Author: Jennette McCurdy
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 320
Release Date: August 9, 2022
Review: Read It. *No Star Rating on Memoirs
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.
My Thoughts
Note: I didn’t write my own blurb for this book, because my review is a mix of my thoughts and what the book entails more in-depth.
This book has been on so many lists for best books of the year, best memoir, etc. And for good reason. With a title like that, we can’t help but be intrigued by what’s to come, and the details are from what I expected.
Jennette McCurdy recounts her life growing up as child star and all the good, but mostly bad that came along with it. If you think the title might be an exaggeration, you’ll quickly learn that her mom truly is the worst – doling out every type of abuse in the book, and the catalyst for most of Jennette’s struggles.
From the start of the book, Jennette’s home life isn’t great. Her house is a mess because her mom is a hoarder. Her dad works a lot and gets kicked out of the house often by her emotional mom. Her mother’s dream is to have a child star, and Jennette goes along with it to make her mom happy.
Slowly, Jennette becomes the breadwinner for her family, and she’s making her mom proud. As she starts getting older, Jennette starts worrying that puberty will stop her from being a successful actor since she’s able to get younger roles from her height and size. This is when her mom introduces her to “calorie restriction” at the age of 11, spurring decades long eating disorders for Jennette.
On top of encouraging an eating disorder and acting like it’s a fun little bonding exercise for the two of them, her mother also goes so far as to still wipe her after using the restroom, bathe her (including with her brother in their teen years!) and more – disgustingly too far into her life. This is all in addition to the emotionally abusive guilt-tripping her mom so favors.
We get the behind the scenes of her time on iCarly and Sam & Cat – including uncomfortable moments with “The Creator” at Nickelodeon and hush money. I really enjoyed seeing her friendship with Miranda; I didn’t realize they were so close for so long. And we also hear about her jealousy of Ariana, who was able to skip episodes while Jennette carried the show.
We see her short music career rise and fall. We see her hopes and dreams shattered on the show when all she wants to do is direct. We see her toxic romantic relationships, and her struggles with new addictions. We also see her mom pass away from the return of her cancer.
And then we get to see the goodbye to those broken parts of Jennette and growth. It’s not an easy journey. This is a tough book to read. While its touted as “hilarious,” I wouldn’t say that. It was a sad book written to try and look lighthearted in a way. That glosses over calling some things what they really were.
It was well-written and kept me turning pages – though the shock factor probably added to that. The chapters were short, quickly telling different pieces to the story which made it an easy technical read. I think this book would be incredibly triggering and difficult to read for anyone that experiences disordered eating or a temptation as its extremely detailed about her progression and actions.
If you’re interested in learning about the dark side of child acting or a brief glimpse into Nickelodeon, this book gives a candid and truthful take, while also offering some optimism that there can be healing after years of trauma and harm.
Farewell Thoughts
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