If I'm being honest - Dan Karaty review

A damning, moving and painfully honest account from Belgium's Got Talent judge Dan Karaty about his life before, during and after his admission to an addiction clinic.

Star choreographer Dan Karaty has it all together. He is young and successful and life is smiling at him. He travels all over the world and has no shortage of parties, attention and money. He is asked to judge in an American talent show and also ends up in Flanders as a judge on Belgium's Got Talent, Dansdate and So You Think You Can Dance. Belgium and the Netherlands fall in love with the good-humored American, but behind his smile Dan hides a big secret. He is an alcoholic.

The more successful he becomes, the more he will drink, but as long as he can work and keep his appointments, there is no problem, is there? Alcoholics, those are people who can't function, those are people with no job and no family. He is functioning just fine. In fact, he is increasingly successful! And he cheers to that. But with that success come more and more commitments and social obligations. He becomes dependent on alcohol and it costs him more and more energy to keep up appearances.

Then the corona pandemic breaks out and he finds himself at home. He can no longer retreat to his hotel room to drink a few bottles of wine. But he can't stop either. Until he wakes up one morning and realizes he is in danger of losing everything. For the first time he admits he needs help, and not much later his wife has him admitted to an addiction clinic. He goes there, not knowing whether he will be welcome when he returns home.Translated with DeepL 

As a little girl, I loved watching "So you yhink you can dance. I looked up to the charming and honest Dan Karaty. When I saw, that Dan was going to release his own book, of course I could not let this pass me by. I had to read this book.

Surely this book left me speechless for a while. Dan is very honest about his addiction and tells things about his past that are really gripping. This book is so sincere and pure and will linger for a long time. It definitely makes you think.

Personally, it has given me new insights. I have come to view people I used to know differently, because of this book. It made me realize, that maybe at the last I just didn't know the person at all anymore, but I knew the drink in the person. When I began to realize this, it hit me very hard. I am always amazed at what booze can do to a person unfortunately.

I want to thank Dan for his honesty and sincerity. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to read this book. And I know the people who are going to read the book will think so too. Thank you, Dan, for your wonderful book and for sharing your story with us.

About the book: 

- Author: Dan Karaty 

- Genre: Biography

- Themes: Life, alcohol, love, friendship, ... 

- Publisher: Boekerij 

- Published: 5/09/2023

- Number of pages: 220

- ISBN-Code: 9789022597729

- Rating: * * * * *