Being Broken, by Geoffrey R. Jonas, is a brutally honest memoir about trauma, addiction, and survival. It follows Jonas through a childhood steeped in neglect and narcissistic abuse, into years of substance dependence, and finally toward healing and self-understanding. He recounts the deaths of his sister, father, and mother, all in a single year, and how those losses forced him to face the damage that shaped his life. The book mixes memoir with insight–part psychology, part confession, and all heart.

Right from the start, Jonas pulls no punches. In the foreword, he admits, “I am spewing my head out onto these pages,” and that’s exactly how it reads, raw, direct, and strangely freeing. The prologue on narcissistic parental abuse hooked me. He doesn’t just define the concept; he exposes how it poisoned his family dynamic and left scars that followed him into adulthood. The mix of personal detail and clinical explanation makes it both heartbreaking and fascinating.

What I love most about this book is its honesty. Jonas never paints himself as a victim. He admits to his own part in the chaos, lying, manipulating, and self-destructing. There’s something refreshing about how he refuses to hide the ugly parts. When he writes about his sister’s overdose or his parents’ emotional absence, he doesn’t look for pity. He looks for truth. The section “Fault vs. Responsibility and Blame” really stuck with me. His idea that “it’s not their fault, but they are responsible” reframes forgiveness in a way that feels mature and real.

Jonas’ writing hits hard because it’s unfiltered but thoughtful. The poem “Broken,” written for his sister, might be the emotional heart of the book. It’s tender and painful, a mix of love, guilt, and memory. And by the end, when he says, “Here I am. A survivor,” it doesn’t sound like a line from a movie. It feels earned.

Being Broken isn’t a light read, but it’s a powerful one. It’s for people who’ve faced trauma, addiction, or toxic family systems, and for anyone curious about how self-awareness can lead to recovery. Jonas writes like a man who’s been through hell and decided to document the landscape. It’s dark, hopeful, and deeply human.

Pages: 274 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DZPGY1BZ