Scan barcode
A review by vagrantshark
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
This book is extremely heavy in its content. A fantastic read/listen by all accounts, but it takes a lot to get through it if you're not fully prepared.
McCurdy spills her entire life (no kidding, I know) in a way that could be described as "absolutely unnerving." From her mothers cancer scare (and parading it for sympathy points), to her destructive childhood trying to please her mom by making McCurdy's life as pleasant to her mom as possible. Forced to act, sing, dance, audition for tv and movies, and be subjected to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse all in the name of a mother who wanted to be a "star" herself, but failed, only to put that burden on her daughter.
With revelations about Nickelodeon, various other stars, directors, and personalities; McCurdy takes you to the limit of what a memoir is expected to be, peels back the curtains, and shows everything for what it actually is. Absolute bullshit. Bullshit subjected to a young girl that never had a chance to just be a kid. And rarely much more at that.
This book tugs at everything in you. And between this and Maria Bamford's memoir, it's enough to never desire a moment in the spotlight. Not at that price.
McCurdy spills her entire life (no kidding, I know) in a way that could be described as "absolutely unnerving." From her mothers cancer scare (and parading it for sympathy points), to her destructive childhood trying to please her mom by making McCurdy's life as pleasant to her mom as possible. Forced to act, sing, dance, audition for tv and movies, and be subjected to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse all in the name of a mother who wanted to be a "star" herself, but failed, only to put that burden on her daughter.
With revelations about Nickelodeon, various other stars, directors, and personalities; McCurdy takes you to the limit of what a memoir is expected to be, peels back the curtains, and shows everything for what it actually is. Absolute bullshit. Bullshit subjected to a young girl that never had a chance to just be a kid. And rarely much more at that.
This book tugs at everything in you. And between this and Maria Bamford's memoir, it's enough to never desire a moment in the spotlight. Not at that price.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Addiction, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Body horror, Cancer, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
Minor: Classism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Grief, Blood, Infidelity, and Bullying