I'm Glad My Mom Died

One-Sentence book review
A very raw look into family abuse, and the lengths we go to both manipulate and please others.

Summary, thoughts and notesIn this memoir, Jennette McCurdy talks about her early childhood, how she got her start with her acting career, and how her mother was the main controlling force behind every decision in her life. The book continues until McCurdy's adulthood, her mother's death, and the consequences/fallout after her passing. The book is very raw and personal. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and you can tell it's her own voice telling all of these stories. She even get choked up at certain points, which just emphasizes the impact these events had on her life.

Themes and Character NotesThe author touches on some heavy subjects throughout the book, the abuse she suffered from her mother, her experiences with eating disorders, and alcoholism. It's a deep dive into the world of child actors and how our parents can sometimes be the source of trauma or emotional scarring we can carry into adulthood.

What Worked, What Didn'tI appreciate how open the author was in this book, it's not easy to talk about many of the things she touches on, from her abuse to struggles with alcohol and eating disorders, it's a very eye-opening experience to see the world from her perspective. The writing style helped bring forward the idea that it really is McCurdy's words we're reading/listening to, and not some ghostwriter, it reads like a friend talking to you about her life, or how I feel some therapists would feel during a session with a patient.On the other hand, the tone of the book might feel unpolished for the same reasons, especially if you're used to memoirs with a more traditional structure or professional voice.

Personal Recommendation
I knew next to nothing about the author other than she appeared on iCarly in Nickelodeon, which I never really watched as a kid. Nevertheless, I found this to be a fascinating and eye-opening read. if you are sensitive to topics such as child abuse, eating disorders, and alcoholism, you may want to approach this book with caution, if, however, you want to take a deep dive into the world of child actors in Hollywood and the effect that childhood trauma can have well into adulthood, this would be a great book for you.