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Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol
While I haven’t struggled with the same trauma she had/has the way she shares her story still feels “relatable” in so far as we all have these experiences that shape us and we don’t see just how much until we are older so undoing the “bad habits” is hard.
This book alone should be evidence on why child acting needs 10000x more regulation and protection for the kids. God help us for the social media kid influencers who have it even worse.
I don’t think it’s right that people need to “prove” they are worthy parents as that feels like it will be its own dystopia but her mother is also proof that not everyone is “worthy” of being a parent.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infidelity
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
I found her change in attitude to her mom near the end to be abrupt and not well fleshed out, which hampered the narrative flow, but I also understand that she might want to keep for herself the details of realizing her mom was horribly abusive, especially after going into so much detail on other personal topics. I listened to the audiobook, and her deadpan delivery heightened the humorous moments.
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Terminal illness
Minor: Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Aunque me gusta leer biografías, esta me aburrió demasiado. En la mayoría de las biografías y autobiografías, la persona suele mostrar un avance: cuenta su trauma, cómo salió de él y en qué se convirtió. Pero en esta historia sucede lo contrario. En algunos puntos, incluso parece glorificar los trastornos alimenticios. Es innecesaria la cantidad de veces que repite que vomita, así como la forma en que justifica a su agresora.
La primera parte del libro me pareció muy buena; sentí mucha empatía por lo que sufrió. Sin embargo, en cierto punto, la narrativa se torna justificativa, con un tono "pick me" y misógino. Un ejemplo es este fragmento, donde Jeannette dice literalmente:
<pre>"Solo las observo. Las veo actuar desesperadas, débiles y patéticas. Es tan vergonzoso ser mujer. Estudio a las mujeres como Emmy para poder ser diferente a ellas. Mejor que ellas."</pre>
Me sorprende que nunca había escuchado sobre estos comentarios misóginos de Jeannette. Tal vez porque la violencia entre mujeres suele normalizarse demasiado.
Durante el 70% del libro, apenas hay una ligera mejoría cuando toca el tema de la terapia. Sin embargo, esta etapa no dura mucho, ya que vuelve a glorificar el TCA y a su madre. Incluso dejó la terapia cuando le dijeron que lo que vivió era abuso.
Siento que la forma en que se vendió el libro al público fue solo una estrategia de marketing. Se necesitó el 97% del libro para presentar a una Jeannette "sana", el 98% para mencionar el regreso de iCarly de manera apresurada y, finalmente, en el 99% se reconoce lo obvio: que su madre era una mala persona. Parece que intentaron reparar todo en el último momento.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Dysphoria
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Stalking
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Dysphoria
Minor: Stalking
Jennette was actually one of my favorite Nickelodeon stars when I was young. I was in fourth grade when I watched iCarly in the afternoons after school and Sam was my favorite character among the cast. I rooted for Seddie (Sam and Freddie’s ship) when they kissed and eventually got together, and was sad when they broke up. Unfortunately, by the time iCarly ended and Sam & Cat aired, I decided that I was already well past the age of watching cheesy kids’ sitcoms.
Reading this memoir was not easy. Not only because of my attachment to iCarly and the whole nostalgia of my childhood in general, but because Jennette truly goes through so much that it is quite literally unfathomable. Knowing that her mom has cancer, being forced into acting, developing eating disorders, succumbing to alcohol abuse—I read the book while listening to the audiobook and hearing Jennette recount all of that in her own voice was so heartbreaking, every chapter really felt like a dagger through the heart. No one should ever experience that. No one should ever suffer at the hands of their own parents.
I’m Glad My Mom Died was very eye-opening for me in many other ways than I expected. Jennette’s writing is so engaging—unapologetically candid and severely blunt at times, but witty and clever. Her comedic timing is well-placed, too. There were several little moments of levity in the book I’m actually grateful I still got to crack a smile every now and then. I love that I can hear her writing voice grow from child to adult as she progresses through the experiences in her life.
Despite all the pain that Jennette has gone through, her initiative to seek help and recover from it all is what impacted me the most. Recognizing the deep-rooted traumas that you carry with you is one thing, but choosing to move past that and making an effort to get better is something that always deserves to be recognized even if it’s through the smallest of actions. I’m happy that Jennette seems to be in a much better place now and I hope that she not only has the peace of mind she deserves to have for life, but that we see more of her writing in the future.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Moderate: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis