A review by livvyandlattes
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

dark emotional funny medium-paced

4.5

Starting this biography, I expected to read about the bright, happy, care-free journey of the young girl who filled my childhood with laughter. looking at the first chapter, I realised I had miscalculated. This book explores Janette’s toxic, painful childhood, her fight with eating disorders, her complex and uncomfortable relationship with her mother and the horrors that awaited her behind the scenes of ICarly. It feels intrusive to have experienced such an honest, raw dive into her trauma and thought processes during these times. Janette made me feel as though I was with her during all of these things, watching and helpless. And though the book is heavily wrapped in difficult topics, it is effortlessly intertwined with humour. It is a brilliantly raw achievements and is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is advisable to check the trigger warnings for the content of this book, but I found relating deeply to such issues gave this book a special and permanent place in my heart. It made me feel less alone, and like someone understands the complexity of toxic family relationships, the claws they keep within you, and the comfort and distraction of EDs and the confusion when overcoming them. 
I usually don’t read biographies, they feel like a strange, invasive peak into somebody’s life that usually doesn’t feel real either. This, however, I will forever recommend. Janette has bottled her life up for us, and it is kept lovingly on my shelf, wrapped inside the pages. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings