erinreadsbooks 's review for:

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

4.5

dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

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Wow, this was really tough to listen to (although obviously nowhere near as tough as I’m sure it was to write). I got so angry listening to the author so matter-of-factly recount her childhood and her mother’s abusive behaviors. It’s so sad that I could imagine everything so vividly and see exactly the drivers behind all of her resulting conditions and behaviors and relationships—it’s infuriating that so many adults looked the other way and essentially enabled the ruining of several childhoods. I’m not really sure if any sort of child acting or child performing on a large scale is ethical, and this book really emphasized the reasons behind that belief. I’m happy that the author sounds like she’s in a much better place now but I am so terrified for all the kids with abusive parents without a platform like a book deal or money for therapy. 

Read if you enjoy straightforward memoirs and harrowing stories of the reality of child stardom. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, Vomit

Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Grief, Sexual harassment

Minor: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking