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fromdusktil's review against another edition
3.0
I grew up in the age of Britney Spears and Amanda Bynes, watching their successes and their crumbling under fame. I was always wary of what really happened behind the scenes of those who were young and successful. When it comes to Jennette, I'll admit, I've never seen any of her work (I was a bit too old for those shows). Yet, as I read through the book, all I could feel was proud of Jennette. She is able to simultaneously tell us all the details of her upbringing and life, yet she told it in a way that was humorous and engaging. We are able to feel horror at how she was treated by those around her. We are able to see her struggles and her battles; she seemingly hides nothing.
Writing a book and airing your entire life takes tremendous courage. You have to be willing to face all the critics and possibly burn bridges with those around you. But Jennette did it anyway. Throughout the book we are able to see her slowly grow as a person.
In particular, I was pleased at how honest she was about her experiences with therapy. I feel as though a lot of people assume you go to a therapist, talk, and then get better. But that's not the case. As we saw with Jennette, she began her therapy journey with Laura and started making improvements, but when Laura brought up the fact that maybe Deb wasn't an ideal mother, everything crashed. Jennette ran. Because therapy is hard work. It is scary and brutal and soul crushing. We saw her panic as she had to slowly come to terms with the fact that maybe Laura was right. In the end, she finds a new therapist that takes a different approach and helps her focus on her relationship with food; indirectly, this is also dealing with her relationship with her mother. For Jennette, food and her mother are intrinsically intertwined. But focusing on food as the problem is much less harsh.
Overall, Jennette, well done. We will never know each other, but I am proud of you and your struggles and your striving for better. You are a good example for those out there who may also be struggling and just need to see that there is hope, despite all the ups and downs and setbacks, in order to start the journey themselves.
Writing a book and airing your entire life takes tremendous courage. You have to be willing to face all the critics and possibly burn bridges with those around you. But Jennette did it anyway. Throughout the book we are able to see her slowly grow as a person.
In particular, I was pleased at how honest she was about her experiences with therapy. I feel as though a lot of people assume you go to a therapist, talk, and then get better. But that's not the case. As we saw with Jennette, she began her therapy journey with Laura and started making improvements, but when Laura brought up the fact that maybe Deb wasn't an ideal mother, everything crashed. Jennette ran. Because therapy is hard work. It is scary and brutal and soul crushing. We saw her panic as she had to slowly come to terms with the fact that maybe Laura was right. In the end, she finds a new therapist that takes a different approach and helps her focus on her relationship with food; indirectly, this is also dealing with her relationship with her mother. For Jennette, food and her mother are intrinsically intertwined. But focusing on food as the problem is much less harsh.
Overall, Jennette, well done. We will never know each other, but I am proud of you and your struggles and your striving for better. You are a good example for those out there who may also be struggling and just need to see that there is hope, despite all the ups and downs and setbacks, in order to start the journey themselves.
evanlooy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.25
kaylaacakes's review against another edition
5.0
As someone with narcissistic and abusive parents, I can’t wait to gift this to my little sister.
raechels's review against another edition
5.0
All the trigger warnings but especially ED and emotional abuse.
heyhollyscott's review against another edition
5.0
Highly suggest listening to the audiobook if you have the chance!!
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Jennette is an excellent story teller and her audiobook was raw, honest, and heartbreaking. I want to give Jennette a hug after finishing it.
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Jennette is an excellent story teller and her audiobook was raw, honest, and heartbreaking. I want to give Jennette a hug after finishing it.
suzieq_013's review against another edition
5.0
A very difficult life, where I admire her bravery to fight and to love herself. A hard read, but very well-written.