His son, Jesus Christ. The author uses lots of scriptures, personal experiences, and quotes by General Authorities. My favorite quote from the book is "Nothing is worth giving up our forever happiness."
August 15, 2024
*audiobook* I really loved this book and how wildly optimistic it made me feel. Al has a way of speaking that is so passionate and bright and it gives me hope in the future to read her words.
In this book she shares her story and the difficult moments where she was able to find hope in the future. She talks about how we can trust in God in everything and know that we’re not alone. Highly recommend.
In this book she shares her story and the difficult moments where she was able to find hope in the future. She talks about how we can trust in God in everything and know that we’re not alone. Highly recommend.
December 19, 2024
This book definitely has some sweetness to it, but it is so, so repetitive. The same stories over and over again. One of my best LDS friends gave this to me a few years ago and I can definitely say it has some good points and exposed me to some new perspectives that the LDS church has, but I’m not sure I’d read another story by this author since she tends to talk about the same thing over and over again. She does have a really cool testimony though and seems like a great person.
September 5, 2025
Very uplifting, I only wish I had read this when I was younger it could have helped me through some hard times.
"There is something profound and needed at every stage in every trial in every season I have gone through."
"How would life blossom if we stripped down some layers of second guessing and standing still and took confidence in the resources and promises He has given us?"
"Life is too short for anything but choosing happiness"
"Look for Good, look for God."
"There is something profound and needed at every stage in every trial in every season I have gone through."
"How would life blossom if we stripped down some layers of second guessing and standing still and took confidence in the resources and promises He has given us?"
"Life is too short for anything but choosing happiness"
"Look for Good, look for God."
May 13, 2020
I love this book. I bought it for a graduating senior but read it first. Now I'm going to have to buy my own copy so I can underline, highlight and reference whenever I want. It's really a fantastic book about staying positive despite the world around you. I love her stories and scripture references. I will read this again and again.
September 5, 2020
While the views of the gospel that Al shares are somewhat surface level and part of the simplistic "have faith and everything will be okay" perspective, this was a very inspiring book. Carraway reminds you of the grandeur of God and what is actually important to focus on in life. Carraway as a writer is not spectacular but as an inspirational speaker should get 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews