I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (Review #227)

“Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother's dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do

anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called "calorie restriction,' eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, "Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn't tint hers?" She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. 

In I'm Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail-just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi ("Hi Gale!"), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse

when, soon after taking the lead in the Carly spinoff

Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies

of cancer.

Finally, after discovering therapy and

quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and

decides for the first time in her life what she really

wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor,

I'm Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of

resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing

your own hair.”

Review:

So I know this type of book is not typical of my page. We read fiction and fantasy up in here. However, this book has been so widely talked about and I just kept seeing so much news coverage of it, that I simply could not resist. 

And not oh boy did it deliver. This book is a raw nerve. So much flesh and bone the human experience, while also bringing us into a world only seen from afar. While most of us didn’t grow up in the spotlight, we are there along with Jennette from beginning to end.

Absolutely amazing, I highly recommend picking this up even if memoirs aren’t your usual cup of tea, it is so amazing!

Let me know your own thoughts and feels down below in the comments!