Title: I'm Glad My Mom DiedAuthor: Jennette McCurdy
First Published: August 9, 2022
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 319
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating:
Synopsis:
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.
Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
Buy the Book: AmazonReview
I barely knew a thing about Jennette McCurdy when I picked up this book. I was already in college by the time that iCarly started airing so I missed that entire era of Nickelodeon shows. The great thing is, you don’t need to know a damn thing about Jennette to appreciate this memoir. Jennette McCurdy was a child actress, pushed into acting by her mother who is absolutely obsessed with stardom. The book details her life and her rocky relationship with her mother, all while navigating Hollywood fame. This book is a heavy hitter, exploring abuse, eating disorders, unhealthy relationships, mental health and therapy.
I found the book engaging right from the get-go, Jennette is down to earth and at times sarcastic, she’s an easy narrator to follow. The narration in the early chapters involving Jennette’s childhood is simplistic and gradually becomes more complex and introspective as she narrates her life.
Jennette’s experiences with her abusive mother and struggle with eating disorders hit really close to home for me. She details how hard she tried to please her mom at the expense of her own happiness and it was absolutely heartbreaking to read about. Jennette is both bitter toward her mother, but still loves her and holds her up on a pedestal as many children do, and I found this deeply relatable. The harsh title makes perfect sense by the end of the book, and it made me glad that Jennette is writing and doing better.
This book has garnered a lot of attention since its debut and honestly, it is worth every bit of praise that it has received. If there was ever one celebrity book that I think deserves to be read it is this one, unequivocally. The book is a very good reminder of how we don’t really know anything about a person and their life behind the veneer of fame and success.
Quote
“My life purpose has always been to make Mom happy, to be who she wants me to be. So without Mom, who am I supposed to be now?”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Jennette McCurdy
Jennette McCurdy got her start in child acting, which by her late teen years had brought her success (she starred in Nickelodeon’s hit show iCarly and her own spin-off, Sam & Cat). She went on to star in the Netflix series Between, and had a short-lived country music career with Capitol Records Nashville. Despite her outside success, McCurdy felt ashamed of 90% of her resume and ultimately unfulfilled, so she turned to alcohol, but since that didn’t work, she quit acting and began pursuing writing/directing in 2017. She has written/directed a pilot and four short films. Her work has been featured in/on The Hollywood Reporter, Short of the Week, Florida Film Festival, Salute Your Shorts, and many more. She has written articles for Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Her one-woman show “I’m Glad My Mom Died” had a sold-out run at Lyric Hyperion Theatre. She hosts a podcast called “Empty Inside”, where she speaks with guests about uncomfortable topics.
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