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Worth the Hype? I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdyRay's Reviews

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I'm Glad My Mom Died Hardcover – August 9, 2022

by Jennette McCurdy (Author)

77,000 ratings

Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs

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* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD!

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

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 iCarly 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.

From the Publisher

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] layered account of a woman reckoning with love and violence at once…[Not] a flippant exposé of childhood stardom, nor an angry diatribe directed at an abuser. This complexity is what makes I’m Glad My Mom Died feel real…Some supposed literary types will think the immense popularity of I’m Glad My Mom Died—the hardcover initially sold out at many major bookstores—is merely the result of McCurdy’s former stardom and modern culture’s thirst for a sensational take. With its bold headline and bright cover featuring a smirking McCurdy holding a pink urn, the book feels deliberately marketed for virality, perfect for sharing on the internet and catching the eye of bookstore browsers. I’ve mentioned the title of this memoir to some people who have dismissed it out of hand, remarking that being glad one’s parent is dead is crude and a sentiment that should be kept to oneself. But those people haven’t read the book. McCurdy takes her time to remember difficult and complex moments of her life, staying true to her younger self while ultimately trying to come to terms with who she is as an independent adult. It’s a triumph of the confessional genre.”—Nina Li Coomes, The Atlantic

“Not many people rise to her level of fame or are so deeply abused, but McCurdy’s narrative will feel familiar to anyone who has navigated poverty and trauma. Taking advantage of the store discount at your dad’s retail job, tuning out screaming matches between parents, avoiding calls from debt collectors … this is what childhood is like for millions of Americans. Like many, I recognized myself in her words.”—Sabrina Cartan, Slate

“Unflinching…This year’s most candid book…I'm Glad My Mom Died made me laugh; it made me cry. It's such a funny, dark, moving, honest, real, uncensored book, and it's unlike anything I've ever read.”—Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon

“[The]number-one New York Times-bestselling memoir that has also achieved pop-cultural phenomenon status…I'm Glad My Mom Died is more than source material for a deluge of headlines about Grande and the slimy advances of a Nickelodeon svengali McCurdy calls simply ‘The Creator.’ McCurdy distinguishes herself from standard-issue celebrity memoir fare with a vivid, biting, darkly comic tone and an immersive present tense.”—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue

“For McCurdy, this book isn't just her writing debut. It's a reckoning with guilt and grief after her mother's premature death. It's healing from multiple eating disorders and processing decades of trauma. It's finally doing what she wants for the first time: not acting. Writing…Healing from trauma looks different for everyone: For McCurdy, writing this memoir symbolized empowerment over her narrative. And understanding that it's OK not to forgive her late mother provided her peace.”—Jenna Ryu, USA Today

“Judging simply by the shocking title of Jennette McCurdy’s debut memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, you may think the book is a no-holds-barred, scathing takedown of her mother and everyone else who perpetuated the horrifying upbringing that the former iCarly star endured, but you’d be wrong. McCurdy’s book is certainly revealing, describing the abuse she endured from her mother, who pushed her into acting at age 6, then guided her directly into an eating disorder and much worse until her death in 2013. But beyond that, it’s a measured, heartbreakingly poignant, and often laugh-out-loud-funny memoir with McCurdy showing more sympathy for her complicated mother than most people could even imagine mustering. However, what is perhaps most important about her memoir, which is smart, well-written, and powerful, is just how much hope and help it will surely provide to those suffering similar abuses right now.”—Scott Neumyer, Shondaland

“The new memoir from former child star Jennette McCurdy has an attention-grabbing title: I’m Glad My Mom Died. Over the course of the book, McCurdy, who built her name on Nickelodeon’s iCarly and Sam and Cat, more than makes her case, detailing years of her mother’s mental and physical abuse. The result is a detailed look at a very specific and individual childhood of horrors, but it also points to a major systemic problem. I’m Glad My Mom Died doubles as a damning indictment of the child star system…She paints a vivid picture of child stardom as a system in which children find themselves turned into walking piles of other people’s cash, and summarily dismantled when they lose their value. It’s damning both for the horrors she experienced as an individual and the systemic failures to which her story points.”—Constance Grady, Vox

“McCurdy’s book must be written by someone. Why? It must be done because there is someone out there right now who truly believes that life will never be any different. They truly believe that they will live under their parent’s thumb, never have the life they wanted, not trust their own agency, their own minds, and people like Jennette exist to tell them: You are not wrong, you can trust yourself. You can do this too.”—Erin Taylor, Observer

“A stunning memoir…[McCurdy] reveals herself to be a stingingly funny and insightful writer, capable of great empathy and a brutal punchline. It’s a document not just of all she’s endured, but also of the wisdom she accrued along the way.”—Sam Lansky, Time

“A coming-of-age story that is alternately harrowing and mordantly funny.”—Dave Itzkoff, The New York Times

“[A] magnum opus…sharply funny and empathetic.”—Ashley Spencer, The Washington Post

“McCurdy strips away the candy-coated facade of her sitcom experiences.”—Vanity Fair

“[The] US summer publishing sensation that—in short, punchy sentences delivered with a high level of self-perception—could transform the trauma memoir business…[T]he book, and the reception it has received, could return the focus of the trauma narratives to the mother and create new demand for mother-daughter accounts.”—Edward Helmore, The Guardian

“[An] explosive debut…insightful and incisive, heartbreaking and raw, McCurdy’s narrative reveals a strong woman who triumphs over unimaginable pressure to emerge whole on the other side. Fans will be rapt.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“McCurdy asks readers a question: When and how does one rid oneself of the cage created by others and walk freely? Her stunning debut offers fierce honesty, empathy for those that contributed to her grief, and insights into the hard-fought attachments and detachments of growing older.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Delivered with captivating candor and grace.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Jennette McCurdy is the queen of lemonade from lemons, using her trauma to weave a painfully funny story that also illuminates the commodification of teenage girls in America. An important cultural document just as much as a searingly personal one.”—Lena Dunham

“Jennette’s road to finding herself—removed from the expectations of her mother—is impressively funny. She fuses nuanced relationships, complex grief, religious whiplash and Hollywood trauma into a bold story with a specific comedic voice.”—Jerrod Carmichael

“How can a book be so sad and also so funny? It's an art, and Jennette McCurdy has mastered it here. I’m Glad My Mom Died is hysterical and heartbreaking and fascinating all at the same time.”—Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and Broken (in the Best Possible Way)

“I'm Glad My Mom Died is furious, sad, brave, knowing, honest, heart-wrenching, and utterly compelling. McCurdy writes with a keen insight and startling compassion. Whether showing how dysfunction can seem normal to those most affected, the torture of eating disorders, or the mindfuck that is child stardom, McCurdy brings readers deep into the milieu so often hidden from outsiders. This is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age story as fearless as its author.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing

“Jennette McCurdy’s book is a coruscating picture of her life as a child actor, devastatingly honest and with great understanding of the psychology and emotions operating at a deep level. It’s a riveting read, entertaining and very touching.”—Hayley Mills, New York Times bestselling author of Forever Young

“Jennette’s career as an actor was simply a character in a much more important story. She is a natural writer with a wonderful sense of humor. Her story is heartbreaking with a nice balance of hopeful. I could not put this book down.”—Laraine Newman, original cast member of Saturday Night Live and author of May You Live in Interesting Times

About the Author

Jennette McCurdy starred in Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly and its spin-off, Sam & Cat, as well as in the Netflix series Between. In 2017, she quit acting and began pursuing writing/directing. Her films have been featured in the Florida Film Festival, the Salute Your Shorts Film Festival, Short of the Week, and elsewhere. Her essays have appeared in HuffPost and The Wall Street Journal. Her one-woman show I’m Glad My Mom Died had two sold-out runs at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre and Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles. She hosts a podcast called Empty Inside, which has topped Apple’s charts and features guests speaking about uncomfortable topics. She lives in Los Angeles.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (August 9, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982185821
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982185824
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 1 year and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.22 x 6.34 x 9.29 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Television Performer Biographies
- #18 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #58 in Memoirs (Books)

