I'm Glad My Mom Died
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'In this unique memoir Jennette McCurdy discusses her life as a child star, and her complicated relationship with her mother. The book is divided into two main parts: “Before” which includes chapters 1 – 55, and “After” which is chapters 56 – 91. There are a total of about 304 pages. *Please note that there are some potentially upsetting topics discussed in the book, such as child abuse, domestic violence and eating disorders.\n\nMcCurdy starts this book from the perspective of her younger self, written in the present tense so that it feels like the reader is along for the ride with little Jennette as she experiences these things in real time. It is a very creative and powerful way to tell her story, because McCurdy can show what things seemed like to her AT THE TIME as a naïve child, as opposed to her adult perspective thinking about these things in hindsight. In this first part of the book, we get to see young Jennette’s perspective as she describes her family life, her first audition experiences, growing up in the Mormon church, domestic violence, and her family’s issues with hoarding. She describes going to acting class and dance class, her “little breaks” in commercials and small parts in TV shows, working on her own resume at 11, and dealing with an obsessed, overbearing mother that seemed to be trying to live vicariously through her daughter. McCurdy includes vivid descriptions of how her mom encouraged unhealthy eating habits that led to eating disorders, and these parts can be particularly difficult to read. There are also descriptions of events from her iCarly days, but none of the names of the producers/directors are used. Instead, McCurdy refers to “The Creator” several times when describing events, and this SEEMS to be a reference to Dan Schneider, though she doesn’t name him specifically.\n\n“Before” covers the time all the way up to the death of McCurdy’s mother, and then the “After” chapters deal with McCurdy’s life after her mother’s passing. In these later chapters she talks about her time on Sam and Cat, jealousy of Ariana Grande, battles with bulimia, therapy, relationships and more. Her writing style is very direct and blunt, and she doesn’t seem to hold anything back as she discusses some very intimate and personal details. Much of her story is full of trauma and painful experiences that can be hard to read, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. By the end of the book there seems to be a bit of hope, that McCurdy is doing better and has reached a healthier place in her life.\n\nThis was a creative memoir that I actually enjoyed reading more than I thought that I would. I wasn’t as familiar with McCurdy as some readers might be, and I found the title to be a little off-putting; but after reading the entire book I found myself appreciating McCurdy for sharing her unique and somewhat disturbing story. It serves as a window into the life of child actors, what it is like to battle with eating disorders, and how to survive a dysfunctional and abusive family. McCurdy’s ability to add some humor to such dark topics is just one of the reasons that I think she might have found her calling as a writer, instead of being a (reluctant) actor.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Well written, with authentic prose that speaks to the writers age and experience. It’s broken up into two parts - Before and After - and I must say, I enjoyed the before parts (when her mother was still alive) the most. It is where her brilliance really shines, as she details with alarming self-awareness how codependent her relationship with her mother really is, and the extent of her psychological abuse. The shower scenes with her mother are still haunting me. For children of narcissists, you will find this book relatable. Many other disorders are discussed, particularly EDs and alcoholism, even hoarding, but codependency is at the root of them all. No little girl should be blowing out her birthday candles while looking over to her mother, reading her expression and hoping to please her, making her birthday wish entirely about her mother.\n\nLastly…I want to know what happened to Laura! I hope she was able to either resume their relationship or end it gracefully. I don’t know of any therapist who would support a client to the extent that she did, for better or for worse.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Former iCarly star Jeannette McCurdy delves into an abusive childhood under her stage mother, who pushed her daughter into acting at age six in 1999. The level of abuse detailed in the book is maniacal: after reaching age 11, her mother steered her to anorexia and other various abuses. The book chronicles her efforts to break free from her mother, her struggles with bulimia and alcohol abuse, and a horrific stint dating a schizophrenic, codependent boyfriend.\n\nIt is a hard read to see all of the trauma she experienced, but her triumph over it is a compelling read.\n\nA must for fans'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Jennette’s life story while we think it’s all unicorns and rainbows on the outside , inside and behind the scenes , it’s heartbreaking and such a emotional story .We often think that celebrities have these great lives but in reality some of them live in chaos without us ever seeing or hearing about it'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "An eloquent and open book detailing the realities of a life spent pasting a gratitude on a trauma and the pain of waking up and getting better, this book will make you think, make you laugh, and make you cry. It's the short sentences that really get you, because you can feel a whole world of spirit packed into them, and they light up like fireworks. The short sentences ring in your mind and stay with you through the night. The way she tackles complex emotions is fascinating, and makes you reevaluate your own perspective on emotional nuance. Jennette's voice is incredible, and I hope she writes more."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'This book was captivating and easy to read. Jeannette has a great voice and the book was extremely well written.'}]