A review by thatokiebird
Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson

emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

3.5

Where Am I Now? is the perfect title and stellar memoir of child star Mara Wilson who gave us Matilda and was in Mrs. Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street. She’s such a quintessential part of 90s cinema, and this book shares all about the actor’s childhood, what it’s like to be a child star from both the POV of a child and as an adult, and also shares about mental illness in a beautiful way. 

 

This book was published in 2016 when the author was 28 years old, and it is so well-written, funny, vulnerable, curious, and dishes so much fascinating tea. I listened to the audiobook version read by the author who did a great job, and it’s so compelling I finished it in two sittings. The book itself isn’t super long at a little over 7 hours, and is easy to read and follow. Having OCD myself, I was absolutely hooked on every word as she discussed her own diagnosis and her path to getting help. I’m obsessed with the fact that a chance encounter with a book led to her healing, and it just feels so relatable. 

 

She has such a unique view of life as a child, and yet she seems to have turned into such a well-adjusted normal human. She’s a stellar writer, and I’m happy she shared her story whether people pick it up for entertainment, mental health, death of a parent at a young age, growing up, theater school, hot goss, all of the above.