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Jennette Mccurdy

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New York Times Bestselling Author Jennette McCurdy has been showcasing her multitude of talents for over 20 years, with more than 100 credits under her belt between film and TV. Most recently, Jennette has chronicled the unflinching details surrounding her life and rise to fame in her memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, which stayed at #1 on the NYT bestseller list for 52 consecutive weeks and has been in the top 5 on the NYT best seller list for 44 straight weeks. In the inspiring book of resilience and independence, Jennette uses candor and dark humor as she dives into her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

In addition to her impressive acting resume, Jennette is an accomplished creator. Her darkly comedic one-woman show “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” which she wrote, directed, and stars in, had a sold-out run at Lyric Hyperion Theatre. Jennette has been at the forefront of writing and directing Strong Independent Women and Kenny, which was featured on Short of the Week and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the Florida Film Festival. Her works have also been published in the Huffington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and The Hollywood Reporter.

Jennette is currently writing her debut fiction novel, set to release in 2024. Jennette has also been honored as part of the 2022 TIME100 Next list, a compilation of emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership.

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Customers say

Customers find this memoir compelling and well-written, with one noting how the writing style pairs effectively with heavy subjects. The book provides a heartwarming yet heartbreaking account of grief and suffering, while maintaining a comedic tone throughout. Customers appreciate the author's vulnerability and honesty, with one review highlighting how it offers a fascinating look inside the mind. The pacing receives positive feedback for its nice short chapters, and customers say it draws readers in from start to finish.

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Readability Writing quality Insight Heartbreaking story Humor Honesty Pacing Enthralling

1,210 customers mention "Readability"1,203 positive7 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an amazing and compelling account that is entertaining to read.

"...you are for your independence from mom, or just want to read a terrific memoir, this is a must-read." Read more

"...Well, never underestimate the power of a great book title. This one pulled me in, despite my initial reluctance, and wouldn't let me go...." Read more

"Overall. I loved the book. Contains self-reflecting ideas about her major struggles and many people’s...." Read more

"...because of how it resonated, but because this felt so vulnerable and incredible, like watching a champion howling at a turbulent storm, a small..." Read more

808 customers mention "Writing quality"749 positive59 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as powerfully written, with one customer noting how the word choice kept them engaged throughout.

"...child Star of Kids shows iCarly, and Sam and Cat is a gifted, storyteller...." Read more

"...that page on, it switches to a more fast paced, entertaining, meaningful reading...." Read more

"...Jennette does a fantastic job of writing it all out, not just about the career she didn't want in the first place, but the aftermath of dealing with..." Read more

"...It's an amazing story, and I was very impressed with her writing, her ups and downs, and can understand her actions, as both a child and adult...." Read more

589 customers mention "Insight"585 positive4 negative

Customers find the book insightful and inspiring, with one customer describing it as a compelling look inside the mind, while another appreciates how it goes into depth about the author's life.

"Jennette McCurdy, child Star of Kids shows iCarly, and Sam and Cat is a gifted, storyteller...." Read more

"...McCurdy's memoir shines bright with insight. But its greatest gift is in the author's full-throttled admission of and entitlement to her anger...." Read more

"...I am assuming it was about showing her raw and be very detailed about what she was going through. It also gave me the diary or journaling vibe...." Read more

"...It added, expanded, and grew her character that I almost forgot I was reading a memoir, and I had to pause whenever I did...." Read more

526 customers mention "Heartbreaking story"433 positive93 negative

Customers find this memoir emotionally engaging, describing it as a comically heart-wrendering story that is ultimately uplifting.

"...her domineering, maniacal mother and their dynamics with hilarity, pathos, and agony. “..." Read more

"...This memoir by former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy is no comedy, although you may find yourself chuckling in places...." Read more

"...Every page of this book is impactful and important. It dives into difficult emotions that all young women and girls go through in some form as they..." Read more

"...It is the best combination of all emotions up and down. It is a fascinating autobiography, and Jennette's humor really comes out in it...." Read more

310 customers mention "Humor"284 positive26 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, particularly noting Jennette's writing style and laugh-out-loud moments.

"...It added, expanded, and grew her character that I almost forgot I was reading a memoir, and I had to pause whenever I did...." Read more

"...It is a fascinating autobiography, and Jennette's humor really comes out in it...." Read more

"...Jeanette was our absolute favorite on both shows. So, funny. Great comedic timing and great physical comedy skills as well...." Read more

"...Jennette tells her story with a lot of grace and humor. Her road to recovery and finding peace and acceptance can inspire anyone." Read more

299 customers mention "Honesty"299 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's honesty, describing it as heartachingly and vulnerably honest, with one customer noting its no-holds-barred approach.

"...The reader is sucked into Jennette’s very entertaining, pungently real, and disturbing world. “..." Read more

"...Not just with how genuine and blunt her recounting is, but with how sincere and honest her mindset is...." Read more

"...Jeannette you deserve all the accolades from this book because it's honestly, and painfully yet beautifully written. Peace & Love" Read more

"...It was very brave of the author to be transparent about her experiences. Lots of lessons to be learn from her including resiliency." Read more

120 customers mention "Pacing"100 positive20 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, with nice short chapters and a great sense of pace that makes it a fast read.

"...topic how her mom was to her but after that page on, it switches to a more fast paced, entertaining, meaningful reading...." Read more

"...I'm really glad she got through it all. Every chapter was like a short story, a theme to highlight, a moment in time of relevance and powerful..." Read more

"...It's an amazing story, and I was very impressed with her writing, her ups and downs, and can understand her actions, as both a child and adult...." Read more

"...for years and find strength in her words and her honesty about her slips and struggles...." Read more

113 customers mention "Enthralling"109 positive4 negative

Customers find the book enthralling, drawing them in from start to finish and keeping them engaged throughout.

"...-- the ownership of one's own personal truth -- and that sweet burst of self-acceptance that comes along with it. How freeing is that?..." Read more

"...It's interesting. We'll written. Keeps you reading. Great read." Read more

"...Overall, a fantastic read for those who can stomach the intense, vivid, and plainly-stated...." Read more

"...It was fun and clever. I thought everyone’s personality was nicely put together but I absolutely loved the character of Sam...." Read more

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Diane Burroughs
Gifted Storyteller
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
Verified Purchase

Jennette McCurdy, child Star of Kids shows iCarly, and Sam and Cat is a gifted, storyteller. Now 31, Jennette hasn’t written another self-help workbook or how-to book. She reveals her domineering, maniacal mother and their dynamics with hilarity, pathos, and agony.
“Naked” is the best way to describe how our author depicts her fascinating journey. She was not without a plethora of trauma:
• Waking at 4am for her first day at age 6 as background on the show X-files
• Growing up in a hoarder household
• The impact of being a Mormon
• Stardom
• Emancipating herself from the bondage of an eating disorder instigated by mom
• Her struggle to develop into a woman
The reader is sucked into Jennette’s very entertaining, pungently real, and disturbing world. “How many times can you pratfall over a carpet or sell a line you don’t believe in before your soul dies?”
Debra McCurdy was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer when Jennette was two. Jennette’s two purposes growing up were; 1) to be the closest person in the world to her mother and 2) keeping her mother alive. Every birthday Jennette wished her mother to live another year believing her mother’s life was in her little hands.
Debra loved to recount her cancer story to the family. “She goes so far as to MC a weekly rewatch of a home video she made shortly after learning of her diagnosis. ‘All right, everyone, shhhh. Let’s be quiet. Let’s watch and be grateful for where Mommy is now’ “Mom says.” Jennette reveals the fragility of her Mom’s life became the center of hers.
It was drilled into Jennette’s consciousness that her grandparents killed her mother’s dream of a life of fame and fortune as an actress. Therefore, mom was hell-bent on giving the life her parents wouldn’t let her have to “Net”, Jennette’s nickname. When she asked Jennette if she wanted to be “mommy’s little actress,” there was only one right answer. “Yes, mommy.”
If you’re struggling with a love/hate relationship with mom, need validation on how heroic you are for your independence from mom, or just want to read a terrific memoir, this is a must-read.

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Tucker Mackenzie
I'm Glad My Mom Died and I'm Glad I Read This Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
The title of this book didn't just catch my eye. It grabbed me from behind like a stage hook. My immediate reaction, when stumbling upon it on Amazon, was to promptly close my laptop and try to forget I'd ever laid eyes on it. My own mother had died a few years earlier, and just the thought of being seen holding this book, with its raw, audacious title, prompted a cold sweat. I'd confessed to too many people over the years my feelings for my mother, always in a vain attempt to sort fact from fiction and shed light on the ambivalence that had hung heavy in the air between us for as long as I could remember. I mean, feelings like that aren't natural, right? Not the feelings of a good girl grown up. Not feelings about Mom.

Well, never underestimate the power of a great book title. This one pulled me in, despite my initial reluctance, and wouldn't let me go. It may never. I'd be grateful if it didn't. This book is that good, that meaningful, and that important.

Don't be fooled by the book jacket. This memoir by former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy is no comedy, although you may find yourself chuckling in places. It's a very sober account of the young life of a woman who has struggled with the realities and ramifications of early fame in Hollywood, the misguided values and unreasonable expectations and pressures of a narcissistic, though well-intentioned, stage mom, the terror of loss, the aching, gaping blackhole of grief, the quicksand suction of addiction, and the steel-grip hold of compulsions, especially bulimia. It's the story of hitting rock bottom, seeking help, relapsing, and seeking help again ultimately to be able to look clear-eyed at the why of every puzzling piece of a life picture. To see it is to begin to makes sense of it, and making sense is the only way to overcome. It's a hero's journey, and McCurdy not only embarked on her own valiantly, but has presented it to us in the gift of one terrific memoir.

What makes this book stand out from the mile-high pile of narratives on dysfunctional parenting? For me, it's the sheer bravery in McCurdy's brutal candor. It takes guts to vent to the world unapologetically about the woman who birthed and raised you, especially a mother, like McCurdy's, who had to endure her own personal trauma. In cases like these, even the most callous can elicit a rabid defense of damaging, wayward mom, the kind of feedback that only fuels the victim's pain. Self-doubt sets in and then guilt and shame, all triggers of compulsions, addictions and chronic, paralytic despair. It happens time and time again. Why? Because no one experienced your parent quite like you did, not even your siblings. And it's just plain unnatural to be that angry at the woman who birthed, raised and even loved you... right? (Oh, that BLASTED self-doubt!)

McCurdy's memoir shines bright with insight. But its greatest gift is in the author's full-throttled admission of and entitlement to her anger. In the end, she doesn't doubt her experiences or blame herself, like most of us who've fallen victim to eating disorders. And because McCurdy owns her feelings with such a refreshing, unflinching and bright-eyed conviction, she inspires us to do the same. No guilt or shame necessary. Just a true understanding of one's own experiences and feelings -- the ownership of one's own personal truth -- and that sweet burst of self-acceptance that comes along with it. How freeing is that? Let me tell you, it's a damned good start on the road to recovery and forgiveness.

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202 people found this helpful

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Nataly Kratos
Healing
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2025
Verified Purchase
Overall. I loved the book. Contains self-reflecting ideas about her major struggles and many people’s.

Up until the 71st page, I started to feel she was saying the same over and over about her initial career. Every chapter was around the same topic how her mom was to her but after that page on, it switches to a more fast paced, entertaining, meaningful reading. I am assuming it was about showing her raw and be very detailed about what she was going through. It also gave me the diary or journaling vibe. Which is great. The reading has a lot of food relationship problems chapters and descriptions that may trigger but at the same time heal. I loved the book and hopefully Jennette is able to heal, deeply heal.

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pissedasf
REVOLUTIONARY
Reviewed in Singapore on July 20, 2023
Verified Purchase

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK. This book is so well-rounded and well-thought-out and considered, where Jennette doesn't just depict her mom as this one-dimensional kind of villainous figure when she talks about the way that her mother behaved, but instead, also recognizes that her mum was troubled in her own way too and yeah like I said she's a complicated and nuanced person. The writing style is great it is so concise and to the point but also very very readable, and it feels very self-aware. She's not on the defence here, trying to paint herself out to be a saint, it's not like a hero and villain story. She also acknowledges when she makes mistakes and when things that have impacted her and her life caused her to act in a certain way. One thing I loved was the discussion of friendships, especially adult friendships, and how often those friendships are contextual. So they'll be like someone that you worked with or someone that you had an opportunity with someone that you were dating at a certain time in your life and she talks about how people do kind of move in and out of your life and how sometimes friendships do fluctuate or oscillate which I thought was fascinating to read. I'm glad I read this book because it's so brilliant and insightful, and I think everyone will rlly enjoy it and you don't need to have followed Jennette McCurdy's career or to know that much about her in order to appreciate this book and take a lot from it.

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pissedasf

REVOLUTIONARY

Reviewed in Singapore on July 20, 2023
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK. This book is so well-rounded and well-thought-out and considered, where Jennette doesn't just depict her mom as this one-dimensional kind of villainous figure when she talks about the way that her mother behaved, but instead, also recognizes that her mum was troubled in her own way too and yeah like I said she's a complicated and nuanced person. The writing style is great it is so concise and to the point but also very very readable, and it feels very self-aware. She's not on the defence here, trying to paint herself out to be a saint, it's not like a hero and villain story. She also acknowledges when she makes mistakes and when things that have impacted her and her life caused her to act in a certain way. One thing I loved was the discussion of friendships, especially adult friendships, and how often those friendships are contextual. So they'll be like someone that you worked with or someone that you had an opportunity with someone that you were dating at a certain time in your life and she talks about how people do kind of move in and out of your life and how sometimes friendships do fluctuate or oscillate which I thought was fascinating to read. I'm glad I read this book because it's so brilliant and insightful, and I think everyone will rlly enjoy it and you don't need to have followed Jennette McCurdy's career or to know that much about her in order to appreciate this book and take a lot from it.

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Jannia Ledesma
Muy buen libro
Reviewed in Mexico on May 8, 2024
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Crecí con icarly y leer su autobiografía fue un gran abrir de ojos, la otra cara de la fama es muy fuerte y también, darte cuenta que todos somos humanos, idealizaba a las estrellas de vivir perfectamente, y leer este tipo de biografías te ayudar a dejar de compararte con personas de la fama

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蛍子
Good read
Reviewed in Japan on February 15, 2025
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Funny, quick, good read

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H
Exceptional book
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on October 22, 2024
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I recommend it to every single person. The best book I ever read.

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Tanita Dawn De Bruyn
Extremely Sad and Funny all in one
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2024
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Jennette McCurdy unveils the poignant narrative of her challenging childhood. The book, echoing the title of her one-woman performance, serves as a poignant reflection on the tumultuous years marked by what the author characterizes as enduring emotional abuse inflicted by her demanding and emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra.

Hailing from Los Angeles, McCurdy, alongside three older brothers, navigated a home dominated by her mother's control. At the tender age of 3, her mother faced a diagnosis of breast cancer, a battle she initially survived but one that would ultimately claim her life when the author was 21. McCurdy courageously lays bare the intervening years, delving into the depths of how "my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me."

Debra, driven by an unrelenting desire to mold her only daughter into "Mommy's little actress," orchestrated auditions for McCurdy starting at the tender age of 6. As the author matured and secured acting roles, she found herself caught in a relentless pursuit to impress her mother, who, in turn, grew increasingly fixated on her daughter's physical appearance. The narrative unfolds to reveal a mother who, with a cruel perfectionist demeanor, subjected McCurdy to extreme measures—tinting her eyelashes, whitening her teeth, enforcing strict calorie restrictions, and conducting invasive examinations during her teenage years.

As McCurdy naturally sought independence and distance from her mother, her burgeoning celebrity status exposed her to the perils of eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and tumultuous relationships. Throughout the memoir, McCurdy candidly portrays Debra's abusive behavior patterns, showcasing a woman prone to rage triggered by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. Despite the cruelty, the author approaches her deeply flawed mother with a sense of compassion.

Towards the conclusion, McCurdy shares a heart-wrenching secret unveiled by her father in adulthood. While she didn't emerge unscathed from her tumultuous childhood, McCurdy transforms her harrowing experience into a powerful stage act, achieving a catharsis that brings solace to her mind, body, and acting career.

The memoir unfolds as a heartbreaking account of an emotionally battered child, narrated with captivating candor and grace, showcasing McCurdy's resilience and ability to find healing through her artistic expression.

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Tanita Dawn De Bruyn

Extremely Sad and Funny all in one

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2024
Jennette McCurdy unveils the poignant narrative of her challenging childhood. The book, echoing the title of her one-woman performance, serves as a poignant reflection on the tumultuous years marked by what the author characterizes as enduring emotional abuse inflicted by her demanding and emotionally unstable stage mom, Debra.

Hailing from Los Angeles, McCurdy, alongside three older brothers, navigated a home dominated by her mother's control. At the tender age of 3, her mother faced a diagnosis of breast cancer, a battle she initially survived but one that would ultimately claim her life when the author was 21. McCurdy courageously lays bare the intervening years, delving into the depths of how "my mom emotionally, mentally, and physically abused me in ways that will forever impact me."

Debra, driven by an unrelenting desire to mold her only daughter into "Mommy's little actress," orchestrated auditions for McCurdy starting at the tender age of 6. As the author matured and secured acting roles, she found herself caught in a relentless pursuit to impress her mother, who, in turn, grew increasingly fixated on her daughter's physical appearance. The narrative unfolds to reveal a mother who, with a cruel perfectionist demeanor, subjected McCurdy to extreme measures—tinting her eyelashes, whitening her teeth, enforcing strict calorie restrictions, and conducting invasive examinations during her teenage years.

As McCurdy naturally sought independence and distance from her mother, her burgeoning celebrity status exposed her to the perils of eating disorders, alcohol addiction, self-loathing, and tumultuous relationships. Throughout the memoir, McCurdy candidly portrays Debra's abusive behavior patterns, showcasing a woman prone to rage triggered by everything from crooked eyeliner to spilled milk. Despite the cruelty, the author approaches her deeply flawed mother with a sense of compassion.

Towards the conclusion, McCurdy shares a heart-wrenching secret unveiled by her father in adulthood. While she didn't emerge unscathed from her tumultuous childhood, McCurdy transforms her harrowing experience into a powerful stage act, achieving a catharsis that brings solace to her mind, body, and acting career.

The memoir unfolds as a heartbreaking account of an emotionally battered child, narrated with captivating candor and grace, showcasing McCurdy's resilience and ability to find healing through her artistic expression.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Gifted Storyteller

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Glad My Mom Died and I'm Glad I Read This Book

4.0 out of 5 stars Healing

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5.0 out of 5 stars REVOLUTIONARY

REVOLUTIONARY

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5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buen libro

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional book

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Sad and Funny all in one

Extremely Sad and Funny all in one

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Gifted Storyteller

I'm Glad My Mom Died and I'm Glad I Read This Book

Healing

REVOLUTIONARY

Muy buen libro

Good read

Exceptional book

Extremely Sad and Funny all in one